When I changed my front pads 6 months ago, all i did was open the master cylinder cap, to allow the fluid to rise, while I pushed back the piston.

Today my friend said, that I should have opened the bleeder screw a tad, while pushing back my piston.

I have never heard of that. I thought you are only supposed to mess with the bleeder screws when you are gonna bleed the system.

BTW, for the front brake job I did, I did not bleed anything (only my knuckles a little).

 

i never bleed mine either, just pushed it back with my hand and a caliper tool

 

All you need to do is push the piston for the front ones.
in the rear you need to turn the piston in order to screw it in.

 

You don't HAVE to open the bleeder screw, but if you do, pushing in the piston becomes VERY easy, even by hand. It's harder when you push the fluid all the way back to the master cylinder. However, with a 6" C clamp doing it the hard way is dead easy as well.

When opening the bleeder screw IS recommended is if you (or someone else) topped up the reservoir while your pads were way thin. Now pushing the pistons back may overflow the reservoir if you don't catch it. Get brake fluid on the paint in the engine bay you may not notice the peeled paint and rust until much, much later. Just be careful to not introduce any air.

John

 

Opening the bleeder screw is not needed to push back in the caliper piston, unless the piston will not go back in even with the proper tool. Now you have to decide, is my piston not going back in because it's frozen in the caliper or what. A internally collapse brake hose can also prevent a piston from going back in and this is when opening the bleeder screw will help determine why a piston is not going back in. If the piston will not go back in with the bleeder screw closed but does go back in with the screw open it tells you that your caliper is ok but your brake hose needed replacing.

 

Thanks so much.