QUICK HELP! My brakes don't work right

[87DXHatch]

I just made an attempt to remove my rear rotors to replace them... turns out my back left caliper is like half gone... not cool. Anyway, I disconnected the brake tube to the rotor, and it leaked all over the place, I didn't have a good way to seal it off (I kind of went into this un-prepared).

To cut to the chase, I didn't get the rotor off, I put everything back together, and now my pedal like goes to the floor before the brakes catch, so I can barely stop. This isn't good... what can I do to fix it back to the way it was before? I added brake fluid to the master cylinder, but that helped nothing.

HELP!!!!!! :help:

[BITESIZE]

You have to bleed the brakes, which isn't fun, you need an extra person to help you as well. The reason you pedal goes to the floor is becuase, you have air in the brake lines. Read in your Haynes manual how to bleed the brakes, or keep searching on the forum.

[shepherd79]

get another person to pump your breaks (engine off).
pump 3 times and told in down.
you uncrew the screw on the caliper and let the air out. the pedal should go down to the floor. screw the nut backto prevent any air getting backinto the line. do this a few times. this should remove all the air out of the system.
to properly bleed the breaks, you need to start with the farthest from the master cylinder.

[87DXHatch]

I bled them... *shew!* that was pretty scary... I thought I had fucked things up good and proper... I guess I'll allocate a bit more time when working on my brakes, I go to work in 20 minutes.

Thanks a million guys!

[infecto]

And for the next time you do this do not d/c the hose to the caliper unless you really need to. I always prop up the caliper with the break pad box hehe just don't let it hang without any support.

[BITESIZE]

Those hoses are pretty fragile, like infecto said, use something to prop the caliper up while changing the brake disks or even pads.

[87DXHatch]

Well can someone tell me what to remove so that the caliper swings up? I tried deciphering the haynes manual and I couldn't do it.

[Mike's89AccordLX]

You know a good trick so you won't have to bleed the brakes? Take a vise grips and clamp it to the tube and you won't need to bleed them. It worked for me on my brakes.

[MrBen]

Yeah but that could crack it if the tube is old, or stress it for future breakage. Good idea though.

[anchovies]

Originally posted by 87DXHatch
Well can someone tell me what to remove so that the caliper swings up? I tried deciphering the haynes manual and I couldn't do it.

Just unbolt the lower caliper bolt from the mount. You should be able to swing it up, if not, loosen a little the top caliper bolt.