I worked on trying to retract the piston for my 2019 Chev Silverado late last nigh and could not it until I saw this. You are life saver. Thank you so much
I've been hammering wedges for a while trying to push the piston back until I saw this....wow no more frustrations it worked much better than the route I was going.....Thank You for this Video!!!!
Now THIS is a real instruction video! No wasted time, straight to the point.....and the background music is even tolerable! This clip helped me out a lot! Thank you!
Normally, I'd just slightly crack the bleeder screw and compress the piston back in with my "C" clamp Vise Grip. Then top off the master cylinder when done. This one wasn't moving, so I figured there's something more to it. Also, check the parking brake, make sure it's off, that might mess with you. I managed quite nicely with a small pair of needle nose Vise Grips. Mine had just two opposite slots at the edge. Thanks for the tip.
Thanks for the informative video. It is one of the best. Especially how you line up the piston with the inner brake pads so they interlock. This is a skipped bit of info with other explanations that I have seen.
Thank you very much for this video. I have a Rover 620ti and I have precisely refurbished the rear brakes because the handbrake wasn't stopping the car anymore. Although I had already retracted the piston, I was puzzled whether I was doing the right thing or not because I was not going to change the pads I was just refurbishing the caliper itself.
Thanks for the video, I've always used pliers. I'm working on some rear calipers, I keep turning it & it doesn't go in. But it will go out if you turn counter clockwise
if its too tight and that tool is slipping you can put vice grips around the very top of the piston where the turning thing is and get it started that way
*Hint: If you forgot to line up the Piston NOTCH to the PAD notch just cycle the parking brake about 10 times and each time it will rotate the piston until it falls into the notch. best to have a friend put his ears next to the rear of the vehicle so they can confirm a loud CLICK sound has occurred.*
I first thought my rear calipers were frozen up when I couldn't push them back when putting the brakes back together (in the rear) after installing rear struts on my "W" body 1995 grand prix SE / It had been sitting in my garage from about 2006- till this summer of 2022. That"s why I thought maybe rusted & frozen up . I didn't want to spent somewhere between $80 & $100 for a rear caliper and that's just one for one side. so I bought the seal and boot and ring clip. When I got the piston out , it just goes straight & does't turn right? I think I was watching, or did I turn it maybe I did? But it sure in the heck has to turn to put it in. Anyway what I can't figure out is every time I put the brakes on how are they ever going to release the pressure/ there's nobody there to quick jake and jack it up and remove the tire to to use a tool to spin the piston and if the piston has to line up with that shoe riviet, how could it turn anymore, anyway? I didn't invent this piston that overlaps over a threaded rod & has to be turned, in . All I know is I put the caliper on bleed the brakes , the piston pushes tight to the pads, and won't release. I tried 3 different calipers none release and the only way to release them is to turn the piston to the right, with the pads out of the way. and yes i did drive it before I tied rebuilding the caliper had to wait a day for the awful smell to go away from dragging. the other side rear works. its the same only different from right to left.
I installed a new caliper, but it won’t release. The rotor is stuck. I’ve been using a special tool to push the piston back. Then when I do the bleeding procedure the caliper won’t release. It’s messing with my gas mileage and chewing my brake pads. Is it maybe because I’m not doing the bleeding procedure right?
Hi, maybe you can help me, I was replacing the pads/rotor on my 2017 crv ex 4wd and when Im trying to press the piston back in , the piston itself went all the way out, I meat off thr booth, any idea how could I fix it? Thanks
Not necessarily bad because I’ve don’t my fair share of these and maybe 20% of them had ripped boots. The boot keeps dust and debris from the piston as it comes out and partially retract when you depress the brake pedal. The worst it’ll get is brake dust stuck inside and maybe some rust if you’re in a really humid area.
Yes that way works. Rear brakes won’t raise the fluid level too much but front brakes will due to their larger pistons. Do consider a full brake flush if it hasn’t been performed before in your car.
@@waynesgarage8579 thanks, just did the fronts rotors and brakes today. Will do the tears tomorrow. I occasionally flush brake fluid, it's a 7 year old vehicle and fluid looks like new. Will do next weekend so I can still have a mini weekend this one lol. Thanks again Wayne. The information is valuable and I appreciate it, knowledge sharing is the way the world should work.
with the cube, does it feel pretty snug once it's in place and you start turning the piston? since it can turn counter or clock wise either direction. i've never used this before thanks.
