brake system question

with the price of rotors being so cheap i usually just toss the used ones and put on the new ones!if you put on the new pads with old rotors your pads are going to wear out fast and wear the same way as your rotors! if i was you id just buy new rotors! there cheap like $30 each! if you need to flush the system your going to have to bleed off all the brakes and lines! then refill it!

take the rotors to a parts store, they should be able to cut the rotors for around like $10-15. as far as bleeding the system, just open all the bleeders and gravity bleed the system.just have extra on standby so u can keep refilling the master.

bleeding brakes is easy-peasy lemon squeezy! just crack the bleeder valve, put a little hose onto it, and pump the pedal to force the fluid out through the hose(and into a waste container). just make sure to keep topping up the reservoir, and keep the waste container held above your bleeder valve to prevent air bubbles from running back into the system. do this for all 4, and you're good to go!
ps - it really isnt a good idea to put new pads on worn rotors. I'd highly suggest to either get them machined, or just buy new ones.

why would you turn them down? when you can by new ones for 30$? ? ? ? id spend the little bit of extra cash and have something new thats going to last longer! olds ones that have been turned down do seem to last as long!

I'd just get some powerslot rotors, hawk pads, some fluid, and you can bleed it yourself.

I candy said:

thanks guys. i'll look more into it. i've just heard horror stories about bleeding breaks your self.

another problem i have is doing car repair where i live. I live in an apt complex. they have these rules and stuff. so i couldn't leave my car jacked up for to long. and i'm not mechanicly inclined nor do i have all the tools needed i think. I have just your baisic socket and wrench set from sears.

as far as the rotors go. i will look into pricing new ones out and having a shop do them too.

I'm in a financial situation so every penny counts right now.

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DITTO! I'm a student, (ie. no money!) living in an apt. It sucks! But i've done brake bleeds, oil changes, suspension work etc. all in my parking stall without them even knowing it. I just did a lot of research so i knew exactly what i had to do, did it fast, and made sure not to make a mess...

for a brake bleed, just look behind your rotors (take the tire off) for a little nipple with 6 sides(i think) on the bottom of it. see if you have a little wrench to fit it. If not, maybe vice grips, pliers, crescent wrench or a tiny socket if you have them. if you loosen it, fluid will start to ooze out. finger tighten it so it stops coming out (the keep it clean part!), then stick a hose (you can buy them for like 35 cents at auto stores, & i've even used a mcdonalds straw before in an emergency wheel cylinder swap for a friend) on it then loosen it again, and pump the old fluid into a catch can. tighten bleeder valve when fluid runs clear, then repeat for the rest. its really quite easy! especially if you've got help. I did mine by myself. Just MAKE SURE your reservoir doesnt get too low, or you'll end up with a whole different problem. keep topping it up as needed. each wheel took me maybe 5-10 minutes from jacking up & removing the tire to dropping it back down.

Before you get started, thoroughly read http://www.svo73mm.cjb.net/ if you have 5 lug wheels or rear disk brakes.

Quick and dirty brake pad change.
If you fluid isn’t excessively dirty or burnt smelling you can skip changing it for a simple pad replacement.
You need a T-45 Torx bit from the auto parts store to remove the front calipers.
You need a 6” iron C clamp to compress the pistons on the front brakes so you can put the new pads in. See Home Depot, Lowes or Ace Hardware for the C clamp.
You need front pads.
You said rear disks brakes – fox body Mustangs did not come stock with disk brakes with the exception of some SVO (5 lug, 85-86 models) and the 93 Cobra.
If you have 4 lug wheels and rear disk brakes, then you have a 87-88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe/93 Cobra rear axle (same basic axle assembly for both cars). The pistons for the rear disks screw back in and need a special tool that you can rent/ borrow from the auto parts store.
If you have 5 lug rear wheels and disk brakes: you have either a 94-95 Mustang rear brakes, a 85-86 SVO rear brakes or Lincoln MK VII rear brakes. All of the disk brake assemblies and pads are different from each other. The special tool used for the Turbo Coupe/93 Cobra rear disk brakes is probably also needed.
Note: the rear pads wear at a much slower rate than the front pads, so you might not need to change them. If you have ¼” or more pad friction material, you can put off replacing the rear pads.

