How to adjust caliper

[WANT1Z]

Hi all, I replaced my master cylinder and rubber hoses with ss stl hose. I already bled the system. I did not touch the drum nor the calipers. The question I have is how do I open up the caliper to loosen it up?

The caliper is grabbing the rotor too tight.

thanks

[Arne]

You don't. If the caliper won't release properly either the master cylinder pushrod is improperly adjusted, or the caliper is seized and needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

[BD240Z]

If it wasn't sticking prior to replacing the MC, I can't explain why it's sticking now.

The caliper piston might be hung-up. You can remove the caliper and then depress the piston back into the caliper. I use a large c-clamp and a piece of wood. Prior to doing brakes, I always hose off the caliper assemblies with water to remove as much dust as possible. Once you have the caliper off, clean all the mating surfaces where the pads mount into the caliper. Make sure when you depress the piston back into the caliper that you don't overflow your brake fluid reservoir. Watch out for airborn brake pad dust, it's bad for your lungs. You don't need to disconnect the caliper fluid hose to do this job. Re-install the caliper, start the engine and then depress the brake pedal several times to get the pad to seat again. Then see if the pad is still sticking.

A remote possibility is that one of the pads is sticking/cockeyed and won't release. The caliper/pad assembly has mating surfaces that can be LIGHTLY lubed to help make things work as designed.

Good luck with your car.

Bruce

[WANT1Z]

Arne, I have a 76 280z 2+2. Can you please confirm this with me. The FSM calls for about 0.387" ( or close to it, I don't have the FSM right now). This is from the face of the booster to the tip of the rod without the spacer.If I add the spacer, the tip will be inside the spacer following this length. Now, Haynes manual is calling it at 0.138-0.157" from the mounting flange and the end of the push rod.

What I did was o.387" from the face of the spacer to the end of the push rod. Also, with this set up, I don't have to adjust the push rod lenght anymore. It came with that lenght.

Is that wrong?