HELP please changing Rear brake pads!

[Bloke]

OK, so i've changed my own brakes on everycar i've owned.
the fronts were a breeze. you don't even need one of those special tools to push the piston in.
the rears however are a b****.
i removed the wheel, undid the top & bottom bolts, the caliper swung up & away, i removed the old pads, replaced them, but i can not for the life of me, push the piston back to clear the new pads. i even tried taking the cap off the master brake cylinder under the hood, & backing off the bleed valve on the caliper to realease pressure but it would not budge.(the front just slid back using a g-clamp) again it showd no marking, to indicate it required a special tool, to screw the piston in (like honda's etc) so anyone out there changed there own pads? what am i missing here guys?
is there another bolt or nut i need to undo to release them & push the back piston in?

many thanks for ANY help, i am going quite insane here. & ab-so-bloody-lutly refuse to pay Mazda $200 to change the freaking pads!

cheers
Bloke

 

[Natey]

I usually just take off the fluid cap, get a big pair of pliars and a rag(to protect the piston), and squeeze it back into position. (shrug)

 

[Bloke]

I usually just take off the fluid cap, get a big pair of pliars and a rag(to protect the piston), and squeeze it back into position. (shrug)

thats exactly what we tried, the guy helping me was a mechanic, he was like WTF! seriously it wouldn't budge. we undid the cap, losened the bleed valve & squeezed using both clamps & vice grips, still nothing!

the fronts were a breeze, the piston simply slid back using a pair of grips!

 

[viVid]

You need to rotate the piston (clockwise, I believe) to gain more clearance. The e-brake rotates the piston to adjust for pad wear.

OK, so i've changed my own brakes on everycar i've owned.
the fronts were a breeze. you don't even need one of those special tools to push the piston in.
the rears however are a b****.
i removed the wheel, undid the top & bottom bolts, the caliper swung up & away, i removed the old pads, replaced them, but i can not for the life of me, push the piston back to clear the new pads. i even tried taking the cap off the master brake cylinder under the hood, & backing off the bleed valve on the caliper to realease pressure but it would not budge.(the front just slid back using a g-clamp) again it showd no marking, to indicate it required a special tool, to screw the piston in (like honda's etc) so anyone out there changed there own pads? what am i missing here guys?
is there another bolt or nut i need to undo to release them & push the back piston in?

many thanks for ANY help, i am going quite insane here. & ab-so-bloody-lutly refuse to pay Mazda $200 to change the freaking pads!

cheers
Bloke

 

[Bloke]

You need to rotate the piston (clockwise, I believe) to gain more clearance. The e-brake rotates the piston to adjust for pad wear.

how do you rotate it? there's not visable way to grip it? no notches to recieve any kind of tool? i even look down inside the cylinder still no slot, is there maybe a bolt on the back?

cheers

 

[viVid]

It has been a while since I did it, but I think I just stuck in some needle nose pliers and rotated the piston while holding them open. It turns pretty easy...

how do you rotate it? there's not visable way to grip it? no notches to recieve any kind of tool? i even look down inside the cylinder still no slot, is there maybe a bolt on the back?

cheers

 

[rustychops41]

I think you use an Allen wrench in the back of the piston/caliper to retract the piston on the rear disc set-up. Alas, I have the drums.

 

[Nutari]

OK, so i've changed my own brakes on everycar i've owned.
the fronts were a breeze. you don't even need one of those special tools to push the piston in.
the rears however are a b****.
i removed the wheel, undid the top & bottom bolts, the caliper swung up & away, i removed the old pads, replaced them, but i can not for the life of me, push the piston back to clear the new pads. i even tried taking the cap off the master brake cylinder under the hood, & backing off the bleed valve on the caliper to realease pressure but it would not budge.(the front just slid back using a g-clamp) again it showd no marking, to indicate it required a special tool, to screw the piston in (like honda's etc) so anyone out there changed there own pads? what am i missing here guys?
is there another bolt or nut i need to undo to release them & push the back piston in?

many thanks for ANY help, i am going quite insane here. & ab-so-bloody-lutly refuse to pay Mazda $200 to change the freaking pads!

cheers
Bloke

I ran into this problem too.. I could NOT compress the piston.. I had to take it to mazda.

 

[pr5owner]

throw the pads in and use a screw driver to pry them apart just nuff to get them on the rotors then just ease it back in place, make sure you don't gouge your pads with the screw driver so use a REALLY BIG flat head. i took my calipers off yesterday to paint and thats how i got both the front and the rear on, makesure none of your brakes are engaged (including your Ebrake)

 

[cbcbd]

Listen, this is what you have to do:

No, you can't just push it in like the fronts.

-There is a bolt (14mm, I believe), in the back center of the caliper, on the inside of the car.
-Remove this bolt, underneath this bolt there is an allen screw
-use an 8mm allen wrench and turn it clock wise to extend the piston, counterclock wise to compress it in.
-Make sure to adjust the caliper tension also once you've put everything back together-I just felt the resistance with the wheel on before I took it off, then I tried making the same resistance
-Make sure to put the bolt back on-the allen screw WILL fall out. It is not a conventional screw, the threading travels vertically on it-like a gear -forgot the name of that type of gear

 

[Jethro_TDot]

Listen, this is what you have to do:

No, you can't just push it in like the fronts.

-There is a bolt (14mm, I believe), in the back center of the caliper, on the inside of the car.
-Remove this bolt, underneath this bolt there is an allen screw
-use an 8mm allen wrench and turn it clock wise to extend the piston, counterclock wise to compress it in.
-Make sure to adjust the caliper tension also once you've put everything back together-I just felt the resistance with the wheel on before I took it off, then I tried making the same resistance
-Make sure to put the bolt back on-the allen screw WILL fall out. It is not a conventional screw, the threading travels vertically on it-like a gear -forgot the name of that type of gear

EXATCLY !!! (thumb)

I had the same problem last night. Freaking thing won't budge.
I read the shop manual and there it is, theres an 8mm Allen screw
that you have to undo counter clockwise. After you've done this
VOILA! the piston will easily move.

My question is....
WTF is the point of this goddamn allen screw?

Thanks

 

[iluvmacs]

So that you have to pay Mazda techs to service your brakes. Why else?

 

[PrOhioStateEge5]

Re: Changing rear brake pads.

Just changed my brakes today. Same god****n problem u had. It is really tough to get them off but if you got a good allen set (like i do since i work on computers) it shouldnt be too hard. Balls to Mazda for that little trick, but mad love for the P5.

BTW: Never use a screwdriver on the rotors or you end up spending quite a bit of money getting either new ones or ur old ones turned. (Also had to get that done today too!)

 

[cbcbd]

My question is....
WTF is the point of this goddamn allen screw?

Thanks

To move the piston in and out. You just don't undo it and then the piston moves, it's sort of a gear that physically moves the piston's position. You also need it to adjust the brakes after you've replaced the pads.

 

[Coqui258]

just checking... but make sure the emergency brake is all the way down...