How do i change the brakes on my 1987 240 DL Wagon? If you can tell me anything it would be greatly appreciated.
THANKS,
MATT

replacing the master cylinder, if that's needed, too. Here's why: When the MC is replaced, no matter how short the time between unconnecting the brake lines from the old MC and connecting them to the new MC, some amount of air will get into the system.

So do the MC first, then the pad job. The action of pressing the wheel pistons back into their calipers will force brake fluid back up into the MC and, with just a little luck, carry the air bubbles back up into the MC reservoir. Thus no bleeding would be required.

Another caveat: Never ever depress the pedal all the way down. After a pad job it can happen and pumping is needed. Use a lot of short strokes. Pushing all the way down moves the MC seals in both cylinders too far and they can be damaged.

Good Luck, and get at least the Haynes Maunal. AutoZone carries them.

Bob

:>)

You've gotten the right answers here, but without someone there with you that has done pad replacements before, you undoubtably have some questions still. For example, what is the caliper piston, where is the rubber boot, what about these pins, how do I use a tire tool or screwdriver for a brake job? You can do the pad replacement at home, but at the very least go to the auto parts store and buy the Haynes repair manual for Volvo. It is about $12.00 and is adequate for brake jobs. You will need to do the rears sometime down the road and those calipers back there may not be the same as the fronts so the price of the book will be recouped as you will follow step by step instructions and photos. Never push the brake pedal down when you have removed the caliper from the rotor. Once the brake job is done, your brake pedal will feel as if it going all the way to the floor. You must 'pump' the pedal to push the brake fluid back thru the line to the caliper before you move the car. Good luck and you will feel great once you know you can do a pad replacement for $15 - $19 instead of the $100 or so the garages get for this.

SOOO easy!!! Jack up the car--block it--loosen the top of your brake fluid resevoir completely--I leave the cover laying on it to help keep some crud from falling into it while I work on it---either siphon a little brake fluid out or put a towel around it--when you push back the pistons, the fluid will back up and rise in the resevoir-might over-flow-----Remove tires--when you look at the pads-it will be fairly self-explaintory--you will see 2 small cotter keys on long "pins"--remove them--pull out the pins--"needle nose" pliers work great for that--remove the springy things--(you will see them)--remove the old pads--push back the pistons for clearance for the new pads. Here is what I do--I get the pistons back a touch with large flat screwdriver and a towel to protect the surface of them--be careful to not mess the rubber boots around the pistons up--inspect them also--don't push the pistons in so far you go past those rubber boots--then put back in one OLD pad--use it to press against the piston back in all the way with the screwdriver. Be sure, before you go to far--use some "Brake Kleen" spray--look for brake fluid leaks--check the rotors--if all looking good--remove any "shims" from the old pads--clean them up--use them on the new pads-I also use a small amount of "anti-squeal" stuff on the shims--get it at any parts place like "Pep Boys"-lasts forever-it's usually either blue or red stuff-can be messy--but it works! Insert the new pads with the shims----put the springy things and the pins and cotter keys back-If this is a straight-forward pad replacement--the rotors good----not leaking--(check brake hoses)--it should take you only 30 minutes total--including jacking up the car--for each end-front and back-maybe less depending how much experience you have. Take note of the lug nuts--a good time to do it--replace bad lugs-I also use "anti-seize" on the lugs for next time. Use the "Brake-Kleen" spray liberally--cleanliness from dust and grit is vital--you get enough of that with nornal driving. When you lower the car--check the resevoir--may be "too full"---may need fluid--tighten the resevoir cap after you take care of that. Get in the car--pump the brakes slowly a few times--should "come-up"--start the car--try the brakes-if all is well, should work great----new pads need a little time to "seat"-be extra careful stopping esp at first. When you buy pads, get good "dustless--squeal-less" ones. Worth every penney.
I may have "missed something"-Hopefully other BB'ers will have some good suggestions .

I have found that a large pair of channel lock pliers do a great job pushing in the brake pistons. This is what I used as a Volvo mechanic.

Remove the wheel and everything you need to get at is exposed. look for the tiny cotter pins in the two main pins. Remove them and knock the pins back out of the caliper, taking car to contain the springs when you so so. They will fly when they are free of the pins. Compress the pads to the caliper with channel locks and free them with a little wiggling. Pull them out of the caliper and look for the metal shim. Saved that and use it with the new pad. To install the new pad, compress the piston into the caliper with the tire tool from your trunk. Just do not harm the rubber seal on the piston. Carefully insert the pad and shim aligning the pin holes. The piston will always try to come out of the caliper under hydraulic pressure so do a side at a time. You can figure out the rest.

Yeah--what he said--a few good variances from my long response--LOL.