How to Retract Rear Brake Pistons on a 1997 Ford Taurus

When you change the disc brakes on a 1997 Ford Taurus, you have to push the piston back into the caliper housing or you will not be able to remount the caliper on the wheel assembly. On some automobiles, you can push the piston back in by hand; however, on the Ford Taurus, you need a little help from a C-clamp to retract the brake piston. The procedure is simple and only takes a minute or two.

Instructions

1

Drain half of the brake fluid from the master cylinder in the engine compartment using a turkey baster. Catch the fluid in a drain pan for recycling. Remove the brake caliper from the mounting cradle by loosening the retaining pins with a socket and ratchet.

2

Remove the front brake pad from the caliper. Place a C-clamp on the caliper with the back of the caliper and the rearward brake pad between the clamp jaws. Tighten the C-clamp until the caliper piston is all the way inside the caliper housing.

3

Place the new brake pads (and any shims) in the caliper. Position the brake caliper on the mounting cradle and tighten the retaining pins with the socket and ratchet. Repeat the procedure as necessary if you are changing the brakes on the other wheels. Add brake fluid to the master cylinder to bring it back to the proper level.