Brake fluid pouring out of caliper!!!! help

I decided to change pads yesterday (without knowing how to do it specifically on soop - my fault)

I took calipers apart and brake fluid poured out of the lower part of it. the middle hole of 3 which has a seal. I put them together again and there didn't appear to be any furthe rleak but had quite a bit to top up which I did. there is now no pressure in pedal and brakes don't pump up

what have I done wrong? am I alright just to put caliper back together like that? and when I come to do next front wheel how do I avoid slitting the calipers?

Thanks in advance for any help:(

simon

OOookay are you actually saying that you seperated the two halves of the caliper? Nasty, but I can understand the error. If it was all clean when you put it back together you should be OK but you absolutely have to bleed the brake system now. Even the slightest bit of air will compress instead of the fluid being moved against the brake pistons, thus giving you no brakes.

-Ian

I probably shouldn't but:

Seriously, get the car towed to a garage and have a professional do the rest. Don't mess around with brakes when you clearly have no idea what you are doing.

I probably shouldn't but:

Seriously, get the car towed to a garage and have a professional do the rest. Don't mess around with brakes when you clearly have no idea what you are doing.

cheers CNUT:d LOL

OOookay are you actually saying that you seperated the two halves of the caliper? Nasty, but I can understand the error. If it was all clean when you put it back together you should be OK but you absolutely have to bleed the brake system now. Even the slightest bit of air will compress instead of the fluid being moved against the brake pistons, thus giving you no brakes.

 

-Ian

Thanks for thatI'm going to bleed it tonight. I clenaed it as best I could and used the brake cleaner spray and a clean cloth. How do you get the pads out without caliper splitting because when I took the pins out the caliper closest to me just fell off.

I assume you've got the bigger 4 piston brakes.The 2 halfs of the caliper are held together by 4 big bolts that screw in from the back. Are these the ones you unbolted to remove the pads?

The pads are held in by 2 small pins that pull out from the front of the caliper. Once the pins are removed the pads pull out through the hole in the side of the caliper, away from the hub.

I assume you've got the bigger 4 piston brakes.The 2 halfs of the caliper are held together by 4 big bolts that screw in from the back. Are these the ones you unbolted to remove the pads?

The pads are held in by 2 small pins that pull out from the front of the caliper. Once the pins are removed the pads pull out through the hole in the side of the caliper, away from the hub.

I appreciate your advice so thanks for replying

Yes they are the bigger 4 piston brakes. I took the 4 big bolts out to the back.Was I supose dto leave them? I then took the 2 pins out that go thru the pads and when I took the second one out the calipers just split in half? what did I do wrong cos I nee to put the other pad on?

I bled the brakes yesterday and they appear fine now although I 'll take it easy and keep a look out for any leage of fluid on the floor before I drive off

I appreciate your advice so thanks for replying

Yes they are the bigger 4 piston brakes. I took the 4 big bolts out to the back.Was I supose dto leave them? I then took the 2 pins out that go thru the pads and when I took the second one out the calipers just split in half? what did I do wrong cos I nee to put the other pad on?

yes leave the 4 bolts as per TrickTT post. Just removing the 2 pins will allow you to change the pads........if you ever need to change disks then just unbolt the whole caliper from the mountings and move it out of the way.......the only time you'd need to undo 'those' 4 bolts is (i think) to refurbish the caliper ie due to a seized piston............

i was told even refurb'ing the calipers, do not split them! splitting them breaks the seal, and if this seal (i believe its an o ring of some sort) then becomes damaged and needs replacing, they are very hard to get hold of.

as everyone else has said, leave all the bolts in situ. pull off the securing clip to the rear of the caliper / pins, pop out 2 pins, slide the pads out the back of the caliper. in true Haynes stylee, refitting is reverse of removal

You can refurb the calipers without splitting them as well. As Rob said you should never split them.

Simonas, if you read this, keep a very close watch on the caliper you split in half for fluid leaks for a few weeks.

You can refurb the calipers without splitting them as well. As Rob said you should never split them.

Simonas, if you read this, keep a very close watch on the caliper you split in half for fluid leaks for a few weeks.

Cheers for all the comments chaps. You learn by your mistakes heh!!! I checked where I had parked this morning and there was no leak but I'll keep checking and I drive so much slower!!! lol

fingers crossed for the other brakes !!

cheers

glad i have j-spec brakes it makes life so much easyer changing the pads.

But makes life so much harder trying to stop the sup !

I checked where I had parked this morning and there was no leak but I'll keep checking and I drive so much slower!!!

cheers

I would assume that the leak would appear upon hard breaking, where the fluid would spurt through the damaged seal between the two halves of the caliper. id be suprised if you saw drips on the drive as there isnt enough pressure in the system to force the fluid out.

id take her down the road, making sure there is nothing around you, then slam on. then check for leaks. at least if they go, youre only down the road, were prepared for it, and hopefully wont have hit anything!!

id take her down the road, making sure there is nothing around you, then slam on. then check for leaks. at least if they go, youre only down the road, were prepared for it, and hopefully wont have hit anything!!

I've done quite a bit of that and so far so good

...id take her down the road, making sure there is nothing around you, then slam on. then check for leaks. at least if they go, youre only down the road, were prepared for it, and hopefully wont have hit anything!!

Yeah, that's a good idea.

Mark the exact level of brake fluid on your reservoir.

Do the hard-brake test a few times, keep checking the level for a few weeks down the line.

You really don't want any air drawn in there.