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Fw: Alfetta Sedan Project - Adjusting rear brakes
Here is an excellent 'how-to' from Russ Neely on adjusting the rear brakes.
Don
----- Original Message -----
From: AlfaNeely@domain.elided
To: Daegrigg (Don)
Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 9:48 PM
Subject: Alfetta Sedan Project - Adjusting rear brakes
Attached is a thing I wrote sometime in the past about adjusting the Milano / Alfetta rear brakes. I hope it helps.
Yes, the rear brakes on the transaxle Alfas are a pain.
Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<HTML><FONT SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10> A friend said he was doing Milano brakes this weekend. I promised to send instructions for doing the rear brakes. I thought I just as well send this along to the Alfa Digest.<BR>
For the Milano rear brakes, I suggest two books. The Haynes manual for the Alfetta covers the rear brakes better than the Milano manuals. Also get the IAP (http://www.international-auto.com) Milano workshop manual reprint. It is worth the $62.50. <BR>
<BR>
On the Milano rear brakes, there are four adjusting screws, two per caliper. You turn them to adjust the pad clearance. Three of them turn one way and one turns opposite to the others, that is one turns opposite to tighten. I will tell you which is which in a moment.<BR>
Look at the caliper under the bleed screws on top.</FONT><FONT BACK="#fefefe" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10> </FONT><FONT BACK="#FFFFFF" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>The inboard pads are adjusted with the screw that sticks out the back side of the caliper directly under the bleed screw. It adjusts with a 7 mm end wrench.</FONT><FONT COLOR="#ff0000" BACK="#fefefe" SIZE=2 PTSIZE=8><B><BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B> On the end of the caliper toward the wheel,</FONT><FONT BACK="#FFFFFF" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10> there is a plastic cap. Remove the plastic cap with a 17 mm socket, back off the lock nut with the same 17 mm socket and adjust the screw inside the lockout with a 5 mm Allen wrench.<BR>
In order to move the brake pad toward the caliper, turn the Allen screws ANTI CLOCKWISE. The bolt for the right or passenger side inboard pad also turns ANTI CLOCKWISE to TIGHTEN. Use the 7 mm end wrench on the LEFT or driver's side caliper and turn CLOCKWISE to TIGHTEN.<BR>
<BR>
To put this another way, conversely, to REMOVE the old pads, turn all adjusters CLOCKWISE, except for the inboard adjuster on the driver's side caliper. I drew a diagram with the adjusters in a straight line and numbered 1 through 4 from left to right looking toward the front of the car. Adjusters numbered 1, 3 and 4 turn one direction. The one numbered 2 turns the opposite. I drew my diagram on a yellow sticky and pasted into my Haynes Alfetta manual on page 135.<BR>
The Haynes Alfetta manual says to set the rear brake pads with a feeler gauge at about 0.005 inches. I think clearance of 0.002 inches is adequate if the rotor is not warped. I have had good success tightening the pad until the rotor would not turn, then loosening it until the wheel turns easily. The do the same on the other pad in the same caliper. It helps to turn the rotor if you leave the tire and wheel bolted on.<BR>
On the outer two adjusters, you have to hold the set screw with an Allen wrench while you tighten the lock nut with the 17 mm socket. I saw a Sears ad for a socket wrench that was hollow and allowed a bolt to protrude through it. That would be great as the lock nut is down inside the caliper and an end wrench will not work. I tried welding a handle to a 17 mm socket, but clearance is too tight for it to work well. I have had success just tightening the lock nut without holding the Allen screw, but this does tend to tighten up the clearance, so you have to play with the set screw / lock nut combination until it is tight and the pad clearance is correct. That is a pain of a balancing act, which is why I tried to build a tool to help.<BR>
<BR>
The final step is to apply the handbrake HARD 2 or 3 times to set the pads against the rotor. Actually, the final final step is to let the car down off the stands.<BR>
However, you may want to refresh the fluid in the system while it is up in the air. Brake fluid has an affinity with water and it will turn to jelly after a few years, so replace it. Go to your local home supply store and get some clear vinyl tubing in the correct size to slip over the brake bleeders. That keeps fluid off the underside of the car and off the caliper.<BR>
