we were changing the pads on my friends 92 240, but when we got to the passanger side rear one we found out that the piston is leaking, the little rubber part around it broke and its leaking. even after we changed the pads his brakes still suck is that because of the leaking? I told him he should get that fixed soon, does anyone know how much this would cost to fix? and also, is it apsolutly necissary to bleed the brakes after changing pads?
thnx in advance
s13 brakes
The leaking will cause a major problem if you don't pay attention to your brake fluid. It's unsafe and yes it will make your brakes suck. The piston can also get damaged. To get them 'fixed', you have a couple of options. One would be to buy a rebuild kit...they are not expensive. The downside is you'll have to rebuild them and getting that rubber boot around the piston is a beotch. There are some tutorials around the web that I found when I rebuild brakes for the first time...it's not hard, but it's a pain. You'll need an air compressor to push the piston out as well. If the pistons show any signs of damage, you shouldn't re-use them (the outside should look perfect when they come out). You can also have a shop do it, but I'm not sure many shops would be willing and if they are, it will probably be way to expensive to be worth your while.
The other option would be to purchase a set of rebuilt calipers from an auto parts store. They won't be that much b/c they'll charge you a core which you will get back when you bring in the old calipers.
The last option would be to go to a junk yard and pull off some decent calipers. They should last a good amount of time, but with these things, you never know.
The other option would be to purchase a set of rebuilt calipers from an auto parts store. They won't be that much b/c they'll charge you a core which you will get back when you bring in the old calipers.
The last option would be to go to a junk yard and pull off some decent calipers. They should last a good amount of time, but with these things, you never know.
i rebuilt my fronts not long ago and they are fairly straight forward and easy actually. the rears on the other hand can be a pain. to completely dissamble the unit you must remove a snap ring barried deep inside the caliper body. i had no patience for it and bought rebuilts at 60 a side. rebuild kit for the fronts was like 30 complete. if any one wants see pics, ive got quite a few of the calipers in various stage of cleanup and painted.