MII brake caliper help

jwinkler · #1 (**permalink**) 03-17-2003, 04:17 PM

I know most of the folks on this list have real brakes, but I'm hoping someone can help me put my MII calipers back on - I'm at a point where the Haynes manual doesn't help anymore (important point - this is my first brake job, too).

As best I can gather from the Haynes manual, with the pads in place (one on the caliper, and one on the caliper bracket), insert the caliper into the upper lip on the caliper bracket, and then somehow rotate the bottom of the caliper in and over (?) the caliper retaining key and spring. However, I can't rotate the caliper in with the key and spring in place, and can't manage to get the caliper up enough against the top lip to make room to put the retaining key and spring in.

Thanks,

JLW

dscott · #2 (**permalink**) 03-17-2003, 04:28 PM

JLW, I'm not sure I'm following what you're doing. When you say spring are you talking about the flat piece with a small bow in it? The other piece is the locator that the small bolt goes through and attaches to the caliper. With the caliper in the proper position on the bracket, the spring in place, the locator gets driven in with a hammer. Make sure you lube the pieces. If this makes no sense I'll take a picture and post it.
Don

tim · #3 (**permalink**) 03-17-2003, 04:58 PM

Place the caliper with pads as you have described back onto the caliper mounting bracket WITHOUT the spring and L shaped clip. Place the spring on top of the clip and wedge the end between the caliper and the mounting braket and tap it in with a small hammer. Make sure you have the clip turned the correct way so that the locking bolt will go through the slot in it and screw it to the mounting braket.
Tim

Excaliber · #4 (**permalink**) 03-17-2003, 05:12 PM

How abut using lots of anti squeal "goop" on the pads and leaving the spring thing out? All it's for is "anti squeal" anyway.

Ernie

tim · #5 (**permalink**) 03-17-2003, 07:09 PM

HEY Excaliber!!
You obviously don't have Pinto/MustangII brakes on your car. The spring we are talking about is a "LITTLE!!" more important than that!

jwinkler · #6 (**permalink**) 03-17-2003, 08:24 PM

This is making some sense. Don - that's the piece I'm talking about - the key that's held on by the hex-key screw, with the metal piece on top of it. Once I started putting things back together, I realized what it did, but now I'm not sure how to get it back in. Is it best (in fact it seems like the only way) to drive it in from the inside (motor-side) to the outside (fender-side)? When I was trying to do that, admittedly from a poor angle, I couldn't seem to move the caliper up enough to get the key and spring seated to even start tapping it back in. If that's the right way to do it, though, I'll go back and figure out a better way to attack it.

Thanks,

JLW