Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes Replaceing Front Brake Pads

Is there any trick to replacing the front brake pads on my 2000 SVT?

I am very god mechanically, but I have never done any brake work. Is it something that I should be able to figure out on my own or is there any real difficult steps that I should be aware of.

Thanks for the help.

Do one side at a time, using the other as a reference. Your biggest problem will be reinstalling the springs. Other than that it's rather easy if you've turned a wrench a few times. You will need a T-45 torx bit for the caliper pins!

-Andy

No real tricks to know. Like was already said, do one at a time. I did mine and had never done brakes before, and it was a piece of cake.

You are right, it was a piece of cake, but now I have another problem. When I was compressing the calipers down my brake fluid reservoir overflowed and now my brake pedel is mushy. It takes a lot of pedal travel to engage the brakes and my fluid reservoir is full to the top. A friend of mine said this would go away with some easy driving. Is that true?

Thanks for your help.

Was the cap off when you depressed the calper piston? Hopefully it was, other wise you may have damaged something if you overpressured the system, i.e. tried to force the brake fluid out with nowhere for it to really go.

Most probably though, you have just got air in the brake lines and need to bleed you brakes for the mushiness to go away.

There is a hole in the cap so you won't damage anything! My suggestion would be to bleed the whole system. It is probably time to change your brake fluid anyway. ATE Super blue runs 10-15 a can and is worth every penny. One can should be more than enough to bleed all four wheels and the clutch!

-Andy

Ok, then any tips on bleeding the system? How is it done and in what order is recommended for the SVT.

Thanks

This is all I have saved right now! I suggest ATE super blue and if you read thru the stuff beolw you should find what you are looking for!
-Andy
Ford does not have a maintenance interval for changing the brake fluid. The European automakers specify changing the fluid every two years regardless of milage, but they use DOT 4 fluid that is
more prone to absorbing moisture.
I change mine every year. I also use DOT 4 fluid (usually Valvoline synthetic).

I personally believe that DOT 3 fluid should be changed at least every four years.

The reason for changing the fluid is that all brake fluid, even in a sealed system, will take on moisture. Changes in pressure as the system is used as well as changes in temperature will ever so
slightly compromise the ability to keep atmospheric moisture and air out. The miosture will degrade the fluid. The boiling point of the fluid drops as it becomes "wet" (that is that the fluid has taken
on moisture). The specs on the brake fluid container usually give the boiling points for both dry (new) and wet (fluid with moisture in it). Also the moisture will react with the metal in the system and
start to cause corosion and pitting. The fluid eventually becomes gunky and caustic. This contaminated fluid will contaminate and plug up the small holes in the ABS controller as well as cause
calipers, wheel cylinders, and master cylinders to stick and bind.

It does save time to remove whatever fluid you can easily suck out of the master cylinder resivioir. In doing so, you will not get air into the working parts so there is no danger of causing problems
from introducing air into the system. When you have sucked out as much as you can, top off the resivoir with fresh fluid and proceed with bleeding the system at each of the four wheels.

There are at least four methods of bleeding; pressure, gravity, vacuum, and pedal pumping.

Pressure bleeding requires the use of a system to pressurize the resivoir and then opening the bleed port on each wheel individually until there is no air bubbles coming out with the fluid and the fluid
is as pristine as the new fluid. This is not done much any more and the pressure tools are not as common as they were in years past.

Gravity bleeding is to open the bleed port on the caliper or wheel cylinder and allowing it to just drip for a half hour or so. Often all four ports are left open at the same time. Care must be taken to
not allow the resivoir to run dry. This method sometimes works when all other methods still seem to have left some air behind. Some technicians use this method frequently, and others use it only on
hard cases.

