Question: New brakes, Why wont the Piston move?

[Cyberkreig]

I have a '90 Nissan Stanza, Same front brake hardware as the 240 of that year. I tried to do my own brakes for the first time today.. Go me, Real world experince. I got everything apart easily enough.. But I *absoultly* could not move that piston.. I had the rear wheels chocked, the parkbrake off.. I even opened the bleeder screw (also had the cap off the master)

any help would be appreciated.. I really wanted to do this work myself.

Thanks

Joe

[DAEDALUS]

Do the pistons have notches in them? If so, you need to turn the pistons. Not sure how the mechanism works, but they come out straight but won't go back in until you turn them. Just a guess. There's a tool you can get from Sears and many other places for about $10, or you can just use a set of needle-nose pliers in the notches.

[Cyberkreig]

It didnt have any notches that I saw. It was just a very rusted chunk of metal in the shape of a U or cup.

[ricebike]

there ya go, a seized piston...time to get a new one if you cant move it w/ a c-clamp.

[Cyberkreig]

Seized piston, that would explain why the pads seemed to be in contact with the rotor even when the brakes were off wouldnt it.

[djtodd]

Well, normally the pads rest lightly on the rotors.

If they have your rotors bound(can't move them by hand) then yeah that's a problem.

[Cyberkreig]

no the wheel could be turned by hand, but it did not spin freely.. That sounds like what you described.. and that would be good news.. I have to work tonight, but I am goign to give it another shot tomorrow.. I have the feeling I was just not 'convincing' it well enough.. I'l have to try with a little more force.

Thanks for everyones help up to this point

[themadscientist]

just save yourself the headache and get some reconditioned calipers from NAPA. If they are as rusty as you describe they arn't worth screwing with.