Re: Cost of a break job?
 

Here are two pics of the rotors. The car has not been out in the rain
at all, so they appear exactly as after the brake job was done:

1) Pic of one of the rear rotors, which, to me, looks rusty in color
although feels smooth to the touch:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeofpch/rotor1.jpg

2) Pic of one of the front rotors which doesn't look rusty, but
doesn't exactly look shiny and new either.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeofpch/rotor2.jpg

Wondering why the surface of the rear one looks rusty. Do these look
okay to you?

Thanks,

J.

>
> only for a few hours. the moment it rains, all that's gone.


> if the brake surface is rusty /after/ you've just come back from a
> drive, a brake piston is seized and you need to get it fixed asap.
>

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

JayN wrote:
> Here are two pics of the rotors. The car has not been out in the rain
> at all, so they appear exactly as after the brake job was done:
>
> 1) Pic of one of the rear rotors, which, to me, looks rusty in color
> although feels smooth to the touch:
>
> http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeofpch/rotor1.jpg
>
> 2) Pic of one of the front rotors which doesn't look rusty, but
> doesn't exactly look shiny and new either.
>
> http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeofpch/rotor2.jpg
>
> Wondering why the surface of the rear one looks rusty. Do these look
> okay to you?

disks are fine - the pads on the front don't seem to be doing much work
though. take it out and do some hard braking to see if they wear in
better. as for the rear, that caliper's not doing much work. suggest
you get it tested. maybe it just needs bleeding. if not, it needs
stripping and re-lubing.



>
> Thanks,
>
> J.
>
>> only for a few hours. �the moment it rains, all that's gone.
>
>
>> if the brake surface is rusty /after/ you've just come back from a
>> drive, a brake piston is seized and you need to get it fixed asap.
>>

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

You got screwed - no ifs, ands or buts. Tegger, you should be ashamed for
saying otherwise. Oh, wait, you work in a dealership.


"JayN" <JReality@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:d77fc0a7-30c0-4ec6-90d4-3c807361cb04@x35g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks.
>
>> It does, yes. They've probably charged you for four hours of labor (one
>> per
>> wheel), which is reasonable when machining is involved.
>>
>

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

Thanks for checking out the pics. I think both of the rear ones are,
more or less, in the same condition as best I can tell, based on the
way the disks look and the thickness of the visible outer pad.

I think they do test them as part of their mult-point vehicle
inspection....or at least I would hope they do....given how important
the brakes are. They definitely did a test drive though, after having
reinstalled the disks.

>
> disks are fine - the pads on the front don't seem to be doing much work
> though. take it out and do some hard braking to see if they wear in
> better. as for the rear, that caliper's not doing much work. suggest
> you get it tested. maybe it just needs bleeding. if not, it needs
> stripping and re-lubing.
>
>
>
>
>
> > Thanks,
>
> > J.
>
> >> only for a few hours. the moment it rains, all that's gone.
>
> >> if the brake surface is rusty /after/ you've just come back from a
> >> drive, a brake piston is seized and you need to get it fixed asap.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

JayN wrote:
> Thanks for checking out the pics. I think both of the rear ones are,
> more or less, in the same condition as best I can tell, based on the
> way the disks look and the thickness of the visible outer pad.
>
> I think they do test them as part of their mult-point vehicle
> inspection....or at least I would hope they do....given how important
> the brakes are. They definitely did a test drive though, after having
> reinstalled the disks.

but it's not a matter of what they said they did - it's a matter of
getting things right. the front pads are only running at about 80% of
what they should be, and the rears hardly seem to be working at all.
you can probably fix the fronts by wearing them in - take the car to
some deserted place and do a bunch of high speed hard stops. and when
you're done, check the rears. the the disks have had the rust worn off.
if not, take it back and keep taking it back until they do them properly
- those rear calipers are /not/ doing any work.



>
>> disks are fine - the pads on the front don't seem to be doing much work
>> though. �take it out and do some hard braking to see if they wear in
>> better. �as for the rear, that caliper's not doing much work. �suggest
>> you get it tested. �maybe it just needs bleeding. �if not, it needs
>> stripping and re-lubing.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> J.
>>>> only for a few hours. the moment it rains, all that's gone.
>>>> if the brake surface is rusty /after/ you've just come back from a
>>>> drive, a brake piston is seized and you need to get it fixed asap.- Hide quoted text -
>> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

I think I have a tendency to avoid hard braking unless necessary.
During the process of braking, I also have a tendency to modulate the
pressure rather than just holding the brake down at a constant
pressure. I don't know if that is a good or bad for the brakes.
Could that habit be helping the pads last longer but not be removing
enough surface rust from the rotors?

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

JayN wrote:
> I think I have a tendency to avoid hard braking unless necessary.
> During the process of braking, I also have a tendency to modulate the
> pressure rather than just holding the brake down at a constant
> pressure. I don't know if that is a good or bad for the brakes.
> Could that habit be helping the pads last longer but not be removing
> enough surface rust from the rotors?

do you want to be able to emergency brake effectively? regardless of
how you drive it normally, the vehicle still has to be able to perform
to the max in emergencies. you need to take it there to ensure it does.

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

JayN <JReality@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:07f9aff0-a3fb-42d6-8078-942a7c348d0f@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com:

> I also think I remember seeing some scratches on the rotors in
> addition to the rust. Not understanding how those scratches got
> there.
>
> How long do you recommend I drive the car on the highway each week
> (round trip)?



Oh, an hour or so. Bit more, bit less.

You want enough driving to scrape off the rust that's built up, to get the
engine oil hot enough to burn off any water/fuel/acids, to work the various
rubber seals, that sort of thing.

