I just finished replacing all four corners with new pads and SpeedBleeders, and thought I would do a write up to help those who are about to undertake the task, or considering doing this themselves.
The first thing I would recommend is that you do a quick search of this forum, as there is a lot of useful information out there that I may not have included in this post.
Second, be sure that you have the correct pads for your car, as the early SVTs differ from the later ones.
British American Transfer has a nice Adobe catalog that can help in this determination.
Tools you will need:
Jack
Tire Chock
Lug Wrench/Torque Wrench
NeedleNose Pliers
Small to Medium Flathead Screwdriver
7mm Allen Head Socket (3/8th Drive)
Torx T-47 Socket (3/8th Drive)
3/8 Drive and short extension
Wire Brush
4" C-Clamp
11mm Socket w/1/4 drive
10mm box/open-end wrench
Nail Punch
Hammer
Small Cheater Bar for the 3/8 Drive
Short length of small vaccuum tubing (~10-12 inches)
2 1 or 2 Liter Coke Bottles
Turkey Baster
Shop Towels
Jack Stand
Parts
Brake Pads of your choice
SpeedBleeders
Large Can of Brake Fluid
Grease of some sort (I used Moly stuff)
WD-40/Liquid Wrench/Penetrant
Optional
Beer
Muscle Relaxers/Heavy Duty Pain Killers
This is a pretty straightforward task, and can be accomplished in an afternoon without much problem.
* Jack up one side of the car (Start on the passenger side if your car has ABS, driver side if Non-ABS), chock the tires on the other side, release the parking brake, put the car in 1st gear, then remove both wheels.
* Remove the nipple covers from the brake bleeder screws (if present - mine weren't there in the fron, but were in the back). Douse the bleeder screws with WD-40(or penetrant of your choice).
* Pop the hood and remove the cap to the brake fluid resevoir. Use the turkey baster (preferrably and old one you don't plan to cook with again, as a brake fluid marinade will invariable cause scortch marks and skin separation on your turkey/chicken if used later) to siphon off the excess brake fluid in the resevoir into one of the Coke Bottles.
* Using a good pair of needlenose pliers and the flathead screwdriver, release the spring clip on the front caliper by sliding the srewdriver under the uppper side of the spring where it enters the caliper assembly. Use the pliers to keep a grip on it unless it decides to take flight. Please note the orientation and seating of the spring beforehand (we can use the other side as a guide if in doubt).
* Pop off the two dust covers on the backside of the caliper that cover the caliper guide bolts.
* The top bolt was slightly obstructed by the brake line, so I used a small extension to get the 7mm socket/ratchet combo in there. A small cheater bar might help if things are too snug.
* The bottom bolt was unobstructed and came out without much hassle.
* The caliper should now be free, and with a little coersion, should come away from the rotor. I rested it on the jackstand to prevent damage to the brake line, though a coat hanger contraption would work well also. The outer pad will likely fall out, but the inner pad is held in by three spring like clips, and you'll have to wiggle it out of the caliper by hand.
* Inspect the boot around the caliper for dmamge/tears/leaks, and replace if necessary(this is a bit out of the scope of this topic, though, and requires a rebuild of the wheel cylinder). Use the 4" C-Clamp to depress the caliper piston back into the caliper so as to make room for the new pads (which are likely significanty thicker than the old ones).
* Slide the new inside pad into the caliper, and place the outside pad in place. Re-seat the entire assembly back onto the rotor.
* I wiped the old grease off the caliper bolts and replaced it with the new stuff. If your bolts look particulary black, use the wire brush to clean off the crud buildup before applying the grease.
* Line up the caliper and insert the caliper bolts. Get one started, but don't tighten all the way, then start the other one. Tighten both down at this point. The specs say to torque to 21 ft/lbs, but I couldn't get my torque wrench in there, so I just kinda guessed at it.
* Replacing the spring clip is the tricky part, but I found a nifty little trick I thought I would pass along. I tried to seat the spring by hooking the bottom end first, and then settling the crooked parts against the pads and using the needlenose pliers to pull the upper end into that tiny hole. Good friggin' luck. I gave this method a 7 on the profanity scale (one or more beers would increase this by a couple points - muscle relaxers back it down a notch or so). I did this one one side, but figured out a better way on the other. Hook the bottom side of the clip about 3/4ths of the way in, and place the lower crooked side in its place behind the pad. Then hook the upper end of the spring into its little hole about halfway. At this point, you should be able to pull the upper end of the crooked spring back behind the pad with a pair of pliers. Use a small hammer or 3/8 drive to seat the ends of the spring. I found this worked much better, dropping the process to about a 3 on the profanity scale.
* Replace the dust covers on the caliper bolts. I re-greased the threads of the caps to prevent dust from entering over time.
* Pump the brake pedal a couple times until firm so as to seat the pads.
* Now move to the back end. Remove the dust cover for the top bolt. Again, the brake line was obstructing the bolt slightly, so I used the extension with the T-47 Torx socket/3/8th Drive combo to remove the long caliper bolt.