The cube will feel really snug or with a little play depending on your piston notches. In the video it wasn’t 100% snug because it’s a universal tool. If you get the whole kit, the tool actually puts pressure on the face of the piston and the back of the fingers so it’s really secure and easy to work with.
@@waynesgarage8579 thanks a ton man for the reply and good video. my wife has an acura with similar if not same looking rear piston (cross looking) so I'll follow suit.
When it’s fully retracted it’ll bottom out. The face of the piston will be flush with the caliper housing. Then you can turn the piston on reverse to line up the notch (turning the piston back will not make it extend out)
I would clean off the seal and piston and attempt to screw in the piston slowly. The threads are fine and can easily strip. Go counter clockwise until you feel the beginning of the thread then slowly turn clockwise with a little bit of pressure. Open up the bleeder screw so you’re not fighting too much pressure. After you manage to get it back in you will need a really thorough brake bleeding in that caliper because a lot of trap micro air bubble is most likely all over internally.
great video with happy music! I've seen some people crack open the bleeder screw when they push the piston in. What is the difference between doing this, or not? (other than the oil pushing back and filling the reservoir?)
Tristan, yes! Opening the bleeder is another technique that will make the piston retraction a little easier and avoid old fluid from traveling back up to your master cylinder. (The master cylinder ports are small so there’s a chance the debris can plug them ) If you have really old brake fluid then it’s beneficial to do that but doing so might make a mess unless you have a clear tube connected to the caliper as you retract. Thanks for watching
Anup, the piston has ratcheting teeth that locks the piston as it goes outwards and the side of the piston has threads that the teeth locks onto. Thats why the piston needs to be to rotated to go inward but cannot be simply pressed in. Hope you can visualize what I’m saying.
I’ve had a few case where it was really stubborn and I had to open the bleeder screw so I’m not fighting the brake fluid. If you focus on getting the piston to turn first then it makes it easier laster when you turn and put inward pressure on the piston. There was also this one time the piston came out of the threaded bore so I had no choice but to replace the whole caliper
That’s great advice to retract the piston- use the special tool. Do you think anybody that has the special tool is watching UA-cam to learn how to do this? Doubtful
I worked on trying to retract the piston for my 2019 Chev Silverado late last nigh and could not it until I saw this. You are life saver. Thank you so much
I've been hammering wedges for a while trying to push the piston back until I saw this....wow no more frustrations it worked much better than the route I was going.....Thank You for this Video!!!!
Clean the piston before retracking to avoid rubber boot binding. Mute the Cheezy whistle song and you got a good video here.
Thanks for the video. I thought my rear calibers were stuck but now i know to spin them in.
Nicholas, I’m glad this video helped.
Same here spent three hours trying to push it in. Then I saw your video, turned them, done in 5 minutes!
Best video regarding this specific task, thank you very much sir for taking the time and effort.
Now THIS is a real instruction video! No wasted time, straight to the point.....and the background music is even tolerable! This clip helped me out a lot! Thank you!
Thank you very much for your kind words
@@waynesgarage8579 You bet! Thank you for the assistance. Although I probably went overboard and ordered the more complex set of piston compressors.
No it’s not
Normally, I'd just slightly crack the bleeder screw and compress the piston back in with my "C" clamp Vise Grip. Then top off the master cylinder when done. This one wasn't moving, so I figured there's something more to it. Also, check the parking brake, make sure it's off, that might mess with you. I managed quite nicely with a small pair of needle nose Vise Grips. Mine had just two opposite slots at the edge. Thanks for the tip.
Thanks for the informative video. It is one of the best. Especially how you line up the piston with the inner brake pads so they interlock. This is a skipped bit of info with other explanations that I have seen.
Thank you Jacob, your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much for this video. I have a Rover 620ti and I have precisely refurbished the rear brakes because the handbrake wasn't stopping the car anymore. Although I had already retracted the piston, I was puzzled whether I was doing the right thing or not because I was not going to change the pads I was just refurbishing the caliper itself.
Just wanted to thank you for saving me hundreds. :)
Thanks for the video, I've always used pliers. I'm working on some rear calipers, I keep turning it & it doesn't go in. But it will go out if you turn counter clockwise
Thanks for that I like the music you sound like you enjoy what you do
if its too tight and that tool is slipping you can put vice grips around the very top of the piston where the turning thing is and get it started that way
Make this front page of the dyi brake internet. It turned easily with Channel Lock pliers. Thanks much for the quick video.
