Photo Essay - Brembo Brake Fluid Flushing

[PhilMeUp]

This week I also ordered a GiroDisc brake pad spreader, for $US225 plus $US65 post (total of $US290). That’s a heap of money for something I’ll probably only use a couple of times a year, but I can’t see any any other way of easily pushing the pistons back in on the Brembo calipers. And, when I do work on those calipers, I need to be able to do it fast.

http://www.girodisc....der_p_5970.html

Finally bought one of these things from the US a few weeks ago. I couldn't figure out any other way of easily getting the pistons apart in a Brembo monoblock caliper, so ordered a GiroDisc Pad Spreader directly from GiroDisc. It was $US225 plus $US65 post, which worked out to $A274 at the time.

Had a tinker with it tonight. I've been using Hawk Performance ceramic pads for their low dust qualities, but had a set of Ferodo 2500 pads in the shed that came with some disc rotors I bought last year. Figured I'd try my first pad change. Also bought a 4mm nail punch from Bunnings for knocking the pins out. Did a quick lap of the block later with the 2500 pads and they definitely have more bite than the Hawk ceramic pads (which is to be expected).

Was the GiroDisc worth getting? Well, I only used the thing for handful of seconds. It's one of those things that makes the job so easy that you wonder why you bothered to spend money buying the thing. But, I'd imagine that if I didn't have it then I'd still be out in the front yard trying to figure out how to get the pads out and push the pistons back in.

I used it initially for getting the brake pads out - they were squashed up against the disc by the pistons, so I used it to push the pads apart at the points where the pins go through. That got me enough slack to easily remove each pad.

Then I pushed in the side for a six piston caliper and straight away had all six pistons pushed right back. Damn, this was simple!

It's a lot of money for something that I'll only use a few times a year. But, when I do use it for those few times, it will save time and make an irritating job very, very quick and easy. I'll try it sometime on a conventional caliper and see if it beats having to stuff around with a g-clamp.

For anyone with monoblock calipers on their car and who will be doing their own pad changes, one of these things is definitely worth considering. For someone who changes pads for track days (and back again afterward), one of these would be essential.

Photos:

Mine came in a fairly ugly orange colour, instead of the red that was in most advertising photos. Bugger.

Want to get all six pistons apart in a couple of seconds? That's what this thing does.