(Note: I thought it strange that the front had 7mm Allen heads, and the rears T-47 Torx... I have heard that some cars had Allens all around, others Torx. This is why I put both in the tools list, as you might require both, and it always sucks to have to run to the parts store in the middle of a project)
* Locate and remove the cotter pin holding the lower caliper pin with a pair of needlenose pliers.
* My pin was lodged in there pretty firmly, so I used the nail punch and a small hammer to coerce the pin out of place.
* The Haynes manual says to remove that tin clip on the caliper, but I couldn't get it to budge, and as it turned out, it didn't need to be removed anyway.
* The caliper should now be free and with a little jostling, should come free. If it seems stuck hard, check to see if your emergency brake is engaged. Support the caliper assembly on the jack stand/coat hanger so as to not damamge the brake lines. Both pads should fall away.
* Using the needlenose pliers, place the tips in the indentations on the caliper piston, and screw it in clockwise. Inspect the rubber boot for damage, and replace if necessary.
* Place the new pads in the caliper, and slide it into place over the rotor.
* There was not a lot of grease on the rear bolt, but I cleaned it with the wire bruch and gave it a light coat of grease anyway. Re-inserting the long caliper bolt took a bit of battling with the assembly.
* Torque spec on this bolt is 30 ft/lbs, but again, I couldn't get a torque wrench in there, so I guessed at it.
* I used the wire brush on the lower guide pin, and greased it lightly. It made a world of difference getting it in compared to removing the flamin' thing. Note the location of the cotter pin hole before inserting it into the slot, as it doesn't want to turn much once you fully insert it. Pop the cotter pin back into place with pliers.
* Again, pump the brake pedal a couple times until firn to seat the pads.
* The penetrant should by now have done its thing, and a 11mm socket over the top of the bleeder valve should make removal pretty straightforward. Be careful not to use to much force on these things, as they are made of brass, and will snap off if enough force is applied. If it is really stuck, I recommend hitting it with some more penetrant and coming back to it later. Stazi had one snap off on him, and I seem to recall that he was none too pleased about it. A shop towel underneath the caliper assembly will soak up the small amount of fluid that drips when you remove the bleeder screw.
* The SpeedBleeders have a 10mm head, and a bit of Loctite on the threads. Please be careful as you screw these in. The thread-lock is a little ways up on the threads, so you should be able to tell if you have cross-threaded it initially. A little extra force is required to screw it all the way in when you get to the gunk on the threads.
* Put the wheels back on, and lower the car, moving to do the other side. Repeat all the steps up to this point. You should check the fluid level in the brake resevoir occasionally in case you have displaced a lot of fluid back into there by making room for the new pads. Baste the excess out as needed.
* You should now have all the pads on, all SpeedBleeders installed, and the correct side of the car jacked up for your ABS/Non-ABS car. The bleeding sequence is as follows:
ABS - LF-RR-RF-LR
Non-ABS - RR-LR-RF-LF
* Siphon any excess brake fluid out of the brake resevoir, and fill the resevoir with new fluid. I cut the top off a 16oz bottle, and used it as a funnel.
* Loosen the SpeedBleeder about a 1/4 to 1/2 turn, and place the vaccuum hose over the nipple. Run the hose into one of the bottles, and pump the brake pedal about 20 times to flush the line. Be careful not to allow the brake fluid resevoir to run empty, so top off as necessary. If it sucks air (even a little bit) you'll need to start the whole process over again.
* After a fair number of pedal pumps, I swiched to an empty bottle and pumped the brake a couple times to see if the fluid was golden. If so, remove the hose, tighten the bleeder valve, replace the nipple cover, and move on to the next corner.
* Top off the resevoir to the Max line when all four corners are done. Check the brake pedal for sponginess, it should firm up after a couple pumps, though it will likely be firm right away. Stand on the pedal and hold, it should not ease to the floor at all. If it does, double check the bleeders, as one might not be tight all the way.
* Replace the brake resevoir cap. Give the car a once over for tools/funnels/cap/screws. You don't want any of those rattling around in your engine bay/wheelwells.
* Be sure to torque your lug nuts to 90 ft/lbs or so when replacing your wheels. Incorrect or uneven torque can cause rotor warpage.
* Go easy on the pads at first. It is very important that you bed them in properly. I would first check that everything seems in order, that the pedal feel is not spongy. If it is, you might have installed the spring clips on the front incorrectly (it is a common problem), or you might have a bit of air in the lines. A good description of the bedding process can be found here :
Bedding In I replaced my pads with Mintex 1144s, and have noticed an improvement in braking performance. It is a bit early to make a determination on the dust factor, but I will keep an eye on it. Mintex pads can be purchased from BAT.
If you have not tried speed bleeders, or are unsure what they are, information and ordering can be found at:
SpeedBleeders I think they are awesome. If you are a single person, and bleed your brakes often, I highly recommend them. Simply fantastic.
Good Luck
