I have 2008 Honda Fit Sport. I've never worked on a car until I started driving this for rideshare. I've replaced the pads and rotors in the past. This weekend I had to replace the front passenger brake caliper. I bought a Duralast Reman. A couple of questions:

1. It came with new parts, but they were slightly different size than than some of the parts on the original caliper. For instance, the bleeder screw has a much bigger hole, and the caliper pins are a little large in circumference. I decided not to use those. It was a sonofab to get the new caliper to reattach to the brake. Was that a mistake? Should I replace all the hardware? I ask, because I'm getting a grinding sound when I come to a stop. I only have 3 of the 4 bolts working on that wheel cause one sheared off when I started my project. I'm getting that repaired first thing tomorrow and hoping that stops the grinding, by reducing any possible wobble in the wheel.

2. Should I especially go back and use the bleeder screw they gave me specifically for that caliper, because the screw has a bigger hole?

2. The pedal is super spongy after bleeding all brakes. I'm afraid I got air in the lines. Do I just try to rebleed them all again or do I need to get someone to use a machine to do a decent job? I don't own a compressor.

This is my first post, but this forum has been very helpful to me in the past year or two when learning how to maintain my car. Thanks.
(I just realized typing this that "reman" means remanufactured....I thought it was a brand. The learning curve is slow, my friends.)

 

What was an initial reason for changing caliper?
If it failed due to "unusual cause" I would be definitely go with the good used from pick your part instead of one from the chain store.
Hard to say about grinding , could be related to pad/rotor installation.

 

Thanks for your reply.
The caliper I replaced had a piston that came out when I screwed up the bleeding. When I tried to put it back, I noticed it had a broken rubber seal.
It seems that the grinding is because the new caliper is off its specifications. The new brake pads, which I had originally, and currently fit in the old caliper on the front left, do not fit in the new caliper. The caliper won't close correctly.

I'm not sure what exactly you meant from "good used from pick your part." Other than returning the caliper back to Autozone, do you have a recommendations of where to get a new one? I'm on a limited budget.

(Also, Autozone keeps giving me bolts and lugnuts that don't match and keep getting sheared off.)

 

Doc J meant to obtain used OEM parts from a junkyard or breaker.


Def. sounds as if AutoZone gave you the wrong parts. Can you bring the parts you took off to them for comparison?



And, limited budget or no, its best to replace brake parts in axle sets (meaning, you should replace the other side, too).

 

There is one Fit (2007) in Santa Fe Springs yard; the calipers still were present 1 week ago
Here is the screen shot of

Autozone caliper. Did you buy this one?

 

doctor j, I respect your opinion, so I'm curious...

Why choose a used caliper over a reman? AFAIK, no aftermarket company ever cast calipers for the GD Fit, so any caliper you buy will be an OEM. Difference between used and reman should just be that the reman has been cleaned, bored if needed, new hardware, and new seals installed.

Is your thought that they may not have done the rebuild correctly?

With how many shops just automatically upsell customers to "new" reman calipers, there should be a healthy supply of decent ones to rebuild in the supply chain. I'm betting that fewer than 10% even have a problem when sent back in as a core.

 

The recommendation is very subjective based on experience of dealing with chain discount stores (pep Boys, Autozone, and similar)
-the parts may not be rebuilt correctly;
-they may be mislabeled
-the store staff may not recognize wrong/defective part either
Their lifetime warranty is useless (had really bad experience with alternators and brake master cylinders)
For budget items the re-conditioning is limited to sandblasting and seal replacement; no boring or oversize pistons for Fit, Civic or Corolla
Combining old and new caliper on the same axle may lead to uneven brake pad wear (side to side)
On pick your part:
The cost of the caliper 1/2 of re-manufactured
The prospective buyer can get hands-on removal (and installation) experience
It has original, undisturbed seals;
Core charge is minimal.
You have an ample opportunity to change your mind before going to pay

 

Thanks for the explanation!

I can certainly understand the thought process there. Trouble with a GD Fit is the stuff is kind of old now with high miles in the pick yards. For ours I went with Centric reman's from RockAuto and they're ok. No problems.

About to buy a set of PowerStop reman's from a different vehicle to do a brake upgrade on it.

Too bad there aren't decent new options. Last brake job I did on my Lincoln I picked up a set of brand new calipers from Ford for about $50 each. They are literally triple the size and clamp down on 12.8" rotors. Domestic stuff is SO MUCH cheaper and more available.

 

Thanks for the feedback so far.
I double checked and I have the correct caliper from Autozone for the passenger side. I brought in the brake pads I had used, Duralast Max, and they gave me Duralast Gold for no extra fee cause it seemed a little thinner. I figured I should replace both calipers at once, but I just don't have the cash. Hopefully, I'll be able to do it in a month or so.

The tire store replaced a wheel bolt I brought from Autozone, but broke it. So they replaced two more. I went home to take apart my brakes, and sheared off another. I drilled and banged it out, and saw that they hadn't taken apart the wheel but cut down the other lugnut so it would wedge in. So I have to figure out how take apart my wheel to get a new lugnut in, cause I don't have the tools to cut it (which I figure isn't ideal for the gd wheel) or take it to a mechanic who'll do it right.

I'm gonna watch a video on how to take apart the wheel, to see if I can do that tomorrow. I don't know if I have the tools to do it however. If I decide not to do it, I'll put together my brakes and see if that works, and then take it to another shop.

 

banging stud out will damage bearing ($$ +$$$ installation) Save yourself time and money and get a used hub. Its the way to go for a limited budget.

 

Just to add: I wouldn't worry about replacing the other caliper unless something's wrong with it. They don't need to be replaced in pairs like pads/rotors.

 

Respectfully disagree. Replace BOTH as I said, you could experience uneven braking forces (a PULL towards one side).




Now, if you go with Doctor Js recommendation of a used caliper? maybe not. But I'd STILL pull both sides just in case.