Yeah, those are a PITA. VERY tight fit, and you can chase the "loose" part around the caliper all day!

I usually get it started on one side and either use a large pair of channellocks to push the other side down or take a piece of wood and stick it through the caliper and hold one side down while hitting the other side with a hammer, or use a dowel to drive the opposite side down.

Large channellocks work best, since you can see what you are doing and hence won't cut it. A piece of wood through the "throat" of the caliper won't work if the piston stays proud of the bore much, either, since you won't be pressing down on the seal. Not a good idea to bottom out the piston hard.

I'll be getting the pleasure of doing this next week -- one piston was pretty badly stuck on the TE when I did brakes the other night, so I'm gonna do a caliper rebuild. Dragging brakes irritate me.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!