Fitting rear calipers

[JaamesVRS]

Hi guys,

 

going to fit new rear calipers to the fabia today seeing as mine are leaking like mad. I've been reading and people are saying all sorts about pre filling the calipers and clamping hoses etc?

 

is this to do away with bleeding? Or can I just take the hose off, remove old caliper refit new and refit hose then bleed as normal? What's the process for these as seems to be so many mixed reviews?! 

[sepulchrave]

You need an eezibleed, simply clamp off the hose, swap the calipers and bleed through with the eezibleed. Rinse and repeat.

[JaamesVRS]

I purchased an eezibleed the other day for it bud! Clamping the hoses will normal vice grips do the trick or will I need to get proper clamps? 

[JaamesVRS]

Got 2 brand new Lucas Calipers ready to fit tomorrow for the grand sum of £35 ea! Pays to know people from motor factors 

[rum4mo]

I hope that they do not have Lucas on them any where, new original ones should be TRW, Lucas name gets rented out to anyone who wants to make money out of rubbish - by the brand name owner, who, I think, are one of the directors of ECP!

 

I think that I showed a bit of caution after reading some threads on changing these callipers, and initially rested them on top of the discs with the bleed holes at the uppermost point prior to bleeding with ezzibleed, just to guard against trapping some annoying air in them.

[JaamesVRS]

Whatever it is that I have bought will be a damn side better than my current ones that literally empty my brake fluid res within 3 days of no use! They are bad!! But I will do that thanks! So bleed them before they are even fitted then?? 

[JaamesVRS]

Right brakes all fitted! Bled with easy bleed until there was no air however the pedal travel is still kind of far, if I pump the brakes once or twice the bite is right at the top of the pedal which tells me there is still air in the system however there’s none when it’s bled?! So frustrating! Brakes feel better than they did but still awful! Is it worth upgrading to 312mm or just get decent pads for the standard setup? I’m used to powerful brakes

[JWvrs25]

Try bleeding them again. I had same feeling after replacing one of my rears. Felt like the pedal was going down a long way. Bled twice again with calliper in place and then pedal went nice and firm and nearly put myself through the windscreen on first road test.

Yes 312mm brakes are well worth it. Much better than standards. You can pick up a set of calliper and carriers off ebay for £50-70 in decent condition. I would advise new discs and pads rather than second hand. Ive got brembo discs and pads, discs are pretty good but you can probably get better pads for the money.

[LB123]

Best to sort the current problem before thinking of brake upgrade. Eezibleed is great for steady volume of fluid but its relatively slow speed/low pressure and can be poor at shifting some air locks. Pedal action is much more vigorous in shifting airlocks. You can run the eezibleed and add in a few strong pumps of the pedal at the same time. This can work well if its just air in high pipe loops. Don't let the reservoir run dry. Never had a problem with the brakes on daughters 1.4 DOHC. Brakes are fierce as standard. Using mintex discs and pads.

[JWvrs25]

31 minutes ago, LB123 said:

Best to sort the current problem before thinking of brake upgrade. Eezibleed is great for steady volume of fluid but its relatively slow speed/low pressure and can be poor at shifting some air locks. Pedal action is much more vigorous in shifting airlocks. You can run the eezibleed and add in a few strong pumps of the pedal at the same time. This can work well if its just air in high pipe loops. Don't let the reservoir run dry. Never had a problem with the brakes on daughters 1.4 DOHC. Brakes are fierce as standard. Using mintex discs and pads.

The VRS weighs more and especially if you are remapped and like to drive it accordingly then the standard brakes soon reach their limits. Agree with the point about pumping the pedal a few times to shift any extra air. Its a long way for the fluid to go to the rear brakes and the eezibleed at 20psi probably isn't going to be able to shift all the air locks.

[aubrey]

Having never worked on these brakes then I don't know if this applies to you. But if the Bleed Nipple is not right at the top then some air can still stay in the caliper, after all air rises to the top. I've done cars in the past where I have had to unbolt the caliper from the axle and bleed just holding the caliper so the bleed nipple is really at the top, even rocking it a little to make sure all the air is expelled. It can be good idea to jam something solid between the piston area to stop the brake closing up with nothing it its jaws. 

