Hi Guys,

I'm putting new front brakes on my 98 XK8.

Question, does the brake cylinder retract all the
way in?

Mine is protruding still about 1/4 inch, which is
keeping me from placing the caliper back on with
the new pads.

I thought I'd ask before I apply more force.
Also, I have let out any pressure that was in
the brake lines.

Thanks for any info/advice!

 

Update:

Ok, I talked to a retired mechanic and he assured me that the cylinder should
retract all the way to be flush with caliper assembly.

I put a tremendous amount of force on them and they would not budge
any further and are still about 1/4 inch raised.

My only other thought, besides the cylinder being frozen, is that the
pads I ordered are somehow oversized. The "pad" on each brake
is 1/2 inch thick. Is this correct? I'm guessing so...

The caliper bolts were extremely hard to get off also, so I won't
be surprised if the cylinder is indeed frozen.

My next step is to reassemble with the old pads and take it to a trusted
mechanic and have him rebuild the caliper, unless someone has any better
advice...

Thanks for any info, obviously I'm a bit of a
novice. Great to be learning though, lots of great info
in these forums.