The new rear brake pads for the F-Type just rolled up, so I thought I would have a go at fitting them.
I strongly suspected that the rear brake pistons need to be wound back in, just like on the XF and XJ, so I ordered a 22 piece tool kit a couple of days ago.
But on the XF it is possible to wind the piston in with a pair of needle-nosed pliers, so I thought I would see if this was possible on the F-Type.
Alas, it's impossible!
The F-Type rear brake piston (well, at least on the standard 326 mm rear brakes) has a completely different face than that on the XF.
The XF piston has two holes spaced evenly apart, but the F-Type piston has a serrated "land" with three equi-distant gaps in it, no way of budging the piston with needle-nosed pliers, and it looks like a factory special tool might be needed. The kit I ordered does not seem to contain any such three-sided tool, so I could be in trouble!

 

A 'good' dealer would possibly lend you the necessary tool.. may want you to leave a deposit etc.. based on how well they know you.
Lawrence

 

Its a little bit more complicated than just using a caliper piston tool to retract the piston. You need the JLR SDD tool to put it in the maintenance position. IF SDD is not available:

CAUTION: This procedure requires the vehicle in the Park or Neutral position, with the ignition turned ON (the engine must be OFF) and the parking brake system released.

NOTE: This procedure allows the parking brake to be released when removing and installing new rear brake pads or brake discs.


1.Press and hold the parking brake switch in the release position.

2.Wait 2 seconds.

3.Press and hold the accelerator pedal in the wide open throttle position.

4.Wait 2 seconds.

5.Turn the ignition Off and back On immediately.


NOTE: An audible noise will be heard to confirm that the parking brake has been released in Service Mode.

6. Release the accelerator pedal and release the parking brake switch to the neutral position.



Deactivation

CAUTIONS: This procedure requires the vehicle in the Park or Neutral position, with the ignition turned ON (the engine must be OFF) and the parking brake system in Service Mode.

Once the rear brake pads or brake discs have been installed, the Service Mode must be cancelled.



1.Press and hold the parking brake switch in the apply position.

2.Wait 2 seconds.

3.Press and hold the accelerator pedal in the wide open throttle position.

4.Wait 2 seconds.

5.Turn the ignition Off and back On immediately.

NOTE: An audible noise will be heard to confirm that the parking brake has been released from the Service Mode.

6.Release the accelerator pedal and release the parking brake switch to the neutral position.

 

Scheesh...

 

I bought one of the cube shaped tools, I thought one side had a three legged face to it that might fit.

 

Can you not press the piston back in using a G-clamp?

 

Dunno.
If JLR are true to form it can only be screwed in.
I didn't even try using a G-clamp for that reason and another even more important one. Mounted/integrated on the back of the caliper is an electric motor with a plastic cover, which I am guessing is the EPB actuator. There is nowhere I could see to mount a G-clamp other than on this plastic cover, and I reckon it's dollars to donuts that the pressure of a G-clamp would shatter or at least crack this cover.

 

did u manage to get it screwed back in ? If so what tool did u buy to do it?

Thanks

 

See this post in the "how to" thread: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...3/#post1557910
So no special tool bought or used.
I have a sneaking suspicion that they don't wind in at all and you just have to push them in with a clamp or similar.
I'll probably find out soon enough as I'm starting a little project to upgrade the rear brakes to the 376 mm "super performance" ones, and when I get the old calipers off I'll see if the pistons push or wind in.

 

Once read that there is an electrical connector to the parking brake. If you apply 12v of the correct polarity to the connector, the parking brake will retract.

 

This doc shows how to put the EPB into maintenance mode.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uajlxghl1a...brake.pdf?dl=0

 

Thanks DJS, I reckon that's the third time now I have downloaded that PDF!
One question though, as there seems to be a conflict in the EPB maintenance mode activation and deactivation instructions.
On page 12 of the PDF, under Brake Pad Replacement, it says:

"NOTE: Maintenance Mode can be only deactivated using the Jaguar approved diagnostic equipment. Activation with the approved diagnostic equipment is currently unavailable."

Then on page 13, under EPB Maintenance Mode Activation and Deactivation, it gives instructions for Deactivation which say nothing about needing to use diagnostic equipment (they obviously mean SDD).

So do you need to be hooked up to SDD to deactivate Maintenance Mode or not??????
I suspect not, but if in fact you do it would be a real bummer if you activated Maintenance Mode and then could not deactivate it!
Enquiring minds would like to know!

 

I think what they mean is that SDD can only deactivate the maintenance mode, it can't activate it. Unrelated to the manual method, though I read it the same way you did!

 

Man, I love the forum. I just got my porterfields and thought, "You know, I should check to see if there's any funky rear brake piston deal I could get hung up on." Yup! There it is! Thanks guys.

OzXFR, how did your brake pad swap go?

I personally have about 200 miles on my new pads as I bought CPO and they replaced them. I'm hoping I don't have to retract far to get the new pads in there. We'll see I guess.

 

Went without any hassles as I put brand new calipers on which already had the pistons fully retracted, so no rewind necessary.
From my experience and reading the correct way to retract the pistons is to put the EPB into maintenance mode per post #11, but if that doesn't work then it seems you can still retract the pistons by pushing them in with a G-clamp or similar, and no need to wind/screw them in. I pushed them back in on the old calipers using a G-clamp after I had removed them from the car and the back of the EPB motor easily handled the pressure, but that said they only had to go back in about 1-2 mm as the brake pads were barely worn, maybe it would not be so easy if they need to be retracted a long way.

 

Sounds like we're in the same boat with replacing new pads. I just did the fronts and cleaned off the old brake dust from the inside of the wheels which was a chore and then replaced the pads. Then I sand blasted the dust off the calipers and painted a silver that pretty much matched it with 1200F paint. Used a C-Clamp to push piston back in. Looks a lot better and hopefully it will stay clean!

 

Before



After!