Just replacing the front brakes on my 05 Xtype 2.0d. I have replaced the hoses, discs (rotors) and pads with the standard parts from my local jaguar dealer. I came with all 4 bolts for each side (bracket retainer and push-rods) new push-rod boots and even 2 packets of Jaguar branded grease and brake fluid. . I have also bought a can of red caliper paint to finish them off.

Its Saturday so I am in my work shop car on stands, and both front calipers discs and lines removed from the car. I was just about to start cleaning and noticed the one thing that didnt come with my service kits is the round rubber piston seal that sits between the piston and the outer housing. Upon closer inspection mine I noticed that one of them is partly missing the other is looking pretty weathered and fragile.

I have bought them for other cars in the past so I know these can be bought and replaced. I have found the easiest way to change them is remove the piston, only I have never removed a piston on one of these and wanted to know if anyone else has? They are the metal cup style piston, common on fords, but as like the ford fiesta I had when I was 17 I managed to damage the cup removing it with payers and having to replace the caliper and not learning the correct way to do should I encounter them in the future. Ironically the future is now and cant remember much of what I did before 1999.

They look like a pig to try and hook out with a screw driver and there is nothing on the piston cup other than its rim to grab hold of,

Any opinion s or tips?

 

cornishcat, go to your local auto parts store and ask them for the "Centric" caliper rebuild kit for the Jag you have. If they say that they don't have it, then ask them for the Ford Mondeo version (should be the same). I have never taken apart the fronts, but I have done the rears, so, I am going to be making a logical leap here. If you look on the side of the caliper, you should see a pentabolt (5 sided bolt). You need to remove this bolt before the piston will come out. Once you remove the bolt, you feed a little bit of pressure into the open hole of your caliper (since you have the hoses disconnected) and the piston should slide right out. From there, you can remove the old rubber dirt seal and slide in the new one. Then you simply slide the piston back in like it came out, just make sure to line up the recess to allow installing the bolt again. The bolt on the rear calipers is a 14mm, so, I would assume the front is the same size bolt.

You may not have the bolt. This is where you wil want to see if there is a bolt in the first place and if you don't see one, apply a little bit of air pressure and push the piston out. It will come all the way out if there is no stop.

 

I am pretty sure there is no bolt so looks like I will be using the air line.
Many thanks.

Just out of interest, these seals dont appear to hold back any fluid,so I am guessing they have been used to stop dirt getting in and causing the brake to seize,,,,, as such a vital component- why are we not encouraged to check these regularly? they are just normal rubber afterall.

 

cornishcat, there is an inner seal that holds back the fluid. The outer rubber that you see is just a dust shield. Not there to do anything more than prevent dirt from getting deeper into the caliper. Yes, you would think, but then, every time you change the pads, this is something very simple to look at.