the piecemeal service project continues - now the air filter

[princeperch]

I assume it just slots in somewhere, and I assume that place in under the plastic covering with the big tube going from it, on the passenger side of the engine bay?

Do I just undo this and change old for new?

Daft question I know but I couldn't find any "how to" tutorials online.

This and changing the front pads are todays job.

Bloody credit crunch making me do all this work myself, although I am enjoying getting to know the car a bit better...

Edited by princeperch on Wednesday 30th July 15:47

[Munter]

*sucks teeth* Air filter? Hours job at least that.

Nah sounds like you have the idea. Not actually dont he MX5 but all air filters I have done have been the same. Open air box. Pull old done out. Drop new one in. Close air box. Retire.

[princeperch]

Ta. That's what I'd hoped. It'll be nice to actually get to go for a drive in the the old girl at some point this week!

[skinny]

very easy to do mate - just as you say, open the box up, remove old, pop new one in, close box and tighten - job done!

[princeperch]

having a bugger of a job with the front pads - everythings off and the new pads are in but I cant get the housing back over the pads - I assume that it has something to do with the brake caliper piston and retraction of, but i'm buggered if I know...

Looks like i'll be scratching my head for the rest of the night -the guide online are not massivly helpful....

No idea what i'm doing wrong. I thought there might be an allen key to wind back like on the rears but there isnt.

Nothing's ever simple.



eta: worked out how to do it and sorted one wheels new pads. just got to wait till tomorrow and the other wheels caliper bolt has partied over night with WD40...

Edited by princeperch on Wednesday 30th July 18:28

Edited by princeperch on Wednesday 30th July 19:48

[MX-5 Lazza]

You need a piston clamp to push it back in. A G-clamp will do the job just as well.

[princeperch]

MX-5 Lazza said:

You need a piston clamp to push it back in. A G-clamp will do the job just as well.

I undid the master slave brake thing then pushed it in with my fingers after much effort. Seemed to work. Took me about 40 mins to work out this is what I had to do though!

I just bloody hope that the offside pistonclamp's bolt is ready to play ball tomorrow. I abused it with a mole wrench and a tin of wd40 today to no avail.

Tomorrow is another day.

Thanks for your continued help guys in helping out a DIY idiot. It's much appreciated.

I will no doubt have more questions in due course.

Edited by princeperch on Wednesday 30th July 22:16

[MX-5 Lazza]

princeperch said:

I undid the master slave brake thing then pushed it in with my fingers after much effort. Seemed to work. Took me about 40 mins to work out this is what I had to do though!

A piston clamp/G-clamp is a much better way to do it...

princeperch said:

I just bloody hope that the offside pistonclamp's bolt is ready to play ball tomorrow. I abused it with a mole wrench and a tin of wd40 today to no avail.

Are you talking about the slide-bolt? i.e. the bottom of the 2 that you need to remove to change the pads?
I always remove the top bolt when I change my pads. I'm not sure why the recommended one is the bottom one, it's much easier to do removing the top bolt...

[princeperch]

MX-5 Lazza said:

princeperch said:

I undid the master slave brake thing then pushed it in with my fingers after much effort. Seemed to work. Took me about 40 mins to work out this is what I had to do though!

A piston clamp/G-clamp is a much better way to do it...

princeperch said:

I just bloody hope that the offside pistonclamp's bolt is ready to play ball tomorrow. I abused it with a mole wrench and a tin of wd40 today to no avail.

Are you talking about the slide-bolt? i.e. the bottom of the 2 that you need to remove to change the pads?
I always remove the top bolt when I change my pads. I'm not sure why the recommended one is the bottom one, it's much easier to do removing the top bolt...

yeah thats the one, then you can pivot it up to get at the pads. I s'pose the top one would be easier thinking about it, as I dont think you would need to tie it out the way as you would the lower one.

I'll have a look and see if the top one is any better than the bottom one. The bottom one was seized to buggery yesterday.

Going to have a cup of tea in a mo, then go and spend my day swearing at the car..

Edited by princeperch on Thursday 31st July 10:14

[skinny]

i always undo the bottom one and then the top one slides out, i think it's a smaller bolt so it's easier to undo, and if you want to leave the caliper attached you can just pivot it up and support it with an axle stand.

[princeperch]

skinny said:

i always undo the bottom one and then the top one slides out, i think it's a smaller bolt so it's easier to undo, and if you want to leave the caliper attached you can just pivot it up and support it with an axle stand.

well both bolts are welded on tight. I've attacked them with WD40, a mole wrench, spanners, a hammer, and nothing gives. Any further abuse is just stripping them.

would it be easier for me to saw through the top bolt by pulling back the rubber mid section then buying a new one from halfords?

[MX-5 Lazza]

Can you get to the calliper mounting bolts?
If you can remove the calliper then the pads will come out and you will be able to slide the calliper apart. Should be fairly easy to remove the slide-bolts then and replace with new items.

[.:ian:.]

MX-5 Lazza said:

Can you get to the calliper mounting bolts?
If you can remove the calliper then the pads will come out and you will be able to slide the calliper apart. Should be fairly easy to remove the slide-bolts then and replace with new items.

Do this, but before you attempt it make sure you have a decent-ish socket set, with six sided sockets. Using 12 sided spanners, or even worse, molegrips will generally end in pain.

And get some decent penetrating oil (plus-gas or 3-in-1) instead of WD40, which isnt really thin enough to penetrate tight/corroded nuts n bolts..

[princeperch]

I actually cheated and went to a local garage and "borrowed" their equipment to get the bolts off so it's ok now and the pads are in situ.

Now I'm just having a problem in getting the caliper piston to retract enough to fit over the new pads. Strange as it wasn't this bad on the other side...

[MX-5 Lazza]

princeperch said:

I actually cheated and went to a local garage and "borrowed" their equipment to get the bolts off so it's ok now and the pads are in situ.

Now I'm just having a problem in getting the caliper piston to retract enough to fit over the new pads. Strange as it wasn't this bad on the other side...

Piston clamp!!!

[princeperch]

MX-5 Lazza said:

princeperch said:

I actually cheated and went to a local garage and "borrowed" their equipment to get the bolts off so it's ok now and the pads are in situ.

Now I'm just having a problem in getting the caliper piston to retract enough to fit over the new pads. Strange as it wasn't this bad on the other side...

Piston clamp!!!

well im buggered as I cant get the piston to retract enough to get the old pads in to drive to the garage. its totally seized.

looks like im goign to have to buy a new piston caliper.

fking hell.

[.:ian:.]

what are you using to push it back in?

[princeperch]

.:ian:. said:

what are you using to push it back in?

ive used:

A mole wrench

A scissor jack

clamp thing

Im a bit fked now as I cant event get it back enough to put the old pads in.

So now I dont have a car to drive.

fking hell.

Edited by princeperch on Thursday 31st July 17:00

[Munter]

If your really stuck look for a local mobile mechanic in the phone book and pay him £20 to sort you out.

[skinny]

take caliper off, pump brake pedal until piston sticks out (but not so much that it falls out), pull back seal and see if you can clean up the rust that's making the piston stick. it might go back further than you are able to get access to this method in which case pump brakes until it falls out and give piston a proper clean up. only trouble is getting seal back on - old one might have failed (in which case that's probably what got your piston into trouble in the first place) but even a new one is a bit of a horrbile job to get it to fit, i'd imagine an old bent one to be even more difficult...