

| Subject: | 87 westy: wanted to change the brakepads, ended with a lot of trouble. |
| From: | Florian Speier |
| Date: | Mon, 2 Oct 2006 19:40:29 -0700 |
hi, now, i must admit this is the first time i did brakework... but I learned a lot:-) ok, wanted to change the brakepads, which was a breeze after i figured the haynes was talking about pre 86 calipers and then referred to the bentley. now, when assembling, you have to push the caliper piston in to fit the new and thicker pads. I did not have an appopriate tool, so I thought I just disconnect the flex brake line which I anyway wnated to exchange for my new SS braided line and then it would be an easy push... well, not quite easy, but with the help of a caulking gun it worked. obviously lost a lot of brake fluid, until the reservoi was empty. thought oh well, just do all the other flex lines as well.... and then flush and refill. problem was, the upper connector to the rigid brakeline on the right front wheel started to strip.... tried liquid wrench,,,,...no luck. decided to sawzall off the little battery vent cover that was in the way to get better access (ok I admit i did not know it was the battery vent cover and thought it could go anyway, but i guess i will put it back on with sheetmetal screws) However, I still stripped the nut of the fixed brake line. Bottom line, what do I do now? I promised to go on a roadtrip tomorrow, so I have to get it quickly fixed somehow. It is tight as it is, but I have a braided line on the left and a standard one on the right - does that matter? hydraulic law teaches me the pressure is equal anywhere in the system, but is the left and right hydraulic connected? second, do I have to flush the entire system to get the air out now or can i just fill up and bleed the front wheels? I know the brake fluid should be exchanged anyway, but when I put in the other braided flex lines I will loose all the fluids again next week.... kind dof a waste third, what is my longterm solution? I guess I have to destroy and exchange the steel brake line on the right with the fittings to get it off the flex line.... wherre do you get these rigid ones new? do you bend them yourself and then add fittings? I would truly appreciate any help..... as I have to get that thing going quick...... florian
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