I was on the right track spun it once with the small angle grinder disk hand tool...but thanks for the info regarding alignment 👍
Thank you for watching I’m glad it helped, also great idea with the angle grinder tool.
yep. the small 2 tang spanner wrench for tightening the nut on 4" grinders when replacing disc
The music is just right for this.
Went to harbor freight and bought a rear brake caliper kit for 27 bucks worked great
Great video well done lads
*Hint: If you forgot to line up the Piston NOTCH to the PAD notch just cycle the parking brake about 10 times and each time it will rotate the piston until it falls into the notch. best to have a friend put his ears next to the rear of the vehicle so they can confirm a loud CLICK sound has occurred.*
Great tip, thanks John
Thanks for this!!! Very helpful
Thank you ! Nice explanation.
my hands are dirty and bleeding, and its dark outside now,
i should of watched this video before i started .
thanks Wayne
Same...funny how all break videos fail to mention to spin the rear pistons instead of simply pushing em back in
I first thought my rear calipers were frozen up when I couldn't push them back when putting the brakes back together (in the rear) after installing rear struts on my "W" body 1995 grand prix SE / It had been sitting in my garage from about
2006- till this summer of 2022. That"s why I thought maybe rusted & frozen up . I didn't want to spent somewhere between $80 & $100 for a rear caliper and that's just one for one side. so I bought the seal and boot and ring clip.
When I got the piston out , it just goes straight & does't turn right? I think I was watching, or did I turn it maybe I did?
But it sure in the heck has to turn to put it in. Anyway what I can't figure out is every time I put the brakes on how are they ever going to release the pressure/ there's nobody there to quick jake and jack it up and remove the tire to to use a tool to spin the piston and if the piston has to line up with that shoe riviet, how could it turn anymore, anyway?
I didn't invent this piston that overlaps over a threaded rod & has to be turned, in .
All I know is I put the caliper on bleed the brakes , the piston pushes tight to the pads, and won't release. I tried 3 different calipers none release and the only way to release them is to turn the piston to the right, with the pads out of the way. and yes i did drive it before I tied rebuilding the caliper had to wait a day for the awful smell to go away from dragging. the other side rear works. its the same only different from right to left.
You really helped ty✌🏽
I installed a new caliper, but it won’t release. The rotor is stuck. I’ve been using a special tool to push the piston back. Then when I do the bleeding procedure the caliper won’t release. It’s messing with my gas mileage and chewing my brake pads. Is it maybe because I’m not doing the bleeding procedure right?
Thank you for the cool ideas Wayne. It helps a lot after watching your video. 😊😊😊
Stephen, I’m glad the video helped. Thanks for watching.
Why is the rear specifically twisted in in the front compressor straight in what's the engineering behind this?
Very well done thank you
Hi, maybe you can help me, I was replacing the pads/rotor on my 2017 crv ex 4wd and when Im trying to press the piston back in , the piston itself went all the way out, I meat off thr booth, any idea how could I fix it? Thanks
I accidentally pinched & ripped a little hole from the piston boot , is that bad?
Not necessarily bad because I’ve don’t my fair share of these and maybe 20% of them had ripped boots. The boot keeps dust and debris from the piston as it comes out and partially retract when you depress the brake pedal. The worst it’ll get is brake dust stuck inside and maybe some rust if you’re in a really humid area.
My caliper piston keeps on spinning. Does it ever stop? Or does it just need to be flush with the caliper?
So about the fluid rising when retracting caliper plate, just remove the excess fluid and once installed and pumping brakes fill as it lowers again?
Yes that way works. Rear brakes won’t raise the fluid level too much but front brakes will due to their larger pistons. Do consider a full brake flush if it hasn’t been performed before in your car.
@@waynesgarage8579 thanks, just did the fronts rotors and brakes today. Will do the tears tomorrow.
I occasionally flush brake fluid, it's a 7 year old vehicle and fluid looks like new. Will do next weekend so I can still have a mini weekend this one lol.
Thanks again Wayne. The information is valuable and I appreciate it, knowledge sharing is the way the world should work.
with the cube, does it feel pretty snug once it's in place and you start turning the piston? since it can turn counter or clock wise either direction. i've never used this before thanks.
