This is driving me absolutely INSANE please help out if you can. Just purchased 93 Civic Hatchback CX. Started doing the brakes and noticed that the ware pattern on the front right pads is diagonal (never seen that before!!). Changed front pads, rotors, rotor guide pins and calipers, changed rear shoes, one of the rear cylinders (was leaking), master cylinder (was passing through) and completely bled the system in accordance with the book. Started driving around and noticed substantial power loss, pulled over and saw smoke coming out of the right front wheel (the one that had diagonal ware pattern on the old pads). Long story short right front wheel caliper doesn’t let go of the wheel. I thought it might be the proportioning valve so I went to the junk yard and got one from identical car (however my valve was 30/30 the one I put on is 30/40). Put the valve on same thing right front wheel is locking up, smelling and smoking. Went to the store and exchange the caliper for a new one and the rotor as well (by this time the rotor turned blue). Just put on the new caliper, rotor, rotor guide pins, lubed everything, bled everything and still have the same problem. Please advice on what should I dedicate my attention too, at this point taking the car to the shop would be the same as declaring my surrender and after all of the work and effort that I’ve put into this ride surrender to the shop is not an option.

 

The guide pins slid in and out real easy? Rust builds up in there and causes em to stick somethimes....
Also, I have bought a few sets of pads lately at autozone, and when i go to slide them in, they are a very tight fit. I had to grind down the ends a bit, so they would fit in right. Check that the pads can come in and out fairly easily..

 

New guide pins came with the new caliper I've added grease and check the sliding without the pads. The caliper slides nicely however there is a play that caliper has on the pins but I think its normal. The pads that I got on it are from autozone and were originally installed on the other side which works fine, they come in and out easy there is no sign of seazing on the pad side. I am troubled by the abnormal wear pattern on the old pads (diagonal) has anyone ever seen this? I have felt the brake line all the way through and there is no flat spots, abnormal bends, or any signs of defect. The system bleeds fine so the fluid is passing through. However, every time I go for a test drive around the block and pull into the garage and jack the car up the "bad" wheel barely spins while the other one spins just fine.

 

just because it is a "new" caliper doesnt make it a known good caliper.

do me a favor. Go out and drive the car for a couple blocks then bring it back into the garage. Get it up on a jack with jack stands and try to spin the wheel. If it feels like the caliper is on there good and tite and teh wheel won't budge then take a wrench and open the bleeder valve. Don't push the brakes or pump it up before hand or any of that. Just make sure the caliper is locked up good and tight and then release the bleeder valve. Lemme know what happens.

 

This is the second "new" caliper that I've installed because I thought that the firts one that I bought was factory damaged. I will try to do what you recommend (bleeder valve opened after a cruze around the block and seazed caliper) However I think I've done this yesterday and the result was - as soon as I opened the bleeder valve (with the tube on it) about .25" (in the tube) of the brake fluid came out and that's it I beleive that the caliper was still locked. What does this mean? FYI it is vary hard to push the caliper back in when the brake line is connected I don't know what is this due to, caliper cylinder being misaligned (the diagonal ware pattern on the old pads is still troubleing me) or fluid preventing it from retraction.

 

I am betting dollars to doughnuts that you have a collapsed brake line. It allows the caliper to compress, but the caliper doesn't have enough force in the knife edge seal to push the flush back out of the caliper. If you can undo the bleeder valve and the caliper is very easy to push back in, than I would bet its a bad brake line.

 

I will try to do this tonight. When you undo the valve just a little bit of luid comes out. However, when the caliper is seazed and I undid the brake line connection to the caliper the fluid was comming out forsfully. Any ideas? How do I troubleshoot for collapeed line, I felt the line all around externally and it feels firm no dents or anything.

 

you won't be able to feel it, its a collapsing of the inner liner.

 

score! I've seen this happen before on one of my old 4 wheelers. Changed the line & everything was gravy!

 

So if I change the flex lines I should be golden? The steel lines should be fine I suppose, correct?