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[Taxi_Driver]

First off ended up at vx dealer for new rear wheel for my vectraC (tried two scappies first.....they both said the same......no chance   )
When the tyre place was swapping the tyres over.....i noticed the pads were very low....so decided might as well change em.....so on the way back home called in it vx dealer again for set of rear pads.

Now ive change the rear pads on my veccyB before and they are a doddle to do.

So i was expecting the same and 1/2hr max and job done  

Ummmm no......vx has changed the setup on the veccyC.

VeccyB you just knock the two pins out.....remove the anti squeal.....pull the pads out.....push the piston back in....shove the new pads in, refit pins and antisqueal....and your done!

VeccyC you have to remove the capiler completely (you carnt just remove one bolt and lever upwards)
Oh and btw.....the bolts are 7mm allen key type.....the only size i didnt have   So off to Halfords to get one!
Old pads out.....new in....going well  
Next prob....the piston will not move back in for anything! I considered opening the bleed valve....but talked myself out of doing that.
Spent about an hour faffing about trying to decide how the pistons go back in.
The caliper setup also has the handbrake attached to it (self adjusting) so no separate drum pads.

I found out.....you need a 'special' tool to wind the pistons back in  

Off to halfords again.....bought a universal one....what a suprise it didnt fit  

Decided it will fit! So out with a file.....15mins later it fitted!  and wound the piston back in

Strangely it only took me about 20mins to do the otherside.....as oppose to THREE hours it took me to do the first side!

So what i learnt was how to change the rear pads on a veccyC and more importantly that 30min job.....you think it will take....takes all afternoon!!

[STMO123]

Getting to be a right little spanner twirler aren't we?

Well done

[Taxi_Driver]

Getting to be a right little spanner twirler aren't we?

Well done

  Thanks

Dunno why they change the setup tho......spose its called progress!  :-/

[STMO123]

No doubt someone will correct me but, they dont actually make these bits do they? Its usually Girling or someone. So, perhaps its just their latest offering? :-/

[theolodian]

Getting to be a right little spanner twirler aren't we?

Well done

  Thanks

Dunno why they change the setup tho......spose its called progress!  :-/

Lots of companies been doing those for 20+ years now.  The miggy is the first 4-disc car that I've had without them.  And yes, it sucks trying to find a tool the first time.  Then when they get really old they don't go back in at all and you have to buy new/rebuilt calipers.

[Markjay]

Before tackling the front pads change, I Bought these:

http://www.drapertools.com/b2c/b2citmdsp.pgm?pp_skmno=37316
which was a waste of money as it is far too primitive to be helpful, you really need the pressure kit.

http://www.drapertools.com/b2c/b2citmdsp.pgm?pp_skmno=68426
which, as it turned-out, is not actually needed for the Omega (not to worry, it was only around £3 anyway...)

and this:
http://www.drapertools.com/b2c/b2citmdsp.pgm?pp_skmno=52335
which was top-notch, fitted perfectly and did the job 100% first time.

Incidentally, on one side I actually opened the bleed screw as recommended before pushing back the piston, but since the bleed kit proved too fidly to use I didn't bother on the other side... though Mark DTM said it is risky to do so.

[Kevin Wood]

I've never got on with those one man bleeding kits. I always find air gets sucked in round the bleed nipple threads.

If it has to be one man an EasyBleed seems to work OK but it involves a lot of faffing. This involves pressurising the reservoir using the pressure from a spare tyre. Once you've got that sorted out you just open each bleed screw in turn until air stops coming out. Don't let it run out of brake fluid, though, as I found out once. It undid my good work very rapidly when I started blasting compressed air through the brake lines  

SWMBO is now quite well trained in pedal pumping so I don't normally have to bother.

Kevin

[Paul M]

Those wind-in type calipers are a total and utter PITA, Audi have been using em for years. VX being proper cheapskates by not having a seperate drum for the hand brake, expect a lot of sticking rear calipers on Vectra Cs then (another reason to avoid em ).

Funnily enough the pads on Brembo 4-pot calipers are really easy to change, just knock out the guide pins, leverage the old pads back to push the pistons in, slide out the old and back in with the new, and re-fit the guide pins. Easy-o, don't have to undo a single bolt .

[pembsomega]

http://www.drapertools.com/b2c/b2citmdsp.pgm?pp_skmno=52335

i got one of those last year and it really is amazing! its been used on my omega, the old mans range rover and mate big iveco van when his piston was siezed. after years of idiotin about with g clamps and bits of wood and the like, really is woth the tenner or so.

tim .