The cube will feel really snug or with a little play depending on your piston notches. In the video it wasn’t 100% snug because it’s a universal tool. If you get the whole kit, the tool actually puts pressure on the face of the piston and the back of the fingers so it’s really secure and easy to work with.
@@waynesgarage8579 thanks a ton man for the reply and good video. my wife has an acura with similar if not same looking rear piston (cross looking) so I'll follow suit.
Yeah an Acura is pretty much a rebadged luxury Honda. It’ll be very similar
Nice sir❤
How do you know when your finished when it's flush
When it’s fully retracted it’ll bottom out. The face of the piston will be flush with the caliper housing. Then you can turn the piston on reverse to line up the notch (turning the piston back will not make it extend out)
AppreiTe it buddy
What do you do if you accidentally remove the piston from its housing?
I would clean off the seal and piston and attempt to screw in the piston slowly. The threads are fine and can easily strip. Go counter clockwise until you feel the beginning of the thread then slowly turn clockwise with a little bit of pressure. Open up the bleeder screw so you’re not fighting too much pressure. After you manage to get it back in you will need a really thorough brake bleeding in that caliper because a lot of trap micro air bubble is most likely all over internally.
Bro i just struggled for so long just to find out you turn it in
great video with happy music! I've seen some people crack open the bleeder screw when they push the piston in. What is the difference between doing this, or not? (other than the oil pushing back and filling the reservoir?)
Tristan, yes! Opening the bleeder is another technique that will make the piston retraction a little easier and avoid old fluid from traveling back up to your master cylinder. (The master cylinder ports are small so there’s a chance the debris can plug them ) If you have really old brake fluid then it’s beneficial to do that but doing so might make a mess unless you have a clear tube connected to the caliper as you retract. Thanks for watching
Great video. The brake fluid is pushing the piston out. So why do we rotate to push the piston back in ? Can we just push the piston back in ? Thanks
Anup, the piston has ratcheting teeth that locks the piston as it goes outwards and the side of the piston has threads that the teeth locks onto. Thats why the piston needs to be to rotated to go inward but cannot be simply pressed in. Hope you can visualize what I’m saying.
Thank you.
Dude..we could do without the music.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 the song
I mean are we supposed to be dancing when we're working on our car when were aggravated trying to get the car fixed we got to listen to this music
Turn it down
Right??!!! Some verbiage about the job would be more appropriate.
As a part of the younger gen, it helps me focus
And what happens if there seized and won't turn???
I’ve had a few case where it was really stubborn and I had to open the bleeder screw so I’m not fighting the brake fluid. If you focus on getting the piston to turn first then it makes it easier laster when you turn and put inward pressure on the piston.
There was also this one time the piston came out of the threaded bore so I had no choice but to replace the whole caliper
Very helpful!
What happens if you hammer it down lmfao I can’t believe I miss this rookie step not to mention I was doing it in the night time with no light 😢
That’s great advice to retract the piston- use the special tool. Do you think anybody that has the special tool is watching UA-cam to learn how to do this? Doubtful
Yeah I tried doing it without the tool but it was annoying. Just get a cheap one from advance auto for like 12$ and don't lose it.
I swear it seems they try to make it harder to work on your own vehicle
Sinning it with the cube but it won’t retract…
Great video,
straight to the point.
thankyou thankyou thankyou 100 times
My is spinning but is not going in🫠
Try giving it some inward pressure while spinning the piston. Once it starts it’ll get easier as it retracts
Oh okay thanks.
I think you forgot to say open the bleeder valve so when you begin to screw the piston back in, there will be no resistance
Good tip, I’ve worked with someone that showed me that once but I never built a habit of doing so.
spray wd40 in the boot frist so it can slide easyer
Great tip, I’ve done that afew times on stubborn piston boots
Best song
Keep the whistle dixe out of it...
Annoying music! Why not narrate the video!
Music sucks
Music sucks 😢
Try not using a flex head ratchet, you won't struggle so much.
Yeah I wish I could have done the video at work so I can use my primary tools. I was forced to use whatever my backup set has.
Gí😅
All that music is annoying
Trying to watch video but writing that last a second and that dam annoying ass music made it impossible.
This is the most painful video I’ve ever seen. Super slow and get on with it already. Geez