Rear Girling Caliper Troubles

["Kurt Wesseling" <kwessel@enm.maine.edu>]

Hi All:

Since the rear brakes on my '87 5KCSTQ are metal to metal (AWK) I 
thought I would replace the brake disks and pads last night.

Got new disks and Axxis (formerly Repco?) pads and went at it 
thinking, "this should take about an hour, right?" WRONG !

FOUR hours later after sitting in the dirt in the dark, enjoying 
Maine's 35 degree "Spring" weather, I was still unable to compress 
the single-piston Girling caliper far enough in to install the new 
pads. (grrrrrrrrr !)  Naturally, I don't have the tool shown in the 
Bentley.  Tried to use a long furniture clamp to do the job (don't 
laugh too much, this has worked for me many times in the past on 
lesser cars.) Ended up bending the clamp ! Even after opening the 
bleeder valve.

Question is: is the caliper bad, or should I go out and buy a real 
caliper compressing tool and try it again ?

The Bentley doesn't even show the procedure for replacing the rear 
brake hardware on the '87 TQ.

Opinions welcome...

--Kurt 

______________________________
Kurt Wesseling
Technical Support Center
The Education Network of Maine
800-696-4357
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