"Abeness" <news@nada.x> wrote
snip
> Q is this: I didn't have time to deal with disconnecting the brake line
> to see if it's the hose that's frozen (it bends fine, but I guess that
> wouldn't tell me much). How should I proceed? Hose or caliper? I don't
> have the ability to spend days running back and forth between the car
> and the auto parts store, which would have to order the parts anyway, so
> I'd rather order more and return what I don't need.
>
> It appeared that the hose is in several sections. Is there a likely
> section that gets plugged?

I haven't seen reports of brake hoses plugging with debris.

Brake pistons do freeze in their cylinders, though. I completely disassembled my
front brakes this past summer. As you can imagine, it doesn't take but a little
rust buildup on the piston/cylinder walls to impede operation.

Rust comes from moisture getting into the brake fluid. Brake fluid does have a
chemical tendency to absorb moisture, so a little rust shouldn't be a surprise.

> I've checked Majestic and SL Honda online,
> and can't find a front caliper assembly in the parts list. I'm in the
> right section, but no caliper listed, and the ominous "some of the parts
> displayed may no longer be available" note on the diagram. I can't find
> the hoses at all. HELP! Any problem getting these parts through my local
> auto-parts place?

I double checked you at Majestic (94 Civic EX manual tranny) and see what you
mean.

Yet they have the caliper listed for my 91 Civic. It's also listed for the 93
Civic EX.

I'd email Majestic. I bet they have a full caliper. Better, they do sell
remanufactured calipers. Still better, have you ever worked with local salvage
yards? I priced remanufactured calipers at these where I live and even went to
look at them. They look a lot better than mine (externally). The price was far
less than Majestic's new calipers and IIRC their reman'd calipers, too.

Autozone and/or Pep Boys I believe sells reman'd calipers, too.

I'm not sure what the consensus is here at the group re Autozone et al. reman'd
calipers, though. I think some folks have concerns about non-OEM rubber. Isn't
as tough, in short, but I dunno how true this is.

> An item of note: the piston doesn't screw in on the front. Don't know
> about the back, but I can just use a C-clamp on the front. BTW, I picked
> up Bendix "OEM" pads before I thought to check if the caliper was
> stuck--these OK?

My own experience: My 91 Civic is on its third set of pads. Both the second and
third set of pads were non-OEM. I think the second set was intermediate in
price. The third set is Raybestos, top of the line for my car. I checked for
rotor wear a few months ago, and nothing seems out of the ordinary. At the
current rate, if thickness is the only consideration, they should easily last
another 159k miles.

I'm pretty sure next time I need new pads I will go OEM, though. First, because
they are about the same price as the top of the line Raybestos I bought. Two,
because I am a bit concerned that the Raybestos pads are harder. So they last
longer, but may be wearing the rotor more. Even though I don't have any signs of
abnormal wear.

I do have some scoring on one of the rotors, but the brakes work fine. I'll
monitor it everytime I rotate my tires, but otherwise I lose no sleep over it.

I have a manual transmission and almost always downshift, using the engine to
brake, though, so brake problems will be less obvious unless I go looking for
them.

I'm sure others will comment about pads here, so keep checking back, as always.
Or you can google. It comes up a lot.