Replacing rear ABS brake pads

[trask1971]

I am replacing the rear pads on a 94 Taurus w/abs. Have done lots of pad replacing in the past on different vehicles, but.....never a Ford with ABS. This one has me stopped. Hope someone can clarify.

I have removed the old pads, turned the rotors and remounted them on the car.

When I tried my normal method (using a very large pair of channel-locks)of re-compressing the piston back into the caliper to make room for the new thicker pads, I cannot budge the piston.

I tried releasing the pressure by opening the bleed screw on that wheel, but did not change the problem. In fact, I really couldn't get much fluid to come out of the line.

A couple of ideas I found on the web, before I discovered this site, talked about having to release the "Pressure" in an ABS system. That you had to turn key off and pump the pedal 30 to 40 times, wait 60 seconds and repeat. I haven't been able to try this yet.

A friend at work mentioned that he had heard that some of the Ford pistons had to be "Turned Back In". That simply didn't make any sense to me.

I'm sure that it is either something that is particular to a 94 Ford Taurus or.....the Ford ABS system.

Can anyone help with this?

thx in advance, trask1971

 

[heath94]

Thats true. The pistons screw back in.

 

[trask1971]

SO...Is there any special thing or tool that needs to be used?

Do I need to relieve any pressure from the system?

thx
trask1971

 

[poissonverte]

Yup, I went to NAPA and bought the tool. Its a think round disk with two ******* on the end that fit into the two grooves on the piston. Attach it to a 3/8 wrench at ratchet away.. for a long time...

 

[Bluto]

Go to an Autozone, leave them a deposit, and they will lend you the correct tool free of charge. You can even deciede to keep the tool kit, and they just use your 40 buck deposit to pay for it.

 

[trask1971]

Thanks for all the responses.

I off to autozone

trask1971

 

[sdpatt]

I hope you didn't apply excessive force to the C-clamp when you were trying to press the piston back into the caliper. That can damage the caliper mechansim. Make sure the rear brakes apply and release correctly after you reassemble them.

 

[trask1971]

Thanks for all the replies.

Scott

thanks for the thought about the emergency brake, I will check it.

does anyone know if there is any special methods to use to flush and bleed the brake fluid. I have been told that some of these systems (ABS) are under a lot of pressure. But don't know if this applies to the Taurus.

trask1971

 

[SHOZ123]

Ford uses a diagonal brake system. You should flush the right rear, then left front, then left rear, then right front. You will also ned to have the left rear tire jacked up so the rear proportioning valve is not restricting fluid flow to the rear brakes.

 

[srfdude]

Didn't we go through this already? If the car is up in the rear, there will be less need for rear braking, thus the valve will be closed. Only when the rear is all the way down does the valve open fully to allow full rear braking.
Mike

 

[JaySHOguy]

srfdude:
Didn't we go through this already? If the car is up in the rear, there will be less need for rear braking, thus the valve will be closed. Only when the rear is all the way down does the valve open fully to allow full rear braking.
Mike

That is why Paul specified jacking the rear left wheel up, to compress the suspension.

 

[srfdude]

So, Jay are you saying that the valve is not open enough if the car is simply sitting on its wheels? I didn't have any trouble bleeding mine after I took it down and let it set on the ground.
Mike

 

[JaySHOguy]

No. Going by what Paul stated, if the suspension is NOT loaded( wheel hanging in the air), you cannot properly bleed the brakes.

If the wheel is ON the ground, you should be fine.
Just curious, though...how can you bleed the brakes if the car is sitting on all four tires? I can't get my ass under there, that's for sure

 

[srfdude]

Use the 1-way valves from AZ. Makes it a snap.
Mike