While doing maintenance on a 1990 LS I found a rear brake pad scraping on the rotor at low speed, a rear caliper with a handbrake lever that would not release completely, and very uneven pad wear. Caliper bolts were all but rusted in place.

The handbrake lever was freed up with the help of some PB-Blaster on the moving parts. Unfortunately, the caliper bolts would not break free that easily.

I was eventually able to get the upper bolts out, but the lower bolts had to be cut off at the head using a hacksaw. A power cutoff tool would have made the job easier, but I did not have one small enough for the job.

Since the caliper bolt screws into the slide pin, the head can be cut off behind the caliper with no damage to other parts. The shaft can then be pressed or driven into the mounting hole using a punch, and the caliper can be pried off the bracket. The slide pin with the bolt shaft is removed, and the shaft unscrews fairly easily w. a pair of pliers.

First pic below shows the caliper suspended behind the wheel so the brake line can stay connected while replacing the pads.

Second pic shows a closeup of the lower slide pin with the cut caliper bolt still inside the pin.

Third pic shows the upper (black) and lower (silver) slide pins and caliper bolts. Note that upper and lower slide pins are different, w. different part numbers.

The rear brakes will probably require another round of maintenance, new seals or possibly new calipers before they are 100%. For now they were reassembled with a set of cheap organic pads and new caliper bolts. The slide pins were reused. The bolts are M8x100 (8-mm, fine pitch thread) flange bolts, which are hard to find at a hardware store. In a pinch, an M8x100 bolt with a simple hex head and a washer would also work.

Slide pins, piston seals, back of pads and handbrake parts were coated with AGS Sil-Glyde. Caliper bolts were reassembled with Permatex anti-seize.

Organic pads, $18, Advance Auto Parts
Caliper bolts, $6 ea./$24 set of four, dealer
Sil-Glyde, ~$5 for 4 oz, Napa


1 - Caliper suspended behind the wheel on a piece of coat hanger wire.


2 - Uneven pad wear. Lower caliper bolt cut off.


3 - Upper and lower caliper bolts and slide pins.

 

If I were you I would buy just a whole new setup,(caliper and brackets, pads, and rotors) just to make sure everything is working properly. Those parts look pretty rotted. This website would probebly help you since the parts are a little cheaper from them than from the dealer near you.
https://www.acuraoemparts.com/delray...ll&ListAll=All

 

Looks like someone has a lot of snow/salt... I would replace all of it too. That is just scary.

 

That's the Midwest fo' ya'... more salt than snow on the ground in winter... you stop at Starbucks and by the time you get back, there's a new rust spot on the fender... <chuckle>.

Seriously, I have to find out what this car will need to run (and brake) properly so I am not ordering parts one at a time for the next six months. The list is growing all the time...

At first I was not sure if the slide pin can be pushed in enough to take the calipers off that way. It is a tight squeeze, but it does work, and with the right cutoff tool, it would only take minutes. The caliper bolts round off fairly easily, w. a six pt socket or flat wrench.

 

I have the same problem with my Integra here in IL. I have a bunch of old slider pins and boots as one of them always seizes - somehow the water leaks in. The Helms manual actually says to check and relube the slider pins every 6 months. I would say to replace the bolt, use the permatex anti-seize like you did and check the boots to make sure they're sealing the water out. I actually used gasket maker to coat the outside where the rubber boot meets the metal.

 

x2 would save you a mjor disaster down the road

 

Agreed, the car could use completely new brakes in the rear, but I just got it running, and there is another brake issue to look into. Not being driven right now, just idled a bit in the driveway. Sat for almost 2 yrs, and b/f that it was just used as a second car, or run around the block to circulate the oil. Driven maybe 4-5k miles in the last 10 yrs.

Thx for the tip about the gasket maker. The rubber boots on the pins look ok for now, and the pins had no rust after wiping off the old grease.

Forgot to mention, I only found one of the caliper shields on the car... go figure it was on the bad side... I assume I can get one from a junkyard, but how important are those?

 

Eh, seen worse. Slap the new pads in there and see how it goes.

Your uneven wear problem will probably continue. It's because the pads get frozen by rust on the perch. Then the rear brakes drag all the time. My '92 is doing this now. Put some grease where the pad contacts the caliper. It's only good for about 2 years though. I have to remove the pads and grind off the rust, re-apply the grease, and reassemble frequently due to salt.

 

I really don't know how important the caliper shields are. I remember after my first brake job I forgot to put them back on and only recently reput them on. Correct me if I'm wrong, I think the shields are there for heat protection or to keep brake dust to a minimum. I honestly think you'll be okay without the one shield (especially since it's an old backup car), but let's see what others think.