Discussion
Spent all afternoon in the garage fitting new brak pads to my Mk1 Eunos - what a pain! Putting in the EBC pads, everything was just a bit 'tight' - have still got the back wheels off too, didn't have the energy to start those!
(Glad I was inside though - year ago this would've been an out on the driveway job!!)
(Glad I was inside though - year ago this would've been an out on the driveway job!!)
Forgive the stupid question but are you sure you were doing it right?
It takes me about 10 minutes a side to do the front brake pads and 15 minutes a side to do the rears.
Do you know how to do the rears? Do it wrong and you can screw the handbrake auto-adjustment...
On another note, personally I wouldn't touch the EBC pads. The quality is dubious and very unreliable. You might get a good set but you might equally get a very poor set. The last set I had ate my new discs. They are never going on my car again.
It takes me about 10 minutes a side to do the front brake pads and 15 minutes a side to do the rears.
Do you know how to do the rears? Do it wrong and you can screw the handbrake auto-adjustment...
On another note, personally I wouldn't touch the EBC pads. The quality is dubious and very unreliable. You might get a good set but you might equally get a very poor set. The last set I had ate my new discs. They are never going on my car again.
MX-5 Lazza said:
Just checked your profile and saw that you are a mechanical engineer so I guess you probably do know what you are doing.
What was the problem?
ah, but in my line of work a Mech engineer is a cad monkey who designs heating and air con systems - no automotive expertise needed What was the problem?
With the backs - theres a bolt round the back of the caliper, this needs to be unscrewed and the little 5mm hex bolt unwound to release the pads, then the bolt replaced.
HTH
Um, thanks for all the comments!
Yes, am a mechanical engineer but not a CAD monkey as you'd describe. I actually have a lot of respect for the CAD monkey's out there. We owe them a lot for all of the things we take for granted. Like that the AC compressor fits under the bonnet of the diminutive MX5.
I saw previous experience with the pads - thought I'd risk it - don't know why now, I'll post back my experiences. Silly really, think it's got stock pads at the moment and I've had no complaints.
I have no trouble really doing this, other than that (believe it or not) - when your pads have lasted over 2 years they seem to be a bit of a pain to change. I tend to lever the calipers back with a screwdriver, this 'technique' was a bit of a blind alley - the Mazda caliper 'window' isn't in the easiest place.
Also my car has tended to lock the left front before the other brakes - so I took the opportunity to change a couple of the sliding pins, the action isn't great. The pads are actually not the greatest fit either, again, not best happy with the action, I bought the Mazda fitting kit for the front, and replaced the stainless guides at the same time.
For reference, I've never given GM credit for their 'finesse' in engineering design or quality, but the pad change on one of their American cars is a lot more straightforward, and despite more miles and more years, the sliding arrangement is far more free of binding/stiction.
Yes, am a mechanical engineer but not a CAD monkey as you'd describe. I actually have a lot of respect for the CAD monkey's out there. We owe them a lot for all of the things we take for granted. Like that the AC compressor fits under the bonnet of the diminutive MX5.
I saw previous experience with the pads - thought I'd risk it - don't know why now, I'll post back my experiences. Silly really, think it's got stock pads at the moment and I've had no complaints.
I have no trouble really doing this, other than that (believe it or not) - when your pads have lasted over 2 years they seem to be a bit of a pain to change. I tend to lever the calipers back with a screwdriver, this 'technique' was a bit of a blind alley - the Mazda caliper 'window' isn't in the easiest place.
Also my car has tended to lock the left front before the other brakes - so I took the opportunity to change a couple of the sliding pins, the action isn't great. The pads are actually not the greatest fit either, again, not best happy with the action, I bought the Mazda fitting kit for the front, and replaced the stainless guides at the same time.
For reference, I've never given GM credit for their 'finesse' in engineering design or quality, but the pad change on one of their American cars is a lot more straightforward, and despite more miles and more years, the sliding arrangement is far more free of binding/stiction.
forgive me if i'm stating the obvious but you did wind the rears all the way out with the allen key (think it's 4mm from memory tho?) before you pushed the pistons back in? you might be getting a little corrosion start to gum up the piston if you are struggling to get them all the way back in. had this on two pistons on mine, one front and one rear.
as lazza says, job is done in about 10 minutes for each front side here, including cleaning and regreasing slider pins, coppergrease on backs of pads, and bleeding fluid. rears about 30 minutes in all if i start off winding out the handbrake adjuster on the handle first.
as lazza says, job is done in about 10 minutes for each front side here, including cleaning and regreasing slider pins, coppergrease on backs of pads, and bleeding fluid. rears about 30 minutes in all if i start off winding out the handbrake adjuster on the handle first.
Well, up until the last post I'd only done the fronts (I must be the slowest person in the world with this).
Rears were total pain. Left one was not a problem, everything came apart and wound back in as it should. Right hand one - not a chance. Adjuster sheered its teeth (handy tip - if yours ever do this, and it probably will because Mazda used a grade of steel called 'toffee' to make it from) - then just file the top off until you get back to good teeth - result - adjuster works properly again.
I should have said another top tip - don't use an air ratchet to undo the adjuster. That was (cough) probably responsible for the need for the first top tip...
Anyway, one caliper stripdown later and the piston cleaned up and replaced and it all seems to work. Did you know it is possible to hand bleed the right rear caliper on a Eunos while sat in the driver seat? Useful heh?
Only another 3 and a half hours on it today. Just got to let it down off the jacks now! Ordered new piston and seals in case too though...
Rears were total pain. Left one was not a problem, everything came apart and wound back in as it should. Right hand one - not a chance. Adjuster sheered its teeth (handy tip - if yours ever do this, and it probably will because Mazda used a grade of steel called 'toffee' to make it from) - then just file the top off until you get back to good teeth - result - adjuster works properly again.
I should have said another top tip - don't use an air ratchet to undo the adjuster. That was (cough) probably responsible for the need for the first top tip...
Anyway, one caliper stripdown later and the piston cleaned up and replaced and it all seems to work. Did you know it is possible to hand bleed the right rear caliper on a Eunos while sat in the driver seat? Useful heh?
Only another 3 and a half hours on it today. Just got to let it down off the jacks now! Ordered new piston and seals in case too though...
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