While I wait for my parallel link bolts....is it OK to open up the rear caliper and look at the piston. without bleeding the brakes before or after?

 

nope. any time the hydraulic system is opened you have to bleed it.

 

You talking about taking out a bolt and swinging the caliper up? You should be fine. It may be tight getting it back on the pads and rotor. If you move the piston or open the bleeder you may want to bleed but otherwise no need.

What are you trying to see anyways?

 

yeah i was about to say, this should be fine as i did this in class to inspect my parking brake and i had to take the caliper off to check everything

 

Reizy: Yup, remove the pin bolt and swing it up, then look at the piston. I'll eventually replace these rear calipers because the bleeder screw is stripped on both sides, and I can't get them off. So basically, I wanted to inspect them before I replace them, but I won't be able to bleed the system.

So when you say you 'may want to bleed', this means that me moving the piston out 'could' introduce air into the system? I notice the FSM says you need not remove the brake hose connector if you aren't replacing the caliper....but it doesn't mention if you have to bleed or not.

Caped - does inspecting the piston equate to opening the hydraulic system? What you are saying is when you remove the piston the fluid starts to come out, even though bleeder screw is shut?

 

If you move the piston any which way it should be in. Otherwise you wont be able to slide the caliper back over the pads and rotor. To move it out you would need to step on the brakes with the caliper off and I dont think you would do that, would you? You really shouldnt need to move the piston at all. Just take out 1 bolt, swing it up and do your inspection. Then swing it back down and bolt it up. But if you need to compress the piston a bit you should be fine without bleeding. If the brakes feel bad then bleed but really you shouldnt need to.

BTW, caped, YGPM.

 

i am getting too many PMs lately. forreals.

 

if you take the piston totally out of the caliper then you have to bleed it. isn't that what you were planing to do? how else were you planning to 'inspect' the piston...? you used the words "open up the rear caliper" in your first post.

 

if you just take the bolt or 2 out of the caliper then you can wiggle the whole caliper brake pads and all off of the rotor...the piston will go back but all you have to do is put a c-clamp on the piston untill it starts going back in and gradually tighten the clamp up untill you can slide the caliper and pads back over the rotor... no bleeding involved but you must check your resivoir cap to makesure it hasnt come off or lost any fluid...top off if necessary but you shouldnt loose any fluid nor gain any air....o and no need to remove the piston to inspect it just do liek i said take caliper off let piston slide out then compress it back in... you should be able to tell from that if t works or not....

 

it depends if he is taking the piston all the way out and inspecting the seal and the inner bore of the caliper or if he's just popping the caliper out to see how pretty it is . i don't see a whole lot of point in looking at the part of the piston that's beyond the seal.. it doesn't actually make contact with anything anyhow.

 

exactly lol thats what im saying i dont understand why wou would want to inspect the backside of the piston....especially when your planning on getting new ones anyway...

 

get used to it.

 

The key word is 'planning'

I could be 'planning' to get a Q45 within the next 30 yrs, but it may never happen.