Octavia vRS - replacing rear caliper

[Sissipaska]

So my right hand rear caliper has seized and needs replacing. I've bought a new painted TRW caliper and I own an Eezibleed.

 

What I need help with:

 

Have anyone done this and can come with some good DIY advice?

 

Can I clamp the rear brake hose (and with what tool) to prevent fluid loss (will flush the system anyway afterwards) or can I remove the brake hose and then plug it with something?

 

Definite order to bleed brakes (have seen just about every possible order available when researching)? In my mind it would be

 

1. Clutch

2. OS/Right rear

3. NS/Left front

4. NS/Left rear

5. OS/Right front

 

Will do this tonight or tomorrow so quick advice is king

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[SkippyVRS]

done many times, clamp the pipe with either a pipe clamp or some molegrip pliers, use a screwdriver to lever the handbrake lever up and remove the cable with some pliers, remove the clip holding the cable in the caliper and pull the cable through. undo caliper bolts and lever caliper off the carrier then undo the banjo bolt thats going through the brake pipe. make sure you dont lose the copper washers on either side of the brake pipe as you need to use them on the new caliper. fitting is just removal in reverse. be careful not to lever the handbrake arm on the new caliper too many times as it may adjust too far and you would then need to wind the piston back.

as for bleeding i woudnt worry about bleeding the clutch, just dont let the fluid get too low in the reservoir. always start with the wheel furthest from the master cylinder, so start with N/S rear then O/S rear then N/S front and O/S front

hope this helps unless im too late and its done already haha

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[Sissipaska]

done many times, clamp the pipe with either a pipe clamp or some molegrip pliers, use a screwdriver to lever the handbrake lever up and remove the cable with some pliers, remove the clip holding the cable in the caliper and pull the cable through. undo caliper bolts and lever caliper off the carrier then undo the banjo bolt thats going through the brake pipe. make sure you dont lose the copper washers on either side of the brake pipe as you need to use them on the new caliper. fitting is just removal in reverse. be careful not to lever the handbrake arm on the new caliper too many times as it may adjust too far and you would then need to wind the piston back.

as for bleeding i woudnt worry about bleeding the clutch, just dont let the fluid get too low in the reservoir. always start with the wheel furthest from the master cylinder, so start with N/S rear then O/S rear then N/S front and O/S front

hope this helps unless im too late and its done already haha

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Thank you for your help. I didn't had the chance to read it before doing the job yesterday.

 

I changed my right rear caliper yesterday evening. I was about to change my rear axle beam bushes but found the caliper sticking so bad that I had to swap it. Going to rally Finland next week so there were no options.

 

This is how I did it:

 

Removing caliper

 

- Jacked the rear up on axle stands (supported on rear jacking points). Chocked the front wheels.

- Removed battery and battery tray. Removed airbox and MAF to have a bit more workspace in the engine. And also bleeding the clutch would be almost impossible otherwise, unless you have the car on a lift and can reach it from underneath the car

- Took of the master cylinder cap, put a piece of plastic foil over the hole and then refitted the cap (according to the Haynes manual). This to limit the amount of fluid loss.

- Loosened 13mm brakeline screw on the caliper. Do not remove completely!

- Removed the 13mm caliper guide pin bolts and removed caliper from carrier.

- Removed handbrake cable from caliper

- Removed the brake line from caliper and put it over a container.

 

Notes:

• Now you have two options to limit fluid loss. You can use a brakeline clamp or put some plastic foil (Haynes tip) over the master cylinder reservoir and fit the cap over it to have an airtight seal. Maybe there are more ways to this, if so please reply with options.
• If you're doing it right then you should only need to bleed the side where you changed the caliper. I did a complete flush so didn't care too much over some spilled fluid.
• Remember to fill the caliper with brake fluid before fitting. You can also "bench bleed it". I juggled the caliper a bit before fitting.

Refitting new caliper:

 

- Refitting is the opposite of removal. Like Skippy vRS said you need to save some bits from your old caliper.

- When new caliper is fitted work the handbrake (rear caliper) or push the brake pedal carefully to get the piston to sit flush against the pads.

 

Brake fluid flush Skoda Octavia I vRS:

 

Note! Do not use silicone based brake fluid in the Octavia vRS/Golf MkIV brake system.  http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3184085-DIY-MK4-Brake-FLush

 

- I put a raincoat over the engine in case there would be a leakage from the Eezibleed. I then tucked the fluid container in the raincoat hood to limit possible damage in case of failure. I used a Coke bottle to collect the old fluid.

- Pressure test the Eezibleed without any brake fluid at around 20 psi (higher pressure than when you do the bleeding). If air leakage is heard, fix it now.

- With pressurized system and no fluid in Eezibleed you can open one valve on the car to empty out some old fluid. Keep track of the level in the master cylinder. You can also empty with a turkey baster. This way you will have less old fluid to flush.

- Depressurize system

- Fill Eezibleed with DOT4 or DOT5.1 fluid (I used Pagid DOT 4 fluid)

- Pressurize system at around 12-15 psi (max 20 psi)

- Start by bleeding the clutch. You need to turn the valve a good amount of turns before fluid comes out. Bleed until no air bubbles and fresher fluid comes out. Do not use the clutch before the complete brake system is flushed.

 

- I bled the brakes in this order (Octavia vRS according to Haynes):

 

- Right rear

- Left rear

- Right front

- Left front

 

- Bleed until no air and no corrosion comes out. When fitting a new caliper there can be pockets of air inside. Tap the caliper with your hand or with a rubber mallet to release the air. I did this on all calipers and got some more bubbles out.

- I bled approx 0,3 litres of fluid from each valve. The rear brakes need a good amount of bleeding 'cause of the longer brake lines.

- Check the Eezibleed fluid level on a constant basis.

- When the system was flushed I got inside the car and worked the clutch a bit. I then bled it once more and got some more tiny bubbles out.

 

Top tips!

• Buy enough brake fluid to be able to really flush the system. Do it right, do it once. It's not fun to stand there with an empty Eezibleed. :no:
• When fitting a new caliper there can be pockets of air inside. Tap the caliper with your hand or with a rubber mallet to release the air. I did this on all calipers and got some more bubbles out even when there were no more bubbles coming out.
• I bled approx 0,3 litres of fluid from each valve. Haynes states at least 0.2 litres. Go with your gut feeling here!
• Look up your car and the correct way to bleed it. The Octavia has two different ABS systems and require two different ways of bleeding the brakes. Will post that info later on.

Result?

 

Very happy camper. Brakes bite like hell. The gear changes are much better and smoother and the clutch feels like new. No more vague feeling and the clutch is firm and feels like an well oiled rifle. You can really tell if it hasn't been done for some time. On my car I can't see that it has ever been done.

 

Now I will drive to the fatherland and watch one french guy and 20 others trying to keep up.