Are my rear calipers broken?

[ez4u2chere]

Is the piston supposed to go further back in the bore? I have turned the adjustment screw as far as I can CCW. I figured it would be flush with the seal like the front, but as shown in the pic below, that is not the case. Both left and right look like as shown below.

http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu9/SIIKNEON/RearBrakeSmall.jpg

[lance]

Is the piston supposed to go further back in the bore? I have turned the adjustment screw as far as I can CCW. I figured it would be flush with the seal like the front, but as shown in the pic below, that is not the case. Both left and right look like as shown below.

http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu9/SIIKNEON/RearBrakeSmall.jpg

If you can get new pads in, they went back far enough.

[ez4u2chere]

OK, haven't checked if new pads will fit as I just assumed that it should sit flush. I want to make sure I have nothing wrong/seized.

I guess if I turn the adjuster clockwise, the piston should move out. After moving it out, if it doesn't move "in" when I turn ccw, then I have a problem.

If it doesn't move back in, then I guess it's time for a new caliper???

[FooSchnickens]

It's quite possible the caliper is toast. Turning that adjustment screw all the way in should make the piston sit flush with the face of the caliper. New pads will not fit with the piston sitting where it is now. Try GENTLY compressing the piston with some large vice grips or c-clamp to see if it's bound up on something. It's pretty common for people to overlook the adjustment screw when servicing the rears on their own. Luckily the rear calipers are only about $75 each after the core charge.

[ez4u2chere]

Yeah, I just tried putting on my new pads and rotors. (NAPA rotors and HP+ pads). I'm missing clearing it by just a few mm's.

I can push the piston out w/ the adjustment screw, but it will only pull back to this point.

[ez4u2chere]

Caliper wasn't toast.
I had to be more persuasive turning the adjuster CCW. Used some vice grips on the allen key, and all is good.

One thing I need to realize about this car is that things aren't as delicate as people make them out to be.

[epilonious]

Caliper wasn't toast.
I had to be more persuasive turning the adjuster CCW. Used some vice grips on the allen key, and all is good.

One thing I need to realize about this car is that things aren't as delicate as people make them out to be.

Up until the moment they are ;)
But that comes with signs like snapping, bending, and sometimes blood.

But still, hooray for non-toast calipers.

[Doppelgänger]

Try GENTLY compressing the piston with some large vice grips or c-clamp to see if it's bound up on something. It's pretty common for people to overlook the adjustment screw when servicing the rears on their own. Luckily the rear calipers are only about $75 each after the core charge.


Reminds me of the first time I did rear brakes on a Miata and didn't know about the adjuster. I went to Lowe's and bought the biggest c-clamp I could fit in there and torqued that sucker down. Mind you the piston never compressed and I bent that bigass c-clamp and couldn't figure out what was wrong. In some stroke of luck, the caliper was still OK when I finally did it "right".

[ez4u2chere]

Wow, that little adjuster must be pretty damn strong to bend a c-clamp. :jawdrop:

[ben91]

The first time I did rear brakes on a Miata, I also didn't see the adjuster. Instead I used a large adjustable slip jaw wrench to spin the caliper in, which is how it's done on other Japanese cars (Hondas). I owned that car for a few years after that, and even drove it daily for a year, and didn't see any rear brake problems out of it.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I never did the adjuster mistake, but I have had the piston stay in place after running it out. The C-clamp method works at that point. Those little calipers are fairly tough if you ask me.

[miatamike]

I never new about the screw i always used the caliper tool kit i got from harbor freight to turn and pus in the piston at the same time works great. Kit gives you everything to service all usdm car single piston calipers.

[atlnb]

Reminds me of the first time I did rear brakes on a Miata and didn't know about the adjuster. I went to Lowe's and bought the biggest c-clamp I could fit in there and torqued that sucker down. Mind you the piston never compressed and I bent that bigass c-clamp and couldn't figure out what was wrong. In some stroke of luck, the caliper was still OK when I finally did it "right".

I did the exact same thing you did and got just as lucky. not the second time though lol :rolleyes: