front ABS brake caliper piston retract

#11

As others have suggested, use a C clamp and screw the clamp down on the
piston top to settle it back down into the shell (brake housing we say
in the colonies).

The brake fluid squeezed it down that way as the brake pad linings wore
away from use.

Sooooooo ... you have to give the brake fluid a place to go back up the
pipe it came back down (some people loosen the brake fluid filler cap),
and drain out ALL the old brake fluid.

Flush out the system, the pipes and all down to the refurbished brake
shoes ... it is full of dirt and rust, makes for pitting in the master
cylinder miles later ... so use DOT 3 or what ever BMW recommendes as
brake fluid ... get a whole liter or quart ... save off what you expend
and recycle it. Rather toxic so be mindful.

Go slow, don't scratch things, clean it up nicely, and follow the steps
in the shop manual you zeroxed out of the public library ... and it will
do rather nicely.

Penny wise is dollar foolish on a BMW ... so use good parts and use all
the BMW stuff they say to use or better if it is on the shelf.

Sumbuddie hopes this helps

:?

Jane Earnshaw wrote:

Quote:

Hi,
a mate of mine has an X reg 320 and we cannot shift the front ABS
caliper pistons back into their shell to allow fitting of new pads.

Do we need a special tool, like the one I have for GM, that twists the
piston whilst squeezing it back in?

Any help greatlfully received - his wife wants to use the car tomorrow
and he's in great danger of losing every brownie point he's ever earned
(not many actually !! )

Ta!
Diesel Dave

#12

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Quote:

BMW, like any other brand, isn't perfect. But usually enjoyable to drive
- unlike most Hondas.

Hondas are OK, for FWD cars. I'd love to see them do a 3-series
comptetitor. I think they could hit the target better than what Lexus
(and Mercedes, for that matter) has been able to do...

#13

last_permutation (AT) yahoo (DOT) com wrote:

Quote:

On May 19, 3:32 pm, "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrj... (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote:
All you need do is use a C-clamp to push the pistons back inside the caliper
housing.

Not necessarily. Back in the dark old days when I drove a Bummer (up
to
last year), unless the calipers were original (which I could easily
push
back in) these things will freeze out, and they simply won't budge.
I'm
a strong guy to begin with, but even a big C clamp didn't do the job
with
the fluid bleed open.

Oh, the memories. A list of problems over those 8 years that was
literally
half as long as my arm, including the shitty GM transmission they put
in
the "ultimate driving machines" going south at 85K miles--nearly $4
grand
to replace. I drive an '09 Honda Accord now. Pure bliss and looking
forward to years of bliss!

Try changing the brake fluid once in a while. Works for our bimmers
thus far.

My '91 Accord now has over 210K miles. It also has original calipers
and wheel cylinders.

--
JRE

#14

"JRE" <nothing (AT) nowhere (DOT) com> wrote

Quote:

My '91 Accord now has over 210K miles. It also has original calipers and
wheel cylinders.

Original calipers? Big deal.

I've been working on cars (shadetree stuff for my own fleet) for 40+ years
and never replaced a caliper.

My first BMW topped 225K miles on the original calipers. I've had Hondas
that were closing in on 200K miles with no reason to think the calipers were
going south.

Brake fluid makes sense though ...

..

#15

Jeff Strickland wrote:

Quote:

"JRE" <nothing (AT) nowhere (DOT) com> wrote in message
news:4a16088c$0$5919$607ed4bc (AT) cv (DOT) net...
My '91 Accord now has over 210K miles. It also has original calipers and
wheel cylinders.

Original calipers? Big deal.

I've been working on cars (shadetree stuff for my own fleet) for 40+ years
and never replaced a caliper.

My first BMW topped 225K miles on the original calipers. I've had Hondas
that were closing in on 200K miles with no reason to think the calipers were
going south.

Brake fluid makes sense though ...

It was an *example*. The point is this: Brake fluid is hygroscopic. If
you don't change it, water vapor eventually gets past the seals (even if
they are good, they are rarely perfect). When that happens, corrosion
starts. I've replaced any number of calipers that were corroded, many
of which would not retract. After the first time it happened to me,
30-something years ago, and I started to change brake fluid from time to
time, none of them have been mine.

(So far, the record for me is 264K on a 1972 Datsun 510. The Accord and
our two E46s might very well break that record handily if we don't hit
too many deer with them....)

--
JRE

#16

On May 21, 10:05*pm, JRE <noth... (AT) nowhere (DOT) com> wrote:

Quote:

last_permutat... (AT) yahoo (DOT) com wrote:
On May 19, 3:32 pm, "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrj... (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote:
All you need do is use a C-clamp to push the pistons back inside the caliper
housing.

Not necessarily. * Back in the dark old days when I drove a Bummer (up
to
last year), unless the calipers were original (which I could easily
push
back in) these things will freeze out, and they simply won't budge.
I'm
a strong guy to begin with, but even a big C clamp didn't do the job
with
the fluid bleed open.

Oh, the memories. * A list of problems over those 8 years that was
literally
half as long as my arm, including the shitty GM transmission they put
in
the "ultimate driving machines" going south at 85K miles--nearly $4
grand
to replace. *I drive an '09 Honda Accord now. *Pure bliss and looking
forward to years of bliss!

Try changing the brake fluid once in a while.

Where did I say I didn't?

#17

In article
<9e5332f7-27a9-4eb0-8b62-08ab7d738ea5 (AT) i6g2000yqj (DOT) googlegroups.com>,
<last_permutation (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote:

Quote:

Try changing the brake fluid once in a while.

Where did I say I didn't?

If you had lots of problems with calipers seizing, it's the likely cause.

--
*I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.

Dave Plowman dave (AT) davenoise (DOT) co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

#18

last_permutation (AT) yahoo (DOT) com wrote:

Quote:

Oh, the memories. A list of problems over those 8 years that was
literally half as long as my arm, including the shitty GM transmission they put
in the "ultimate driving machines" going south at 85K miles--nearly $4
grand to replace.

Was that a "Steptronic"?

#19

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Quote:

Any guesses as to why BMW used GM transmissions on US cars, but ZF pretty
well everywhere else? Especially if the GM wasn't reliable?

ISTR reading that engine/gearbox combos had to be type approved in the
US which cost mucho-wonga. Perhaps using a home grown box got round this
somehow.

Alternatively, perhaps the ratios were better suited to US driving.
Fifth on my ZF boxed 325 was so long that it probably wouldn't have got
into it at 55mph[1].

[1] Don't forget, this is 15+ years ago. I know limits are higher now.

--
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

#20

On Wed, 27 May 2009 12:01:47 +0100, Scott M <no_one (AT) no_where (DOT) net>
wrote:

Quote:

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Any guesses as to why BMW used GM transmissions on US cars, but ZF pretty
well everywhere else? Especially if the GM wasn't reliable?

ISTR reading that engine/gearbox combos had to be type approved in the
US which cost mucho-wonga. Perhaps using a home grown box got round this
somehow.

I believe it had to do with reducing tariffs and/or import taxes,
where the greater the "local content" of a product, the cheaper it
was.