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The pictures and instructions are pretty good. You'll want to buy some high-temp anti-seize grease for where the new pads mount onto the calipers. Copper-based grease (1500 degrees F) is preferred. Without grease, the two surfaces can become rusted to each other, and your pad won't advance properly as it wears. Avoid getting grease on the brake pad surfaces.
To bleed, you may first want to siphon out the old brake fluid, rinse with clean fluid a couple of times, then fill the reservior to the top and pressurize it with a bicycle pump. Using a cut inner tube and a clamp can work well for this. 10 psi is sufficient. Leave the ignition turned off; you don't want the ABS pump running, because if you accidentally get air in the system, the pump will whip it into small bubbles.
There is also a way to bleed by having an assistant push down the brake pedal while you open the bleeder nipple, then you close the nipple and they let up the brake, open the nipple and they push down, etc. My wife doesn't have the patience to do this, so I went to the pressurization method, which is much better, anyway.
I would also suggest first opening the bleed nipples with a six-sided socket, as it's easy to strip them if they've never been opened before.
Have somebody watch the reservior and keep adding pressure and fluid as needed. Alternatively, you can get good exercise by repeatedly getting up and checking it yourself. Fit some clear vinyl tubing over the bleed nipple, other end in a jar, open the bleed nipple one turn, and let run until new, clean brake fluid appears. Your assistant will tell you when the fluid is getting low, and you can close the nipple to stop the drainage. Be conservative about the fluid level that you consider to be minimum acceptable. Air in the system is very bad. Also, and this is where it gets interesting, experiment a bit when starting to bleed at each individual wheel, to determine which compartment out of the reservior that particular brake circuit will drain out of. Take a look inside the reservior to see what I mean. It is possible to drain one compartment dry and admit air into the system, but it looks on casual inspection like you still have plenty of fluid in the reservior. For this reason, I stop draining when it reaches the "fill level with charged accumulator" mark. Sure, it means stopping and refilling often, but it beats air in the system. Ask me how I know this! There are systems you can buy with large brake fluid reserviors of their own, so you don't have to refill, but I've always thought they were more suited for professional mechanics.
If you get air in the system, you have to bleed until no more bubbles are obtained. I've noticed that bubbles seem to come in from around the threads of the bleeder nipple, which becomes confusing as to where the air is coming from. Wrapping plumber's teflon tape around the threads prevents this, so I actually start each job with this step. Two layers of tape is sufficient, wrapped clockwise.
Start with the wheel the farthest from the master brake cyl (RR), finish with the one closest (LF). Expect a few minor mishaps at first, but then it becomes easy. I do it yearly. Brake fluid spilled on the paint should be thorougly washed away when you are done. Have fun.
posted by 208.212.8...
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