Alfa Romeo/Alfa Romeo Digest Archive

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

innacurate CD



Wanting to change the pads in my 164, I looked in the CarDisk CD for method.

With respect to the rear brakes, I quote--" Prior to position the new 
brake pads press manually on caliper piston until fully in, (it didn't 
budge, so I went on to the next instruction) then start the engine and 
press brake pedal several times to restore automatic slack take=up of 
parking brake."

Reasoning that "restoring the automatic slack take-up" was the reason the 
piston didn't move back in, and against my gut reaction, I did it. 

Well, you can guess what happened--the piston blew out of the caliper, 
the bellows spouted brake fluid, and my day was over--since this is a 
Saturday, and it's now 5:45 PM, I can't do a damn thing until Monday. I 
need to get a new seal, and a new bellows. Once the caliper was taken 
fully out of the car and put on the bench it was easy to see that the way 
to get the piston back in is to SCREW it in--the "automatic slack 
adjustment" is an internal screw the piston rotates on as the pads wear. 

To say that I am unhappy would be one of the greatest understatements of 
the year.

Be forewarned--the service manuals were ALSO written by Italians!!! Don't 
necessarily believe all they say. ( and yes, I feel pretty stupid for 
ignoring my guts and doing what the "book" said.)

================================================================================
Regards,
Alan G. Lambert___________________________________<gerard@domain.elided>
           *******Los Altos, California (office)*******

------------------------------


Home | Archive | Main Index | Thread Index