CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHO IS THE GENIUS IDIOT WHO DESIGNED THE WHEEL CYLINDERS WITH THE SPRING CLIP MOUNT THAT IS A MAJOR PAIN TO REMOVE AND INSTALL AND THE THE BLEEDER SCREWS THAT ARE BURIED DOWN INSIDE THE COUNTER BORE SO IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A WRENCH ON THEM TO BLEED THE BRAKES...???

 

just swap in a disc brake rearend...lol

 

Please fix this. It's EXTREMELY rude to type like that, because it's REAL hard to read, and IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS. Altogether unpleasant in every possible way.

Apart from that, those clips are a piece o cake to get off. All you need is a screwdriver of the right size. You put it behind the ear from the side, twist, and it pops right off.

The people who thought it was a good idea to use them, were the people who built the car; who also knew they would NEVER have to touch one. They're on ALOT of cars, every GM make and most models from the late 70s on up to well in the 90s. Millions of vehicles. You get used to em after awhile. I guess by the time these cars came out in 82, I had already got so accustomed to em, I never even gave it a second thought on my own car while I still had that stupid Stone Age crap on it. I put discs on it in maybe about 2000 or so.

 

yeah not hard to get off with the right tool. screwdriver works. also to solid mechanic picks on each side work well too.

 

ALL CAPS ROCK...!!! I WAS SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS...

Please fix this. It's EXTREMELY rude to type like that, because it's REAL hard to read, and IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS. Altogether unpleasant in every possible way.

Apart from that, those clips are a piece o cake to get off. All you need is a screwdriver of the right size. You put it behind the ear from the side, twist, and it pops right off.

The people who thought it was a good idea to use them, were the people who built the car; who also knew they would NEVER have to touch one. They're on ALOT of cars, every GM make and most models from the late 70s on up to well in the 90s. Millions of vehicles. You get used to em after awhile. I guess by the time these cars came out in 82, I had already got so accustomed to em, I never even gave it a second thought on my own car while I still had that stupid Stone Age crap on it. I put discs on it in maybe about 2000 or so.[/quote]

 

There is a tool for it too - makes it real easy!

Brake Cylinder Spring Clip Tool

There is also a tool called a "Brake Bleeder Wrench" that has a special offset to get to those wheel cylinder bleeders.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/A145-8MM-X-10MM-BRAKE-BLEEDER-WRENCH-/140721061252?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item20c3a0fd84&vxp=mtr
Note that is not necessarily the right size... you'll have to check that first.

 

This isn't that bad of a job. I just replaced the left rear on my '89 last night using basic tools. After removing the wheel, I soaked the brake line and bleeder valve with PB blaster and let it sit for about 30 minutes. I took off the brake line using a 12mm open end wrench very easily and with a rubber vacuum cap in hand, plugged the line immediately. Then, I removed the bleeder valve using a 5/16" deep well socket. I removed the rear clip by placing two small standard screw drivers between the ears and the cylinder and prying outward and it popped right off. You have to get your head up in there and get filthy.

If you take out the bleeder valve it makes it easier to get it out past the shoes. I only removed the two top springs and the crossbar between the shoes and wiggled it right out.

To install, I took the bleeder valve out and the rubber cap from the new one, placed a small piece of tape over the holes to prevent dirt from getting in and wiggled it in place. By taking these out, you have much more room to get it back in. I used an Irwin quick clamp to clamp the new cylinder in place tightly. Using two larger standard screw drivers on each side of the new clip, snapped it in place with a little force. Hooked everything up, and works perfectly.

Just some tips for anyone else searching this.

 

Well I have used every trick to try to get the clips to release and they wouldn't . I had to pry them out. Then to get the new clips in I tried everything yet had to grind down the tabs on the retainer to get it to pop in. I would love to give the designerror a piece of my mind

 

not good advice. Like as change steering reduction gear to the steering rack