The point is regular extended exercise. If the car is driven infrequently,
or is driven frequently but for very short trips, that's when problems are
more likely to arise.




--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

JayN <JReality@hotmail.com> wrote in news:f02a17d5-9540-4ebf-8a71-
91fce3f6ea2d@y38g2000hsy.googlegroups.com:

> Here are two pics of the rotors. The car has not been out in the rain
> at all, so they appear exactly as after the brake job was done:
>
> 1) Pic of one of the rear rotors, which, to me, looks rusty in color
> although feels smooth to the touch:
>
> http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeofpch/rotor1.jpg
>
> 2) Pic of one of the front rotors which doesn't look rusty, but
> doesn't exactly look shiny and new either.
>
> http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeofpch/rotor2.jpg
>
> Wondering why the surface of the rear one looks rusty. Do these look
> okay to you?




Rear brakes do very little work on a front wheel drive car. You may not be
braking hard enough to make them operate completely. If you brake too
lightly, the rust will never get scraped off. Are BOTH sides like this?

Having said that, what jim says about seized brake compnents is valid. The
pistons, caliper and its sliders should all be moving/floating freely,
otherwise the outer pad (or inner pad, depending) will not contact the
rotor properly. Are BOTH sides like this?

If a piston on the rear is seizing, there is a cheap and easy way of
freeing it up that usually works fairly well and does not require a
rebuild.

The surface texture on the fronts looks a bit rough. Probably the lathe's
bit was mispositioned or was worn. Still, over time, and with enough
driving, the surface should eventually wear in to the mirror finish you're
used to seeing. If the surface never goes mirror-y, but gets black instead,
the surface was /too/ rough and has glazed up.



--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

Tegger wrote:

> If a piston on the rear is seizing, there is a cheap and easy way of
> freeing it up that usually works fairly well and does not require a
> rebuild.
>

What would that be?

a

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

a <a@a.ca> wrote in news:m_Qwk.730$1x6.179@edtnps82:

> Tegger wrote:
>
>> If a piston on the rear is seizing, there is a cheap and easy way of
>> freeing it up that usually works fairly well and does not require a
>> rebuild.
>>
>
> What would that be?
>
> a
>


A plastic syringe (WITHOUT the pointy bit!) and some silicone grease.

You wash off the grit from the dust boot with brake cleaner, stick the
syringe under the boot, and extrude some silicone grease all around the
piston. Screw back in, then eject it with the caliper off the rotor. Back
and forth a few times this way and the piston will usualy free up quite a
bit.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

Yes, both sides are rusty in color, and the outer pads look the same
thickness. Main difference is that on the other side is that, oddly,
there is an approximately 2.5 inch long x 1.5inch high (sort-of-
rectangular in shape) section near the top of the disk that isn't
rusty.

>
> Having said that, what jim says about seized brake compnents is valid. The
> pistons, caliper and its sliders should all be moving/floating freely,
> otherwise the outer pad (or inner pad, depending) will not contact the
> rotor properly. Are BOTH sides like this?
>
>
> The surface texture on the fronts looks a bit rough. Probably the lathe's
> bit was mispositioned or was worn. Still, over time, and with enough
> driving, the surface should eventually wear in to the mirror finish you're
> used to seeing. If the surface never goes mirror-y, but gets black instead,
> the surface was /too/ rough and has glazed up.
>
> --

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

Tegger wrote:
> a <a@a.ca> wrote in news:m_Qwk.730$1x6.179@edtnps82:
>
>> Tegger wrote:
>>
>>> If a piston on the rear is seizing, there is a cheap and easy way of
>>> freeing it up that usually works fairly well and does not require a
>>> rebuild.
>>>
>> What would that be?
>>
>> a
>>
>
>
> A plastic syringe (WITHOUT the pointy bit!) and some silicone grease.
>
> You wash off the grit from the dust boot with brake cleaner, stick the
> syringe under the boot, and extrude some silicone grease all around the
> piston. Screw back in, then eject it with the caliper off the rotor. Back
> and forth a few times this way and the piston will usualy free up quite a
> bit.
>

Thx!

a

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

JayN <JReality@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:ac31a2d8-a3b1-41b6-83df-c9db8aac98e2@f36g2000hsa.googlegroups.com:

> Yes, both sides are rusty in color, and the outer pads look the same
> thickness. Main difference is that on the other side is that, oddly,
> there is an approximately 2.5 inch long x 1.5inch high (sort-of-
> rectangular in shape) section near the top of the disk that isn't
> rusty.



That's probably the outline of the brake pad on that side. The pad/caliper
have shielded that part of the disc from water, so no rust would develop
there.

Your rear brakes are not being used, hence the persistent rust. You need to
brake a lot harder, at least for one or two stops once in a while.



--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: Cost of a break job?
 

On Sep 7, 2:38 pm, Tegger <inva...@invalid.inv> wrote:
> JayN <JReal...@hotmail.com> wrote innews:ac31a2d8-a3b1-41b6-83df-c9db8aac98e2@f36g2000hsa.googlegroups.com:
>
> > Yes, both sides are rusty in color, and the outer pads look the same
> > thickness. Main difference is that on the other side is that, oddly,
> > there is an approximately 2.5 inch long x 1.5inch high (sort-of-
> > rectangular in shape) section near the top of the disk that isn't
> > rusty.
>
> That's probably the outline of the brake pad on that side. The pad/caliper
> have shielded that part of the disc from water, so no rust would develop
> there.
>
> Your rear brakes are not being used, hence the persistent rust. You need to
> brake a lot harder, at least for one or two stops once in a while.
>
> --
> Tegger
>
> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQwww.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Ok, thanks! Also, just realized that they washed the car for free
after the job was done, so that could explain the rust.