[aubrey]

19 hours ago, JaamesVRS said:

 literally empty my brake fluid res within 3 days of no use

I just noticed this comment - If you have ABS and have run it dry from the reservoir then you need to bleed the ABS Unit. I know this because I did it on my Roomster by not putting the exit extra Eezibleed tube into the bottle to the fluid bottom, hence I just pumped air though to the rears. You have to use VCDS to activate the ABS Bleed function and in my case (Bosch 8.0) ABS I was instructed to open front and rear brake nipples as part of the procedure. All the ABS guides I read for earlier ABS versions said it only requested the front.

This is what I did :

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/439265-vcds-abs-bosch-80-brake-bleeding/

Edited 5 January, 2018 by aubrey
corrected typo

[JaamesVRS]

I’ve never run it dry, as soon as the warning light come on I topped it straight up had 5 litres of fluid in the boot ready lol. 

 

So so I can hook up the easy bleed, pump the brake a few times with a 2nd hand and get them to hold the pedal down whilst cracking the bleed nipple with the Eezibleed still hooked up? I’ll try that tomorrow see what happens!! If not I’ll get a set of 312s and get it bled at my local garage with ABS primed etc 

[aubrey]

As soon as you hold the pedal down a bit it immediately closes off the master cylinder, so the Ezibleed could no longer push fluid through the system. You just leave the pedal up and the fluid will flow through. The spare wheel air pressure pushing the fluid through. If you look at my picture on the link I attached you will see.

Because a positive flow out is maintained due to the Ezibleed you can just open and close the bleed nipples with no fear of air getting in.

As others have said you can give an extra foot pump to give a pulse of higher pressure, but I would recommend you only push down 75% pedal travel. Lots of stories of master cylinder problems if pushing master cylinder piston into an unused part of its cylinder.

[JaamesVRS]

16 hours ago, aubrey said:

As soon as you hold the pedal down a bit it immediately closes off the master cylinder, so the Ezibleed could no longer push fluid through the system. You just leave the pedal up and the fluid will flow through. The spare wheel air pressure pushing the fluid through. If you look at my picture on the link I attached you will see.

Because a positive flow out is maintained due to the Ezibleed you can just open and close the bleed nipples with no fear of air getting in.

As others have said you can give an extra foot pump to give a pulse of higher pressure, but I would recommend you only push down 75% pedal travel. Lots of stories of master cylinder problems if pushing master cylinder piston into an unused part of its cylinder.

Yes I understand that, I’ve bled it a good few times with eezibleed but there’s no air coming out so will try the pedal method! 

[JaamesVRS]

All done! Took the rear calipers off while eezibleed was rigged up, alas more air come out! Once back in place I cracked off the brake pipe too let that bubble a little then when it streamed I nipped it back up. Now touch the pedal and I’m headbutting the windscreen. Winner! 

[ERJONES]

I have a seized rear calliper on my fabia elegance estate, I have access to a vrs calliper but will it fit a non vrs car?

[JWvrs25]

if it has 212mm rear discs they are all the same between vrs and non vrs

[ERJONES]

Ok, thanks. I’ll check what size the disc is....

[JWvrs25]

41 minutes ago, ERJONES said:

Ok, thanks. I’ll check what size the disc is....

Sorry should haver meant as long as it has rear discs not drums. They are all 212mm on fabias

[ERJONES]

It has discs, all search results say they are 232 though?

[JWvrs25]

12 hours ago, ERJONES said:

It has discs, all search results say they are 232 though?

Duh! was thinking of 312mm front brakes lol. Knew it started with 2 and ended with 2 just got the wrong number in the middle.

Yes is the answer the callipers are the same, i recently replaced my VRS rear calliper with a fabia elegance one. Just as long as its the right side caliper obviously.

[ERJONES]

Great, thanks. I’ll get it changed!