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So I'm trying to replace the pads on my 81.
Trying is the operative word here.
I can shove the pistons far enough inward to get a pad on one side of the caliper, but I can't get the other pad in the caliper. I push the pistons in, and once I release pressure on them they pop back out faster than I can get the pad down into the caliper.
Is there some trick to this? I've changed pads on all kinds of vehicles, but I have never had the problems that I'm seeing trying to change them on this car.
Cut a piece of wood 1-1/4" thick by 5" or 6" long (as long as it's long enough to cover the width of the 2 pistons)....put the wood between the pistions, slide the caliper with the wood in place, & slide it over the top of the rotor...the wood will come out of the top as you push the caliper over the rotor....make sense? Works GR8!
Last edited by Sluefoot; Oct 24, 2016 at 07:19 PM.
I hold the pistons in with a putty knife. I would imagine there is a proper tool for this but it works for me
I do the same.
Using a 5" wide putty knife, I put the pad next to the handle and use the lower part of the knife blade to press the pistons back into the caliper.
Once the pistons are pressed back you can simply slide the knife and pad into the space. Pull the knife out and the pad is ready to go.
Thanks guys- I appreciate it. Sometimes cars fight me when I try to work on them- even simple stuff, and it helps to bounce ideas off other people. I'll tackle it tomorrow.
I do the same.
Using a 5" wide putty knife, I put the pad next to the handle and use the lower part of the knife blade to press the pistons back into the caliper.
Once the pistons are pressed back you can simply slide the knife and pad into the space. Pull the knife out and the pad is ready to go.
Just to be clear:
The putty knife method works with the caliper still bolted in place.
The clamp and wood block methods are for reinstalling the caliper and pads as a unit onto the rotor - where the clamp/block slides out as the unit is lowered onto the rotor.
There is also a metal clamp that you can purchase from the vendors here that clips on over each side of the caliper and holds the pistons back while you slide the pads in.
Last edited by Hammerhead Fred; Oct 24, 2016 at 08:51 PM.
I just did mine and was frustrated as well! i found with the caliper off, assemble the pads to the caliper and you can slip them over the rotor. Trust me, I work on cars every day and have never seen pistons that dont compress and stay compressed.
you can buy the metal clips. I am sure they will work well .what I have found what works for me ,is I push one piston in.then put one end of the brake pad in so that, that one cant come back out.then push in the piston next to it.now take the pad that is holding the other piston in push it quickly into place.I have done it enough times that it goes fast now .
I've used the putty knife trick in the past, but I believe these tools make the job a bit easier holding your pistons back (with the caliper installed) while you slip the pads in.
This one holds both pistons at the same time. 65-82 Brake Caliper Pad Installation Tool photo courtesy of Zip Products http://www.zip-corvette.com/68-82-c3...tion-tool.html
Think about the fact that the brake fluid in those calipers has been there since the last time the brakes were bled. If you push the pistons back into their bores, all that old/probably-contaminated brake fluid gets back-washed into the lines and possibly back into the master cylinder.
It would be much better for you to put a hose on the bleeder valve and run the hose into some container. Now, crack the bleeder valve enough to allow you to dispense enough fluid to move the pistons for clearance for new pad, then shut off the bleeder. If you need to do this twice (once for each pad), fine. If there is dead-space in the caliper/pad/rotor when installed, just lightly depress the brake pedal to move pads out and take up that space. This process should not require further bleeding, as you are only forcing some old fluid out.
When you finish with the job, top off the master cylinder tanks and you should be good to go.
Caliper Clipper. They work. Cracking the bleeder a little also helps.
That's what I love about this forum...if you hang around long enough, you learn what others have discovered, tried and show that these gadget tools really work!
Replacing Disc Brake Pads
That's what I use, not expensive too 