Changing the front pads:
Jack up the front of the car and put jackstands under the car. Remove the front wheels and set them aside Keep track of the lug nuts and wheel locks. You can remove one or both wheels according to your jack/jackstand arrangement.
Loose the cap on the brake master cylinder and wrap several shop rags or paper towels around the filler neck.
Use the big C clamp to squeeze the pistons back into the caliper. If you don’t do this, you’ll not be able to get the calipers back on the rotors. The pads will stick out too far. This will force brake fluid back into the master cylinder.
If you neglected the shop rags around the master cylinder filler, brake fluid may overflow and make a mess. Pizza boxes are good to put under your car when you are working on it to catch overflow and loose parts.
Check the hoses and calipers for signs or damage and leaks, replace as needed. Check the rotors for scores, cracking or grooves. Replace or re-surface if any of these defects are present.

Changing the rear pads :
Jack up the rear of the car and put jackstands under the car. Remove the rear wheels and set them aside Keep track of the lug nuts and wheel locks. You can remove one or both wheels according to your jack/jackstand arrangement.
Remove the calipers and then remove the pads. Note the anti-rattle clips and how the pads fit. Do only one side at a time so you can use the other side as a reference on how the clips and pad fit together.
Use the special tool to retract the pistons back into the caliper. If you don’t do this, you’ll not be able to get the calipers back on the rotors. The pads will stick out too far.
Check the hoses and calipers for signs or damage and leaks, replace as needed. Check the rotors for scores, cracking or grooves. Replace or re-surface if any of these defects are present.


If you have to replace a caliper or brake line, here's a sure fire way to make brake bleeding simple.
Garden Sprayer Pressure Bake Bleeder

1 each pump type garden sprayer, 1 - 1 ½ gallon capacity (size doesn’t matter much, it just has to be cheap and small enough to be easy to work with)
6-10 feet 3/8” clear plastic tubing
1 each ¼” brass pipe tee
1 each ¼” pipe to 3/8: hose adapter
1 each pressure gauge 0-60 PSI or so – all you’ll ever need is 5- 10 PSI, so the gauge range doesn’t have to be high.
1 each large rubber stopper – this is the hard part to find. It may take some searching to find one that is a snug push fit to the inside of the filler port on the master cylinder. You can use silicone rubber to seal a brass fitting to an old master cylinder cap, but they tend to leak too much.
Home Depot or Lowes has some ¼” brass pipe stock that is continuously threaded in the electric lamp repair department, along with the brass nuts that go with it. This is better than a pipe nipple, since the nuts can be used to secure the pipe in the cap or stopper.
OR if you can’t find the threaded pipe stock,
1 each ¼” nipple, 1 ½”- 2” long

The rubber stopper needs a hole drilled in it for the ¼” pipe nipple or threaded pipe stock. After you drill the hole, use some silicone gasket sealer to seal the pipe nipple as you push it into the rubber stopper. If you used the threaded pipe stock, use the nuts to secure the stock into the stopper.

If you can’t find a suitable rubber stopper, an old master cylinder cap can be used. Drill a ½” hole in the center for the pipe fitting. Cut the brass pipe stock to about 1”- 1 ½” long, the exact length isn’t too important. Push it through the hole in the master cylinder cap and thread one nut on top of the pipe stock where it sticks though the cap. Put another nut on the other side of the cap to lock the pipe stock in place. Apply some silicone rubber gasket sealer to both sides and when it is dry, screw the ¼” pipe that sticks out of the top of the cap into the tee.

Remove the sprayer hose and wand from the garden sprayer. You may find it easier just to cut the sprayer hose off short and connect it to the 3/8” plastic tubing. The idea is that the 3/8” tubing connects to the pickup tube inside the sprayer in a reliable, leak proof fashion. Another alternative is to remove the spray nozzle from the end of the spray wand and connect the 3/8” tubing to the wand. This leaves the hand valve in place and may be useful to start/stop the flow of brake fluid.

The 3/8” plastic tubing connects to the pipe tee using a push on hose barb type adapter. The pipe tee has one port for the gauge, one for the 3/8” hose and the other to connect to the rubber stopper or master cylinder cap that you modified.

Fill the pump sprayer with a quart of brake fluid. Set the garden sprayer on the ground and screw the pump handle down tight, and pump until brake fluid fills the plastic tubing. Then put the modified stopper or master cylinder cap on the master cylinder and pump slowly to make sure that nothing leaks or pops loose. No leaks, continue pumping until you get 5-10 PSI. Put a 6”-12” length of clear plastic tubing on the bleeder ports. Then open the bleeder ports on the wheel cylinders one at a time and bleed until the bubbles are gone. I use a 2 liter soda bottle with a coat hanger to catch the fluid . DO NOT REUSE THE OLD BRAKE FLUID. Repeat the process until you have finished all 4 wheels. You will have to pump the sprayer several times to maintain the 5-10 PSI needed to do the job. When finished bleeding, loosen the pump handle to relieve the pressure, remove the stopper/modified master cylinder cap and test the pedal.