Boring Daily Build

Don't forget that there's an adjustment screw/nut under the P-brake handle.
You can tighten it to take up the slack from stretched cables.


Hi. Sorry to interrupt, but while you're on the topic of parking brakes...
I just adjusted my handbrake yesterday and the light doesn't doesn't come on when it's engaged anymore. Anybody know why that would be?
 
There's an electric switch connected to the P-brake handle mechanism that is either dirty, broken or disconnected.

Other people have had change fall down and short out the switch then the light won't shut off.
 
Don't forget that there's an adjustment screw/nut under the P-brake handle.

Is that the more acceptable manner by which to adjust the parking brake? I have always removed the 12mm (or 14, can't remember) bolt on the backside of the rear caliper and used an allen key to move the piston "preload" in or out as required... (Granted, I've yet to do that on my most recent P5.

Spencer, I know your pain regarding bent LCAs... Happy you managed to save this one. Mine was my fault - cement culvert walls don't tend to move very easily..

IMG_20190706_172426780_HDR.jpg
 
Is that the more acceptable manner by which to adjust the parking brake? I have always removed the 12mm (or 14, can't remember) bolt on the backside of the rear caliper and used an Allen key to move the piston "preload" in or out as required... (Granted, I've yet to do that on my most recent P5.

No, it's not.

But you shouldn't have to adjust your rear brakes (which also sets your brake pedal height) by removing that bolt and adjusting the Allen screw.

Our rear brakes are self-adjusting.
The action of pulling the P-brake handle is supposed to rotate the brake pistons in automatically.
(in towards the pads. out from the brake caliper bore.)

The two different adjustments work in tandem to get the proper setting.

There are all kinds of weird gizmos inside that I have yet to wrap my head around. Lol

They are supposed to ratchet the rear pistons out.


About the rear calipers...






The pictures are at the end...







These parts don't last forever and I doubt that they are being replaced when the caliper is remanufactured.


Our rear calipers are one odd duck.

I don't think there's anything else the same.













Keep in mind that the P-brake cable connection point needs a full rotation to properly adjust itself.

Too much slack and it won't ratchet forward.
Too tight and it won't properly "unclick".




 
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Hey Spencer...

If you want me to stop posting/trashing-up your thread, I'll stop.
 
Hey Spencer...

If you want me to stop posting/trashing-up your thread, I'll stop.

Respect.
I'll just blame my occasional postings on pcb too ;)

In all seriousness though pcb, this is making me want to look at my calipers and see if I can avoid buying new ones. Worst case is that i'll buy new ones and dissect the old ones to rebuild. Imma big cheapskate and I love taking things apart.
It might even be a fun project to model them into CAD and animate all the mechanisms 🤷‍♂️

Ben
 
... this is making me want to look at my calipers and see if I can avoid buying new ones.

You can buy a seal kit and a new brake piston but it depends on where it's leaking.
If it's leaking at the P-brake connection point, a new seal may not work.



Worst case is that i'll buy new ones and dissect the old ones to rebuild.🤷‍♂️

Ben


You might have to bore out the P-brake connection point and install and oversize pin.

This pin is way to sloppy for a seal to seal.


 
You can buy a seal kit and a new brake piston but it depends on where it's leaking.
If it's leaking at the P-brake connection point, a new seal may not work.






You might have to bore out the P-brake connection point and install and oversize pin.

This pin is way to sloppy for a seal to seal.


Odd thing is, mine aren't leaking at all and they actually look great on the outside. They function properly as rear brake calipers, it's just that neither side will hold the rotor and keep the car parked when the parking brake is engaged. I'm not greatly bothered about not having the parking brake, but I'm at a point where I'd like to have it working.
 

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... it's just that neither side will hold the rotor and keep the car parked when the parking brake is engaged.


Crawl under your car and check for movement at the P-brake connection point with someone pulling and releasing the P-brake handle.


With the handle released, it should look like this...





With the handle pulled, it should be close to this...


 
pcb, can I just say I admire your delving into the confusing depths of these cars. These pics are great!

I recall someone somewhere quoting something along the lines of:

  1. chock front wheels
  2. jack rear up
  3. ebrake off
  4. remove adjuster bolt cover bolt
  5. tighten allen key until pads begin to drag, then back off a number of turns
    1. I think it was 2, but i backed off until i could move the wheel freely
  6. put adjuster bolt cover bolt back in
  7. actuate ebrake
  8. check to see that it has indeed engaged the pads/rotor
I will say, this is what I've done in the past, but I genuinely don't have the FSM on my to confirm that the above is correct or not. I understand where you're coming from with regards to the brake bias ending up way out if the rear brake adjuster bolts are setup incorrectly, as I experienced that with my first P5 until I dug in to see what happened.
 
I recall someone somewhere quoting something along the lines of:

  1. chock front wheels
  2. jack rear up
  3. ebrake off
  4. remove adjuster bolt cover bolt
  5. tighten allen key until pads begin to drag, then back off a number of turns
    1. I think it was 2, but i backed off until i could move the wheel freely
  6. put adjuster bolt cover bolt back in
  7. actuate ebrake
  8. check to see that it has indeed engaged the pads/rotor


Yes, that's exactly what you do set the rear brakes after installing new pads.

First, you turn the adjuster screw all the way the other way to retract the piston and install your new pads.

You should not have to adjust anything after the new pads are installed.

If your foot brake keeps getting closer to the floor then your self adjusters aren't working properly.



 
If your foot brake keeps getting closer to the floor then your self adjusters aren't working properly.

Ahhhhh, right on. See I didn't think of that problem occurring as I've luckily not dealt with that before. Michigan is tough on cars, but evidently not Canada Tough (TM) !!!

I am curious now if the BG Protege/ second gen Ford Escort rear brakes are in any way similar. They are twist-in pistons, so my assumption is no. And to your comment about the BJ Proteges having the weirdest brakes out there, and Mazda not having a similar setup on their newer cars, I'm inclined to believe that the engineer who thought these brakes up may have actually had to work on them!! 😂
 
... They are twist-in pistons, so my assumption is no.

You can twist our rear pistons in as well.

Install the new pads.
Step hard on the foot brake and pull the P-brake handle 20-40 times to set the brake.

No need to remove the bolt and deal with a stripped or missing Allen screw.
 



If you turn the adjustment gear till it stops and your piston looks like this, it will bind in the bore and you'll strip your adjustment gear or the part it mates with and it won't work.



 
Pulled of the passenger tire to compress the caliper piston and the caliper slid off without a fight and this is how far out the piston was. I compressed it. I imagine the caliper would’ve fought if it it was seized up. Then I went to get gas and I checked the temperature of the rotors when on for back, both at around 100 F.

I just changed the oil and nothing came out of the oil filter... that can’t be normal right? No noises to indicate it was clogged and no visible obstructions.

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The rotor and pads were probably just seating themselves the first time with a bit of extra rubbing and friction.
It sounds like it's good now.

The oil filter has an anti-flow back valve built into it so it's not supposed to drain much oil.

You can go by its weight compared to a new one or cut a hole in it to see if there's oil in it.
 
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