21 replies to this topic

[Keith Novak]

Does anyone have a good link to the e-brake removal instructions?  Despite a bunch of searching I can't find them any more.  I gutted everything and based on the leak, the guts of the piston come out but the jack screw has to go back in along with that evil c-clip.

 

[Ron Alan]

Dont have a link but it is simple.

 

Turn the adjuster screw until the piston comes out or stops moving...then just pull it out. In the piston is what looks like a little hand grenade(self adjuster). Place the piston in a vise(dont damage the piston...put something on the jaws)and find a bolt that will start to thread(or threads)into the hole for the adjuster bolt. Even if the bolt only goes in the hole 1.5 turns(wrong threads)it is still enough bit to allow the grenade to be pulled out. With a stack of washers and a nut I had but on the bolt first I run the nut down against the washers which are on top of the piston...this pulls the grenade(self adjuster)lose and then it comes right out(there are other ways to pull the grenade out...i just found this works easily).  Reassemble the caliper!

 

No need to remove anything else from the caliper! If you do you will find other bits and pieces that can be a pain to put back not to mention another seal that more than likely is not leaking!

[Bench Racer]

http://mazdaracers.c...ster-disabling/

 

Or the easier process from post #46.

'David Dewhurst', on 26 Mar 2012 - 2:45 PM, said:

Different strokes for different folks. I found it quite easy to remove the snap-ring, pull the adjuster bolt out, cut the threads off the adjuster bolt (threw cut off threads away) & re-assemble remains of adjuster bolt & o-ring. Left the "grenade" in place. The snap-ring comes out quite easly using an ice pick bent at approx 45* & a small bladed normal screw driver.

 

SaulSpeedwell said:

 

Cheater Kettle,

 

Hmm, my Inner Boemler says your method results in being noncompliant to the GCR, Dave.

 

Inner Boemler: "Where does it say you can MODIFY the "adjuster bolt"?"

 

Love,

Cheater Pot

[steveracer]

Hold the caliper making sure your fingers are clear. Fold a rag several times and put it in front of the piston. Apply air to the banjo bolt fitting, the piston will pop out leaving the adjusting mechanism behind. Unthread adjuster and reassemble the caliper.

[Keith Novak]

Ah...I didn't read far enough in the thread.  The mention of what bits go back in doesn't happen until the 3rd page. 

[Ron Alan]

Hold the caliper making sure your fingers are clear. Fold a rag several times and put it in front of the piston. Apply air to the banjo bolt fitting, the piston will pop out leaving the adjusting mechanism behind. Unthread adjuster and reassemble the caliper.

Very cool if that is all it takes! How I normally remove the fronts...never thought about separating the piston and adjuster this way!

[steveracer]

I discovered it by accident...

[Keith Novak]

I tried just using compressed air and only managed to create a giant cloud of fine brake fluid mist...twice just to be sure.  Wear safety glasses if you do that.  I did also have one "grenade" just fall out on it's own though when I popped out a piston just unscrewing it though so YMMV on how tight they're in there.

 

I did find a super easy way to get those snap rings out with two picks though. I did it several times to make sure I wasn't just lucky. Once you have the technique down, it only takes minutes to disassemble and reassemble a caliper and replace all the rubber bits while you're in there.  The cleaning becomes the time consuming part if they're old and cruddy.   I'll try to upload some photos later.

[Wolfgang]

Just did both rears. Was thinking, of course once they were done, that I could have used silicone or rtv sealant on the center adjusting screw o-ring to avoid possiblility of leaking. Anyone tried that?

[UCFBrett]

I just finished removing the e brake mechanism from the car and calipers and now the shafts that the emergency brake cable attached to are leaking. I bought a caliper kit from Mazda and replaced both shaft seals, but they're still leaking badly. 

 

I'm thinking I removed more than I should have? I'm pretty sure I removed the adjuster screws, which is the reason the shaft seals are leaking. Does anyone have any suggestions/wisdom? 

[callumhay]

The Mazda kit comes with 2 different types of seals. They differ in profile at the edges of the seal. It's important to replace the seals with the exact same ones. The kit comes with a tiny piece of paper "explaining" how to decide which seal to use. Good luck trying to understand it. ! Other than that, it could be that you missed something in re assembly. The e brake spring has a flat washer against the shaft which I think might help in compression of the seal ( the washer is kept in place by the spring)

I'm not a front runner and went back to not removing the self adjusting mechanism.Did not like the pedal feel ( a long way to travel sometimes) and low levels of leaking fluid around the e brake lever after a few race weekends.
Hope you find the cause

Cal

[UCFBrett]

I picked up two used calipers, so I'll just start over. I think what's causing the leak is that I didn't put the adjuster screw back in the piston bore, which has an O ring seal at its base.

[Bench Racer]

At approx. 9:32 the o-ring is shown and without it properly in it's home there will be leaks at the E shaft.

 

[Rick Worth]

Why not just take the cable off and be done? 

[LarryKing]

Because the p-brake will still self-adjust creating drag

[UCFBrett]

I took the screws in the middle of the piston bore out and didn't put them back. Thus the leak. I put them back in yesterday, bled the system this morning and drove it around the block. It appears to be fixed. Thanks for your help. 

[Rick Worth]

Because the p-brake will still self-adjust creating drag

Well our spec Miata has been this way for 5 years. I adjust it just like if it was hooked up with the 4mm screw. Never had any drag on our brakes. Jacked up it spins free. Also we have 2 other Miata's that are our daily's with the parking brake hooked up and they don't self-adjust to the point of dragging. 

[Bench Racer]

    worth of information:

 

When the e-brake is disabled by detaching the adjusting screw to the caliper piston no adjustment is ever required, the rear will function the same as the front. If you disconnect the cable from the arm, as the pad wears you'll need to manually adjust using the hex adjuster.

[Rick Worth]

    worth of information:

 

When the e-brake is disabled by detaching the adjusting screw to the caliper piston no adjustment is ever required, the rear will function the same as the front. If you disconnect the cable from the arm, as the pad wears you'll need to manually adjust using the hex adjuster.

Exactly, and not a problem in the race car as we change fluid out and do lots of maintenance after every weekend anyway so just a quick readjustment is easy.

[LarryKing]

The theory is that the brakes self-adjust on track so how would you know if they did or not. But if you're happy I'm happy.