NCV3 Replace Front Brakes

[lindenengineering]

Very nice instructions, thank you.

Sorry Piper !
You have failed the admission test to even touch a Sprinter ,a Land Rover or even a Prius let alone something likes someone's BMW Audi or Ferrari in my shop ,
Read this and inwardly digest!! PLEASE!
YOU DO NOT compress nor back feed displace used brake fluid by compressing the calipers .
Rather you clamp down the hose at each caliper with a special tool open the bleeder valve fully, and displace the fluid dwelling in the caliper into a suitable receptacle. This avoids carbonized fluid & junk from being back forced through the ABS brick with possible expensive remediation to the check valves etc. Read to fix this monumental mistake :- Mucho pile of green money with Benjamin Franklin's portrait on it pi$$ing himself with glee !
FURTHERMORE!!!
Many caliper pistons are made of a ceramic faced materials (even lowly Fords) ,so forcing the piston back with a screwdriver can seriously damage the piston face wrecking the caliper to be destined only for the trash can .
Rather you use a special tool to compress it without damaging the component.
If the fluid is more than 40,000 miles old replace it .
Reading this reminds me of why my senior tech fired two You Tube Grads, he called Bevis & Butthead.
Shiver me timbers
Dennis

 

[ptheland]

YOU DO NOT compress nor back feed displace used brake fluid by compressing the calipers .
Rather you clamp down the hose at each caliper with a special tool open the bleeder valve fully, and displace the fluid dwelling in the caliper into a suitable receptacle. This avoids carbonized fluid & junk from being back forced through the ABS brick with possible expensive remediation to the check valves etc. Read to fix this monumental mistake :- Mucho pile of green money with Benjamin Franklin's portrait on it pi$$ing himself with glee !

Message received. I screwed up on that part. And what a DUH! moment for me. That's such an easy way to get the worst of the brake fluid out of the brake system. I will file this info away for future use.

Fortunately for me, I am not employed at your shop - nor should I be (at least not without proper training). However, had I been at your shop, I would have used the shop power bleeder to immediately change the fluid in the system after changing the pads and rotors. While that would not prevent the potential for damage by pushing potentially dirty fluid backwards through the ABS unit, it would at least get that fluid out of the system. I do know how to close the barn doors after the cows have left.

FURTHERMORE!!!

Many caliper pistons are made of a ceramic faced materials (even lowly Fords) ,so forcing the piston back with a screwdriver can seriously damage the piston face wrecking the caliper to be destined only for the trash can .
Rather you use a special tool to compress it without damaging the component.

At least I got that part right. While I did not use a special tool, I took care to make sure any damage from my improvised methods would be to parts that were going to be replaced as part of the service. I pried on the old rotor and old pads - both of which were being replaced.

Thank you for the additional information.

 

[lindenengineering]

For info
You use these to clamp the hoses :-

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-22850-Hose-Pincher/dp/B0002NYB78/ref=asc_df_B0002NYB78/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312177448019&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9397367367835780240&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028824&hvtargid=pla-436286796225&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=61495038909&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312177448019&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9397367367835780240&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028824&hvtargid=pla-436286796225

For older Sprinters including yours, use this tool, to compress caliper pistons:-

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/performance-tool-ratcheting-brake-pad-spreader-w80110/11942316-p?product_channel=local&store=8656&adtype=pla&product_channel=local&store_code=8656&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt-OktNOA7wIVchh9Ch0PswTqEAQYAiABEgKQAPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

You know since 1968 sometimes things have not changed much !
I remember getting a fearsome rocket of verbal castigation from a French Citroen tech in a French dealership in "French workshop language" as an exchange student about back contamination of a DS 19 brake valve . I dicked up an expensive brake valve.
Never forgotten it and I don't recommend it even today!
Dennis

 

[TooMuchHair]

For info
You use these to clamp the hoses :-

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-22850-Hose-Pincher/dp/B0002NYB78/ref=asc_df_B0002NYB78/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312177448019&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9397367367835780240&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028824&hvtargid=pla-436286796225&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=61495038909&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312177448019&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9397367367835780240&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028824&hvtargid=pla-436286796225

For older Sprinters including yours, use this tool, to compress caliper pistons:-

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/performance-tool-ratcheting-brake-pad-spreader-w80110/11942316-p?product_channel=local&store=8656&adtype=pla&product_channel=local&store_code=8656&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt-OktNOA7wIVchh9Ch0PswTqEAQYAiABEgKQAPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

You know since 1968 sometimes things have not changed much !
I remember getting a fearsome rocket of verbal castigation from a French Citroen tech in a French dealership in "French workshop language" as an exchange student about back contamination of a DS 19 brake valve . I dicked up an expensive brake valve.
Never forgotten it and I don't recommend it even today!
Dennis

Dennis, I was taught many years ago (early seventies) to never pinch flexible brake lines. This was before concerns over sophisticated anti lock braking systems but just not worth risking damaging the brake line. What do you think about just removing the line from the caliper? Can probably do a better job getting the old brake fluid out any way. Or do you see zero risk in the "pinch method"? Thanks.

 

[lindenengineering]

If you use the tool with care no problem, but using vice grips and a rag can rupture the internal chords resulting in an embolism.
Vice grip method was the adopted heavy duty truck frowned practice method as an apprentice when working on big truck commercials which had vacuum or air over hydraulic brakes on all wheels. Steel pipes were usually 5/16 to 3/8" diameter and an 8 wheeler took 5 gallons of brake fluid to bleed & fill it .
This method went out of favor when HGV tests were introduced in the late 60's in the UK. With intensive mechanical worthiness tests Gov appointed inspectors snagged hoses for external damage by using vice grips.
Dennis

 

[OffroadHamster]

You know since 1968 sometimes things have not changed much !
I remember getting a fearsome rocket of verbal castigation from a French Citroen tech in a French dealership in "French workshop language" as an exchange student about back contamination of a DS 19 brake valve . I dicked up an expensive brake valve.
Never forgotten it and I don't recommend it even today!
Dennis

Backfeeding brake fluid out of the calipers or working on a Citroen?

 

[lindenengineering]

Backfeeding brake fluid out of the calipers or working on a Citroen?

Both activities.
Dennis

 

[ptheland]

For info
You use these to clamp the hoses :-

https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-22850-Hose-Pincher/dp/B0002NYB78/ref=asc_df_B0002NYB78/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312177448019&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9397367367835780240&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028824&hvtargid=pla-436286796225&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=61495038909&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312177448019&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9397367367835780240&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028824&hvtargid=pla-436286796225

When you described clamping the brake hose, that's pretty much what I thought of - something rounded to reduce the risk of damaging the hose. And for the price it will be in my tool box the next time this job comes up. (Which won't be for a while in my Sprinter. But there are other cars in the motor pool.)

You know since 1968 sometimes things have not changed much !
I remember getting a fearsome rocket of verbal castigation from a French Citroen tech in a French dealership in "French workshop language" as an exchange student about back contamination of a DS 19 brake valve . I dicked up an expensive brake valve.
Never forgotten it and I don't recommend it even today!

I've never thought of the risks with back feeding brake fluid. But with some hindsight, I suspect the repeated backfeeding from brake pad replacements may have been a contributing factor to a couple of master cylinder failures back in the day. Now that I've learned, I will never do that again.

 

[lindenengineering]

Something about Citroen, and the metalic blue Dioresse (Godess) in a brief caption .
Featuring a van Down Under.
Dennis