Infiniti I30 caliper piston won't depress.

[Donnus]

2001 I30 with 48K miles. I removed a rear caliper to change brake pads. It was rather tight and hard to slip off. I tried to depress the piston with a C clamp, after removing the E-brake cable, but it would not budge. I opened the bleeder valve but that didn't help. There were no prior symtoms of brake problems. I've done a lot of brake jobs over the years but this has got me stumped. It seems to me that Infiniti has made a change to the braking system and I'm missing a step somewhere. Any ideas?

[audtatious]

Normally, I simply pop the top off the fluid reservoir, then I use a large flat-head screwdriver to force the piston in via the brake pad (screwdriver wedged between rear pad and rotor, pull toward me) while the caliper is still mounted. This has always worked in the past.

I don't think the bleed screw has a check valve either. Do the pads show less wear on that wheel?

[maxhopper]

Sounds like the caliper could be locked up. I would check the things that Audtatious pointed out.

If that turns out to be the case, check here, or here for the NICO sponsors list, and look for sponsors that carry OEM parts. I would definitly recommend using OEM brake parts over cheap aftermarket (autozone, pepboys, etc) versions.

[audtatious]

I agree with Scott as well

If you can't get the piston to move in with the bleed screw open and the top off the reservoir, I would assume the caliper has issues.

[NISTECH]

You know you have to spin the rear pistons clockwise as you push them in correct?

[maxhopper]

Oh yeah, there's that also.

[Jesda]

I heard FWD cars needed a special tool to push the rear piston in, at least my friend's 2G Max did. Where do you buy something like that? Autozone?

[maxhopper]

Autozone should have a caliper tool kit available in the loaner tools.

[herkemeyer]

The rear calipers are threaded. I tried using C-clamps too and broke two of them. All you have to do is screw them back in. Craziness I tell ya. Eric