Vacuum bleeding requirs the use of some sort of vacuum source and a catch bottle. There is a shop tool that uses compressed air to create a high vacuum to draw the fluid into a catch bottle and it has
become very popular today. A home mechanic can use a MityVac pump with the brake bleeding attachments and accomplish the same thing. I use one of these at home. With the vacuum system, you
attach a hose to the bleed port, apply vacuum, and open the bleed port. There will always be some air in the hose because the vacuum will pull air past the bleeder screw threads. Basically you suck
out fluid until the fluid coming out is as pristine as the new fluid. Repeat for each wheel.

The pumping the pedal method has stood the test of time. It is best done with an assistant who will pump the pedal for you as you open the bleed port. Have the assistant pump the pedal until it is firm,
then hold it steady. While they are holding the pedal steady, open the bleed port. Close the bleed port when the pedal drops to the end of it's stroke and repeat the process until the fluid is as pristine
as the new fluid and there is no air coming out with the fluid. Repeat for each wheel.

With any of these methods, take care not to let the resivoir run out of fluid. Usually check and add fluid after two wheels have been completed.

If you have a car with hydraulic clutch linkage (like out MTX cars), you should also bleed the clutch using the same techniques.

I hope this helps.

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Jim Johnson
98 SVT

Member Rated:

posted March 08, 2001 04:16 PM
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The first time I did it I used one full large can of Valvoline synthetic (I think that is one quart). Last time it only took about 2/3 of a bottle. That was enough for brakes and clutch the first time, but only
the brakes the second time. I tend to use a lot on the first time to flush everything out thoroughly.

When we do a brake flush at work using a very powerful vacuum system, most cars take a little more than one 12 oz bottle of Ford fluid, I would say about a bottle and a quarter or about 16 oz. Some
of the dirtier ones take two bottles or more.


Jim Johnson
98 SVT

You should change both the clutch fluid and the brake fluid at the same time. They both use the same resivoir on top of the brake master cylinder.

For home use, I like to use the Mity Vac vacuum pump with the brake bleeder attachement. You can also do it with a turkey baster to pull as much of the old fluid out of the master cylinder as you can
instead of the vacuum pump. Fill the master with new fluid and then bleed each individual wheel and then the clutch. If you use the Mity Vac, bleed the individual calipers with the pump until the
fluid coming out is as pristine as the new fluid. If you don't use a vacuum pump, have an assistant press the brake pedal while you open each individual brake bleeder port on the calipers. Always
close the bleeder port before the brake pedal is released. Again, keep pumping the fluid out until you have clean fluid coming out.


Bleeding the clutch is similar. Find the bleed port on the clutch slave cylinder on top of the trans bell housing. Open the port and apply vacuum or have someone pump the clutch pedal. You won't get
much flow from just stroking the pedal down but you will eventually get enough fluid through to have fresh fluid.


Make sure that you do not allow the master cylinder to run dry while doing this. Until you are familiar with the process, check it after each wheel.


Good luck with it.


Jim Johnson
98 SVT

Bleeding Sequence
ABS

Start LF-RR-RF-LR

Non-ABS

Start RR-LR-RF-LF

Paul

Originally posted by nelson1178:

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You are right, it was a piece of cake, but now I have another problem. When I was compressing the calipers down my brake fluid reservoir overflowed and now my brake pedel is mushy. It takes a lot of pedal travel to engage the brakes and my fluid reservoir is full to the top. A friend of mine said this would go away with some easy driving. Is that true?

Thanks for your help.

---

Before you get carried away with bleeding the brakes (probably a good idea anyway), you may want to double check that the retaining clips on the pads are properly installed. It is easy to not install them correctly and if they are not installed correctly, you may have a low and mushy brake pedal.

Don't ask me how I know, but let's just say that experience can be a very tough instructor (like a Marine drill seargent).

Originally posted by Big Jim:

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Before you get carried away with bleeding the brakes (probably a good idea anyway), you may want to double check that the retaining clips on the pads are properly installed. It is easy to not install them correctly and if they are not installed correctly, you may have a low and mushy brake pedal.

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Did this myself. I was like something isn't right. Checked the clips and they were wrong. Oops!