Replacing brake pads

[pikey]

I am going to replace the brake pads on my Vs statesman. Looking through the posts it is sometimes recommending to bleed the brake fluid to stop any dirty fluid going back into the ABS mudule when pushing the pistons back? Is this necessary ? Is there a good link to a 'how to replace the pads' on here?

 

[wasted_days]

I've always just pushed the pistons back in with a g-clamp, put in pads, bolt the calipers back up & then just because I bleed the whole system from the wheel the most distance from the master to the closest... Depending how long the fluids been in there determines if I bleed out all of the old brake fluid from the calipers & lines.

 

[vs-lover]

Honestly you should never just push the piston back, thus forcing the fluid back up through the master cylinder. The correct method is to clamp the flexible rubber brake line and then open the bleeder nipple and push the fluid out through the bleeder. Once the piston has been fully pushed back the nipple should be closed and then the clamp removed off the line. This way you won't have to bleed the entire system and you'll never have any issues with the ABS unit.

One day you'll work on a vehicle that doesn't allow any back pressuring of the Master cylinder and bugger up the cups inside the MC. Then you'll remember this post and say s#@t that's gonna cost me a lot of money to replace the Master Cylinder !

Cheers.

 

[Zeke Topanaga]

First time I ever heard of partly changing the brake oil, as all the oil is contaminated with water after a time, so the whole lot must be replaced.
Or do people think that the oil near the brake piston only stays put and gets hot.
Just look at the oil in the res it changes colour because it's all contaminated.

 

[MYVESSV8]

Honestly you should never just push the piston back, thus forcing the fluid back up through the master cylinder. The correct method is to clamp the flexible rubber brake line and then open the bleeder nipple and push the fluid out through the bleeder. Once the piston has been fully pushed back the nipple should be closed and then the clamp removed off the line. This way you won't have to bleed the entire system and you'll never have any issues with the ABS unit.

One day you'll work on a vehicle that doesn't allow any back pressuring of the Master cylinder and bugger up the cups inside the MC. Then you'll remember this post and say s#@t that's gonna cost me a lot of money to replace the Master Cylinder !

Cheers.

just try that on some cars-not a hope in hell, Astra rear, Cruze rear brakes need to be slightly pushed and screwed back at same time,
but as above good advice

 

[vs-lover]

My advice was based on a Pad change only as the topic suggests and not a fluid change. Technically speaking your fluid should be changed every 12 months as it is Hygroscopic and as such absorbs water which in turn will have a corrosive affect on all hydaulic brake components, thus should be done annually and not just when you require a pad change and rotor / drum service.

 

[greenacc]

I don't bother clamping the line just loosen the nipple and push the piston back. It flows freely out the nipple doing this so I doubt it would ever damage a master as there wouldn't be enough pressure with the nipple open.

 

[vs-lover]

Clamping the line is to avoid any air going backwards up the hose nothing more because as you've suggested once the bleeder is open the liquid will not go up the hose, rather the easy option that offers no resistance will always be taken.