Brakes - Brakes & More Brake ???

X

XRAY19

1987 X-1/9 Corsa
First look at the photo and see why I changed my brake fluid reservoir. It was pretty ratty and not sure how it got that way but I found an original on eBay and now it is fixed thanks to the search engine on this forum. Now my brakes are not fantastic so I set out to replace the pads. First thing I noticed is that the pads all seem to be pretty good with a lot of meat on them. Next thing I noticed on the rears is that the emergency brake cable is not set in the fixed hook one either side. I wanted to fix that issue but the manual seems to differ from my set up. I have an 87 and the manual says get under and remove a rubber plug to get at the adjustment nuts. Problem is there is no rubber plug. First I had to remove a plastic guard by taking out two bolts. Once that was done I could see both cable housing are screwed into a metal housing that is enclosed. It seems to bolt onto the underside but no rubber plug to be found. This means that setting the brake cables in their proper seats will be a problem. I also noticed when removing the pads that I could not readily push back the piston into the caliper. Guess it is just old and stuck. Any thoughts on how to approach this cable issue? I have not found anything in search that shows this set up.

Ray
 
XRAY19 said:
Next thing I noticed on the rears is that the emergency brake cable is not set in the fixed hook one either side. I wanted to fix that issue but the manual seems to differ from my set up. I have an 87 and the manual says get under and remove a rubber plug to get at the adjustment nuts. Problem is there is no rubber plug. First I had to remove a plastic guard by taking out two bolts. Once that was done I could see both cable housing are screwed into a metal housing that is enclosed. It seems to bolt onto the underside but no rubber plug to be found. This means that setting the brake cables in their proper seats will be a problem.
Click to expand...
The easy way is to loosen the 4 bolts that hold the parking brake lever mechanism inside the car. Pull of the rubber cover first. After you loosen the 4 bolts, you can push the whole mechanism backwards and get enough slack in the cables to properly hook them onto the brake calipers.
XRAY19 said:
I also noticed when removing the pads that I could not readily push back the piston into the caliper.
Click to expand...

The pistons in the rear calipers won't push in. Because of the hand brake adjusting mechanism you have to screw them in. You can find generic tools that will fit the wide slot in the pistons for this purpose, but I found that the one I bought was too large to fit.

If you look at the piston you will see the wide slot in the middle, and a smaller line next to it. Before you put the caliper and pads back on, make sure the wide slot is horizontal and that the smaller line is above, not below the slot. The inside of the piston has a small relief ground into it on one side to avoid trapping air in the piston. You want this relief to face up, which it will do it the line is above the slot.
 
Your advice was brilliant!

I did exactly what you said and it worked like a charm. Thank you and thanks to the forum for providing this service. Now I have to search to find if anyone has done a brake bleeding using a vacuum pump on an X and is it recommended.

Thanks again
Ray
 
Vacuum Brake Bleeding a Bust

I had to resort to the good old fashioned way of doing it and had my wife assist with the foot pumping of the pedal. Vacuum bleeding is not possible with the bleeders on the calipers and here is why. Even if you just open the bleeder a little bit the threads allow air to be sucked into the line and the fluid will not pull through. I tried on each wheel and finally gave up and did a conventional bleed and it worked fine. I even tried to put some teflon tape thread sealant on the bleeder and still it sucked air around the threads. Do not waste time trying to vacuum bleed, it is not viable.

Ray
 
I know by the rest of this thread that you have already finished this job, but for the benefit of someone who sees this thread while searching, I will add to it.

The rubber plug you are looking for is a square plug about 2-1/2" a side, located on the center tunnel, and accessed from under the car. It is about 9" - 12" forward of the metal end cap thru which the sheathed handbrake cables enter the center tunnel.

WARNING!! DO NOT loosen or remove the two bolts (capscrews) that are fastened vertically thru the back corners of the center tunnel end cap unless you have first checked the online shop manual. These bolts not only hold the cover on, they are also the "axles" for the little wheels that allow the handbrake cables to make that 90 degree turn. The car won't explode or anything, you just want to know that loosening or removing these will add another 30-60 minutes to your task because they can be a pain to put back in place.
 
I just did my cables, so had to add a pic...

Pic of said adjuster & pivot mechanism removed from floor tunnel

34AED1B4-9372-43BC-9D48-48C3190873E5_zpsxs0e7wam.jpg


access hole is just forward of the flange, in the space between the flange & the water pipes

9E7A3FFE-12A7-48E5-9C2A-00EF56FD76E4_zpssa7ojtdm.jpg
 
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