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Rich's 1999 MX5 1.8i S


Rich
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  • 2 weeks later...

I've got new calipers, hoses and pads now. Not sure whether to do these this week as we're going away in a week so I might leave it until we're back. I've not used the car properly for a few months now, I'm missing it! :(

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  • 1 month later...

Right! I need to get the car sorted and back on the road, I've only used it once this year!

 

I should be fine replacing the calipers but some of the guides I've read have said that covering the brake reservoir with clingfilm doesn't stop the fluid pouring out once you remove the flexi hose. This worked when I did my Accord so I'm wondering why it doesn't on the MX5? Some say to wedge the brake pedal down to stop the flow but wouldn't this just force it out?

 

Anyone else changed them on an MX5?

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With the peddle pressed down it will lose pressure initially but allow one full stroke of pressure once the pipe is back on. It's like bleeding the brake and telling the person pumping the brake to hold the peddle down on the last stroke once the bleed nipple is closed.

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I didn't think of it like that. So should I crack open a bleed nipple, push the pedal down and then wedge it there? Otherwise if I wedge it first and then remove the hose fluid will be forced out cos of the pressure and make a mess?

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Yeah that's it...When the peddle is down initial pressure will flood out of the nipple, then do what you need to do, lock the nipple closed, release the peddle and pump the pressure back, which should be one pump or so.

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Well I had to fit the battery so I could move the car and get it on axle stands which is a mission on it's own being so low. That cut off switch I fitted without the trim in place as I was tracing that leak and guess what, it gets in the way! So I had to take a stanley knife to the trim but it fits ok now :)

 

Just got the car jacked up and it hammered it down although forecast said sunny intervals all day. Don't you just hate it when everything gets soaked while you're trying to cover it up. Looks like it's passed now so time to start the brakes...

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Well got one side done, which took me ages. I wedged the brake pedal down and undid the bleed nipple but nothing came out! So I decided to clamp the hose seeing that I was replacing it and removed the caliper first. I didn't get a new washer for the banjo bolt so reused the old one, is this ok to do? I was surprised they didn't include one with the new hose.

 

When I removed the hose from the pipe nothing dripped at all so wedging the pedal down works well. The pipe nut was a bit dodgy to undo but I got it all swapped over quickly.

 

What took the longest were the slider pins and filing the edges of the new pads. One pin sits inside a rubber sleeve that passes through the carrier. It was difficult to get out and when I did the outside was covered in rust! I cleaned the hole out and fitted the new sleeve but the pin still felt tight. Removed and cleaned the hole another 2 times and it still feels like there is resistance. I've also filed loads of paint and metal from the edges of the pads as they also felt like a tight fit. I bolted it all back together and started the other side.

 

The rubber sleeve on this side just pulled out and the new one slid in without any help, although I used red grease on the outside. On the first side I had to pull it through from the other side so I'm going to look at that again as I'm not happy with it. I'm using small files and abrasive paper to clean the hole, is there anything else I could use? Would a Dremel work or could that take too much metal off?

 

Here's one side.

 

IMG_20180426_160549-936x1664.jpg

 

Drivers pads, the side that was seized look a lot thinner than the other ones so it must've been binding for a while. The car tends to pull to the right under heavy braking, could a binding caliper cause that?

 

IMG_20180426_165649-1664x936.jpg

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The pull was only under heavy braking, it didn't pull when driving. Could that still be the caliper? I won't test it properly until I've had the fluid replaced first.

 

I've kept the battery indoors over winter and gave it a charge a couple of times including reconditioning it. Fitted it to the car last week, it started first time and I moved it on the drive to do the brakes. Went to start it again today and it wouldn't start, battery sounded flat! I managed to jump start it but I'll have to keep an eye on that. Either it was starting it then stopping last week, something drained it although I can't think what or it was the cut off switch.

 

On the drive around the block the clutch pedal was squeaky as hell. I'll have to sort that otherwise it will annoy me!!

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It could also be a blocked flexi hose......I've had that many times over the years.

That's why I've replaced those too, you just don't know what they're like internally.

 

I've been looking into my squeaky clutch and come across the slave cylinder could be a culprit but I don't have the other symptoms. The squeak is there with the engine off so I think it's just the spring on the pedal.

 

I might change the cylinder anyway and the fluid, I just looked in the reservoir and it's almost black or looks that way!

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I've been reading up about it and apparently the colour is normal. It goes black due to the heat and is common across alot of cars.

 

Just looked in the boot after all the rain we've just had and it's still leaking! I just can't see where it's coming in from. Everything above and to the side of the pool of water is dry.

 

When I had the front up on axle stands I checked it after it rained and it was dry so the angle of the car must've flowed the water away. Looks like it's a bumper off job now as I'm convinced it's coming in from between the chassis and bumper. Only other thing is the boot seal but that feels dry.

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