Discovered I need to replace my left, rear brake caliper today. Just ordered the parts and am now researching the procedure. It's my first time messing with brakes, but I generally do well with good information and instructions. I have a few questions.

If I'm just replacing the left, rear brake caliper, do I have to go through the entire bleed procedure as noted in the RAVE?

The RAVE indicates I should "clamp the brake hose" to prevent fluid loss. What should I clamp this with?

Any watch outs? Am I going to curse at that bleed screw?

Thanks

 

Get yourself a one person brake system bleeder and death ending on where you live your caliper mounting bolts and caliper guide pins may be rusted and could be replaced while you are down there. My advice is to do everything in pairs. Be it tires or brake calipers. Not sure where you are getting your calipers but Rovers North sells affordable "pro line" calipers. I've replaced all 4 of mine with pro line and so far not issues. Have a breaker bar handy when trying to get the caliper mounting bolts off. Also have a 12 point socket set handy. Since you will be removing the caliper from the brake line, air bubbles will get into the system so you will have to do a full flush, but this would be the perfect time to drain and perform a complete brake system flush! Good luck.

 

If you put something on the pedal it will minimize break fluid loss. You should bleed thr right rear untill you get clear new fluid, then bleed the left.

 

Hey Drowssap, can you elaborate on putting something on the pedal? I'm a newbie to brake work.

TriarII, I seem to have no trouble getting the calipers off of the caliper bracket using a 12mm six point socket. The 12 point looks like it'd be necessary to remove the bracket as well. I was planning on re-using the bracket (though I do need to replace the caliper guide pins on the back right, at least). Am I missing anything?

 

If you put block of wood on the pedal holding it down it will minimize tbe amount of fluild that can br lost.
You always bleed from the farthest point to the master, in yout case rr then left rear.

 

Also its been a while but I don't know if you have to remove the caliper bracket to remove the caliper? I thought if you removed the two gude pins you could remove the caliper, no?

 

Great. Yeah, that's right. The caliper is attached to the bracket with two six point 12mm bolts. A bit of PB Blaster and they come off pretty easily. On one side, the guide pins barely move. I figure I'll replace the pins while I'm down there.

Regarding the guide pins, from what I can tell from research, it seems as simple as slowly hammering/chiseling the out with a hammer and flat head screw driver, right?

 

You are smart to replace the guide pins once they stick they will never be right they should spring in and out with just the rubber.
To removed them I would pull off the rubber and spray them with pb then heat them with with a small torch while spinning them back and forth with visegrips or channel locks,the pin sits in a bushing in tb,he caliper bracket and you don't want to damage the bushing, it only takes a little geat to get them to move.

 

Revisiting this one more time. If I clamp the left, rear brake line per the RAVE instruction (Still not sure what I should use to clamp this.), can I get away with JUST bleeding the left, rear brake line using my brand new caliper's bleed valve? Not looking to cut (many) corners, but I expect the right, rear bleed valve to a challenge and I may not have time this week to do both sides.

 

Follow-up, I think I found some good tips for doing this WITHOUT clamping the hose, which could cause damage. Found a thread talking about plastic wrapping the reservoir opening before capping it (causing suction) and/or capping the end of the brake line when I take it off.