How to Remove Brake Calipers on 1994 Pontiac Sunbirds

The brake calipers in your 1994 Pontiac Sunbird hold the brake pads and its pistons that act trough system pressure to slow or stop your vehicle. This constant pressure wears out the piston seal, dust boot, piston and cylinder over the years, causing brake fluid to leak out of the lines. Still, you have the option of repairing or replacing the calipers. Better yet, remove the caliper at home, if you take the necessary precautions to avoid contamination of the brake system and provide enough relief in the system for your repair job.

Instructions

1

Get a clean turkey baster or buy one so that you can use it exclusively for your Sunbird maintenance tasks when necessary.

2

Open the hood and empty half of the brake fluid from your brake master cylinder reservoir using the turkey baster to prevent extra pressure in the system during this repair. The reservoir is the plastic bottle on top of the brake master cylinder, which mounts on the brake booster, the drum-like component in the driver's side of the firewall. Use a small plastic bottle to store and recycle the used brake fluid. Leave the reservoir lid loose.

3

Loosen the lug nuts on the front wheel you service with a lug wrench and raise the front of your Pontiac with a floor jack. Support the vehicle with two jack stands under the frame of the vehicle.

4

Finish removing the wheel and tire assembly from the brake assembly you need to work on.

5

Unfasten and disconnect the brake hose attached to the brake caliper using a line wrench. The caliper is the component holding the brake pads over the brake rotor and has only one hose attached to it.

6

Cap the brake hose opening to keep the brake system from contamination using a clean piece of plastic sheet and a rubber band.

7

Place a large C-clamp over the brake caliper so the screw on the clamp is facing the outer brake pad on the caliper. Tighten the clamp screw slowly to bottom out the piston on the back of the caliper to provide enough clearance to remove the caliper from the brake rotor.

8

Unfasten the two caliper mounting bolts located on the back and lower section of the caliper, one on each side, using a ratchet and torx bit. You might need to remove a plastic cap from the heads of the mounting bolts.

9

Lift the brake caliper off the brake rotor, place it on a workbench and tighten the lid on the brake master cylinder reservoir.