Compressing Rear caliper pistons

[Ron_M3 sport]

Help please!

My rotors were warped and pads were getting low so I purchased some drilled rotors and new pads and thought I'd replace them myself. I found a great step-by-step guide here but I've run into one problem... compressing the rear pistons.
I've read in a couple online forums that it's as simple as using a pair of needle nose pliers to spin them back in but it's not working for me. I even went out and bought that special cube tool from Cantire but still there not going in far enough. I need another 1/4" clearance. The pistons will turn and you will see them compressing but stop at a certain point. They continue to rotate but it won't compress any further.

I have the reservoir cap off.
I'm rotating clockwise.
I tried with e-brakes on and off.

Any thoughts?

[cwp_sedan]

Maybe this will help, or is this the step-by-step guide you were looking at?

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=24152

[Ron_M3 sport]

Maybe this will help, or is this the step-by-step guide you were looking at?

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=24152

Thanks CWP_Sedan but this was that great post that I mentioned. I've tried everything - I think I might have to bite the bullet and "borrow" that reset tool from Canadian Tire.

[Walrus]

Borrow the tool. I couldn't get it in with needle nose and a ton of force.

[Ron_M3 sport]

Ok, so it seems that some 3 do-it-yourselvers can compress the piston with a pliers and a couple pounds of force but this was not the case in my experience!

When I realized that the "cube" that I purchased earlier today didn't work I actually started to panic a little bit. While I was trying to wind in the piston on the right caliper I unwound it to try to start from the top of the thread and it wouldn't go back down. I thought I screwed it up... I heard that calipers are like $300 per?!

Anyway, I ended up borrowing the tool from Canadian Tire. "Crappy Tire", as people call it, isn't so bad. They charged $112 to my credit card and if I return it, and do so in good condition they will return the entire amount to my card. How can you beat that?

Once I took it home and assembled the tool the beads of sweat subsided.

It was fairly simple to use:

Choose the connection that fits the dimples on the piston. (In our case the welded on adapter was the best fit)

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/album.php?albumid=31&pictureid=136

Slide on the bracket plate.

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/album.php?albumid=31&pictureid=135

Twist the handle clockwise until the piston is sufficiently compressed to install the new pads.
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/album.php?albumid=31&pictureid=134

Have fun and work safely! :bana2

[Ron_M3 sport]

Ok, so it seems that some 3 do-it-yourselvers can compress the piston with a pliers and a couple pounds of force but this was not the case in my experience!

When I realized that the "cube" that I purchased earlier today didn't work I actually started to panic a little bit. While I was trying to wind in the piston on the right caliper I unwound it to try to start from the top of the thread and it wouldn't go back down. I thought I screwed it up... I heard that calipers are like $300 per?!

Anyway, I ended up borrowing the tool from Canadian Tire. "Crappy Tire", as people call it, isn't so bad. They charged $112 to my credit card and if I return it, and do so in good condition they will return the entire amount to my card. How can you beat that?

Once I took it home and assembled the tool the beads of sweat subsided.

It was fairly simple to use:

Choose the connection that fits the dimples on the piston. (In our case the welded on adapter was the best fit)

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/album.php?albumid=31&pictureid=136

Slide on the bracket plate.

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/album.php?albumid=31&pictureid=135

Twist the handle clockwise until the piston is sufficiently compressed to install the new pads.

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/album.php?albumid=31&pictureid=134

Have fun and work safely! :bana2

I apologize for the double post... the photo links didn't work.

[Wild Weasel]

I can do it with needle nose pliars, but as a couple members here can attest, it involves a lot of angry words and about 20 minutes of seemingly nothing happening before they magically go in.

That said... I went and bought myself the proper tool (like the one you borrowed) to make my life easier in the future.

Incidentally... I still install for beer... :D

[McGuyver_3]

heres a tip when compressing the caliper try to keep the brake line as straight as possible so the fluid has no hesitation when travelling through the line hence making it easy for the calipers to compress

[donaldtin]

i had to borrow that tools from Part Source as needle nose wont' work at all. tried even bleeding the line. no success, but the caliper compressing tool works like a charm.. part source did charge me $200 for deposit though. but of coz, fully returned back... free tool rental, nice!

[06Touring3]

Needle nose can work....it just takes A LOTTTTTTTT to get it to compress (even when bleeding)....it was probly a solid 45 mins of work to get mine to compress with needle nose

[Halogen]

Wouldn't using a C clamp with a large washer or piece of wood over the piston work also ?

[Soyabean]

Wouldn't using a C clamp with a large washer or piece of wood over the piston work also ?

Thats what I do, but why are u bringing up this thread from last year?

[5_Alive]

On the Protege's with the rear discs, there was a 10mm bolt I believe on the back-side of the rear caliper. You had to remove this to access an allen screw. Then you'd simply turn it I believe counter-clockwise and the piston would retract. When ready to install new pads, you just put the caliper on, tightened down the allen screw, and then re-installed the bolt.
If the 3 is different and you need a turn tool, weird? Cause the Protege's also had the "two prongs" for that tool, and it definitely didn't work that way.