[Kevin Wood]

Those wind-in type calipers are a total and utter PITA

The Ford calipers I have on the Westfield are this style. Fabricated a tool last time I did mine (in a hurry) and ended up losing most of the skin off my knuckles as well. Will buy the proper tool next time, and no mistake.

They work OK until the handbrake self-adjuster siezes and then no amount of turning the piston will wind them back in. Change the brake fluid regularly (which reminds me...) and it will prolong their life. They are a total PITA to rebuild too.

However, The Omega handbrake mechanism is not without its' disadvantages, and this style of caliper adds very little weight and uses the same friction materials as the main brake (so they bed in nicely and don't just rust up).

Kevin

[Paul M]

However, The Omega handbrake mechanism is not without its' disadvantages, and this style of caliper adds very little weight and uses the same friction materials as the main brake (so they bed in nicely and don't just rust up).

Kevin

Fair point, but I don't think saving a few grammes off the weight of the calipers on a lard-arse barge like the Vectra C will make much difference, even in unsprung weight It's almost certainly down to the fact they can save a few pence off the production cost, which of course is pure profit as it's not passed onto the customer.

[TheBoy]

However, The Omega handbrake mechanism is not without its' disadvantages, and this style of caliper adds very little weight and uses the same friction materials as the main brake (so they bed in nicely and don't just rust up).

Kevin

Fair point, but I don't think saving a few grammes off the weight of the calipers on a lard-arse barge like the Vectra C will make much difference, even in unsprung weight It's almost certainly down to the fact they can save a few pence off the production cost, which of course is pure profit as it's not passed onto the customer.

I suspect, rather than penny pinching, it was due to ineffectiveness of Omega one (which in turn is due to their poor dealers).  VeccyC (love them or hate them) is an evolutionary step from earlier VeccyB/OmegaB...

[Taxi_Driver]

However, The Omega handbrake mechanism is not without its' disadvantages, and this style of caliper adds very little weight and uses the same friction materials as the main brake (so they bed in nicely and don't just rust up).

Kevin

  VeccyC (love them or hate them) is an evolutionary step from earlier VeccyB/OmegaB...

I actually prefer my veccyC to my veccyB......however i think and have see a few wierd probs on veccyC's that the downfall on the veccyC is the CAN bus.... :-/

[TheBoy]

However, The Omega handbrake mechanism is not without its' disadvantages, and this style of caliper adds very little weight and uses the same friction materials as the main brake (so they bed in nicely and don't just rust up).

Kevin

  VeccyC (love them or hate them) is an evolutionary step from earlier VeccyB/OmegaB...

I actually prefer my veccyC to my veccyB......however i think and have see a few wierd probs on veccyC's that the downfall on the veccyC is the CAN bus.... :-/

Yes, VeccyC is a much better car than the VeccyB.

The CAN system can catch you out if you are not aware of it, and how it is put together - for example, the MID is the controller between the slow and medium speed buses on the Vectra.  So a faulty display can stop messages passing between the buses...

[Taxi_Driver]

However, The Omega handbrake mechanism is not without its' disadvantages, and this style of caliper adds very little weight and uses the same friction materials as the main brake (so they bed in nicely and don't just rust up).

Kevin

  VeccyC (love them or hate them) is an evolutionary step from earlier VeccyB/OmegaB...

I actually prefer my veccyC to my veccyB......however i think and have see a few wierd probs on veccyC's that the downfall on the veccyC is the CAN bus.... :-/

Yes, VeccyC is a much better car than the VeccyB.

The CAN system can catch you out if you are not aware of it, and how it is put together - for example, the MID is the controller between the slow and medium speed buses on the Vectra.  So a faulty display can stop messages passing between the buses...

My veccyC had an issue with the headlights....ie they wouldnt turn off with ign on.....sorted that by pulling most of the fuses out and plugging em back in....just by luck really....
My neighbours veccyC has a wierd one......every time he starts it EML comes on and his taxi radio turns off....but when EML goes off....after a few secs... the taxi radio turns back on again!....the power for the taxi radio is taken from the fuse box....i havent looked to see which one its fed from....but i dont think either prob would happen with veccyB's....as i said veccyC...can bus wierd....but then i dont understand it! and dont have a code reader for it either!