dorsetfreelander wrote:

That 7mm fits a 1990 Ford Fiesta, I know 'cos I bought one and still use it on my FL2....

p_gill wrote:

Quote:

How are you using compressed air? Are you removing the hydraulic pipe to do this?

Bob,

You are right, I removed the flex hose from the caliper and use the compressed air to force the piston out.

Now when coming to a stop my brakes are silent.

Thanks

Paul

Quote:

50 years go on Jaguars (apprentice) at the main dealers we forced out the front pistons (off the car) with grease via a converted bleed nipple. Cleaned the bores with the finest of wet and dry papers and paraffin cleaned up the pistons, fitted new seals and dust seals refitting pistons into the bores with special rubber grease or clean brake fluid. Proper mechanics then not fitters ! Cleanliness is king.

One of my jobs as an apprentice was to fit new linings to brake shoes and clutch plates. No special tools, just a 5/16” bolt in a vice and a small ball pein hammer to tap the rivet ends over. Other jobs we’d do in a Vauxhall/Bedford main dealer were overhaul gearboxes and axles, drawfile warped cylinder heads and cylinder blocks, o/haul wheel cylinders, rebuild starters and dynamo's, sand/grit blast and regap spark plugs, fit new valve guides and recut valves and seats, reface rocker arms, strip, clean and repack wheel bearings, rebush spring shackles, replace king pins and ream out new bushes, replace propshaft UJ's and many many more jobs that just aren’t done nowdays. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Ah yes, did re-rivet brake shoes but can't remember ever doing a clutch plate but we did strip the clutch covers and fit new parts, rebuild and reset the 3 release fingers heights on a jig.

For most of my early time in the trade (big dealers) I rarely serviced a car as this was done by lesser paid semi skilled staff. We were tasked mostly with engine and gearbox jobs etc. Left the trade by 34 having started at 15, mechanics still on the tools then were old men by 55 as the workshop conditions were pretty hard. A lot to be said for a soft office job (after some retraining) with a pension. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current