2003 rear brakes

Should be an easy answer:

I am having difficulity pressing the piston into the rear caliper of
the Mazda in order to install the new pads. I have done this 100's of
times on other cars but never had a car with the hand brake connected
to the rear caliper. Is there some trick? I cannot press the piston
into the caliper more than 1/4 in using the C clamp.

One recommendation was to open the bleeder valve to release the
pressure but I have never done this on other cars.

Any recommendations?

On Tue, 08 May 2007 12:03:09 +0000, 1.dan.thomas wrote:

> Should be an easy answer:
>
> I am having difficulity pressing the piston into the rear caliper of the
> Mazda in order to install the new pads. I have done this 100's of times
> on other cars but never had a car with the hand brake connected to the
> rear caliper. Is there some trick? I cannot press the piston into the
> caliper more than 1/4 in using the C clamp.
>
> One recommendation was to open the bleeder valve to release the pressure
> but I have never done this on other cars.
>
> Any recommendations?


Nissan used to use a system similar to what you're describing. This is a
guess, without seeing it, but is there a big cross or "X" at the bottom of
the piston, or notches cut into the top? If so, you have to 'screw' the
piston in. It's been a few years since I had my Nissan, but IIRC I used
either a big honkin' screwdriver or a broad chisel or paint scraper.

On Tue, 08 May 2007 17:21:30 GMT, Hachiroku ???? <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>On Tue, 08 May 2007 12:03:09 +0000, 1.dan.thomas wrote:
>
>> Should be an easy answer:
>>
>> I am having difficulity pressing the piston into the rear caliper of the
>> Mazda in order to install the new pads. I have done this 100's of times
>> on other cars but never had a car with the hand brake connected to the
>> rear caliper. Is there some trick? I cannot press the piston into the
>> caliper more than 1/4 in using the C clamp.
>>
>> One recommendation was to open the bleeder valve to release the pressure
>> but I have never done this on other cars.
>>
>> Any recommendations?
>
>
>Nissan used to use a system similar to what you're describing. This is a
>guess, without seeing it, but is there a big cross or "X" at the bottom of
>the piston, or notches cut into the top? If so, you have to 'screw' the
>piston in. It's been a few years since I had my Nissan, but IIRC I used
>either a big honkin' screwdriver or a broad chisel or paint scraper.
>


Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't see anything like it when I
looked. Has anyone out there actually replaced a set of rear pads on
a 2003 mazda protage?

Dan

There is a screw at the back of the brake piston that you have to unscrew,
then press the piston in. I saw the tech did it.

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Should be an easy answer:
>
> I am having difficulity pressing the piston into the rear caliper of
> the Mazda in order to install the new pads. I have done this 100's of
> times on other cars but never had a car with the hand brake connected
> to the rear caliper. Is there some trick? I cannot press the piston
> into the caliper more than 1/4 in using the C clamp.
>
> One recommendation was to open the bleeder valve to release the
> pressure but I have never done this on other cars.
>
> Any recommendations?