Hope this helps you.<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
Russ Neely<BR>
Oklahoma City<BR>
</HTML>
<HTML><FONT SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10> A friend said he was doing Milano brakes this weekend. I promised to send instructions for doing the rear brakes. I thought I just as well send this along to the Alfa Digest.<BR>
For the Milano rear brakes, I suggest two books. The Haynes manual for the Alfetta covers the rear brakes better than the Milano manuals. Also get the IAP (http://www.international-auto.com) Milano workshop manual reprint. It is worth the $62.50. <BR>
<BR>
On the Milano rear brakes, there are four adjusting screws, two per caliper. You turn them to adjust the pad clearance. Three of them turn one way and one turns opposite to the others, that is one turns opposite to tighten. I will tell you which is which in a moment.<BR>
Look at the caliper under the bleed screws on top.</FONT><FONT BACK="#fefefe" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10> </FONT><FONT BACK="#FFFFFF" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>The inboard pads are adjusted with the screw that sticks out the back side of the caliper directly under the bleed screw. It adjusts with a 7 mm end wrench.</FONT><FONT COLOR="#ff0000" BACK="#fefefe" SIZE=2 PTSIZE=8><B><BR>
</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B> On the end of the caliper toward the wheel,</FONT><FONT BACK="#FFFFFF" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10> there is a plastic cap. Remove the plastic cap with a 17 mm socket, back off the lock nut with the same 17 mm socket and adjust the screw inside the lockout with a 5 mm Allen wrench.<BR>
In order to move the brake pad toward the caliper, turn the Allen screws ANTI CLOCKWISE. The bolt for the right or passenger side inboard pad also turns ANTI CLOCKWISE to TIGHTEN. Use the 7 mm end wrench on the LEFT or driver's side caliper and turn CLOCKWISE to TIGHTEN.<BR>
<BR>
To put this another way, conversely, to REMOVE the old pads, turn all adjusters CLOCKWISE, except for the inboard adjuster on the driver's side caliper. I drew a diagram with the adjusters in a straight line and numbered 1 through 4 from left to right looking toward the front of the car. Adjusters numbered 1, 3 and 4 turn one direction. The one numbered 2 turns the opposite. I drew my diagram on a yellow sticky and pasted into my Haynes Alfetta manual on page 135.<BR>
The Haynes Alfetta manual says to set the rear brake pads with a feeler gauge at about 0.005 inches. I think clearance of 0.002 inches is adequate if the rotor is not warped. I have had good success tightening the pad until the rotor would not turn, then loosening it until the wheel turns easily. The do the same on the other pad in the same caliper. It helps to turn the rotor if you leave the tire and wheel bolted on.<BR>
On the outer two adjusters, you have to hold the set screw with an Allen wrench while you tighten the lock nut with the 17 mm socket. I saw a Sears ad for a socket wrench that was hollow and allowed a bolt to protrude through it. That would be great as the lock nut is down inside the caliper and an end wrench will not work. I tried welding a handle to a 17 mm socket, but clearance is too tight for it to work well. I have had success just tightening the lock nut without holding the Allen screw, but this does tend to tighten up the clearance, so you have to play with the set screw / lock nut combination until it is tight and the pad clearance is correct. That is a pain of a balancing act, which is why I tried to build a tool to help.<BR>
<BR>
The final step is to apply the handbrake HARD 2 or 3 times to set the pads against the rotor. Actually, the final final step is to let the car down off the stands.<BR>
However, you may want to refresh the fluid in the system while it is up in the air. Brake fluid has an affinity with water and it will turn to jelly after a few years, so replace it. Go to your local home supply store and get some clear vinyl tubing in the correct size to slip over the brake bleeders. That keeps fluid off the underside of the car and off the caliper.<BR>
Hope this helps you.<BR>
Ciao,<BR>
Russ Neely<BR>
Oklahoma City<BR>
</HTML>
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