Hi All
1. On an 85 300dt where can i get info on changing the pads?

2. Is it a long & dirty job once I get the car in the air?

3. See you @ the Jersey meet, next month!

__________________
bznupe30
85 300d-t
97 legacy gt sw

It's a very easy DIY job. Piece of cake. The Haynes 123 Diesel manual shows how to do it. I prefer genuine MB pads. Some people prefer other pads which generate less brake dust and wear longer. You also will need 4 wear sensors which are a couple bucks each. Siphon out some of the brake fluid from the resevoir and put a towel over it to avoid squirting fluid out of the resevoir when you push the old pads back.

Come to think of it, there is probably a step by step description of the process on TXBill's DIY page.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

it's better to open the bleed screw (with hose and catch bottle attached) when pushing the pads back, so you get the old brake fluid out of the system and don't risk pushing some crud back into the master cylinder -- then flush completely with new fluid before you call the job finished.

bznupe30,

I will second Fimum Fit's recommendation. The owner's manual suggests you change brake fluid every two years, and suggets Spring as good time of year to do it. The cost of brake fluid is nearly negligible, and by using the bleed screw and hose as suggested, the pads can be very easily pushed back away from the rotor without creating a mess or letting air back into the system. You also ensure the flow of brake fluid is always in one direction, as it was intended. I have written this procedure out a few times, but don't recall which threads they were. You might try a search on the subject, but it is relatively straight forward. Remember to do ONE PAD AT A TIME as if you push the secod pad back with the first pad out of the caliper, the piston on the side with the missing pad has no restriction on it range of motion and can come out of the caliper cylinder too far making the job a lot more trouble.

Good Luck, Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Everyone has offered some very good advice and I scanned it quickly, so I may have missed seeing this step.

MAKE SURE YOU CHANGE THE PADS ONE AT A TIME. IF YOU REMOVE BOTH PADS FROM A CALIPER AND THEN FORCE ONE OF THE PISTONS BACK, YOU MAY FORCE THE OPPOSING PISTON OUT TOO FAR. If this happens it will ruin your whole day. The piston will be too far out to push back in place without disassembling and rebuilding the caliper.

To prevent this, simply remove one pad, push the piston back far enough to insert that pad, then remove the other pad and push that piston back and insert the second pad.

Been there, done that!

Good luck,