Passat is up on it's jack at the moment, minus one rear wheel and one
brake caliper.

Can I line up the bolts to bolt the caliper back on without
cross-threading...... can I fsck.

Any ideas, 'cos this is pissing me off in a big way.

-- 
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 2.0 TSpark Lusso - Passat 1.8 Turbo SE -  COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

In article <1gzp112.l2weok3xpxt0N%steve@italiancar.co.uk>, SteveH 
says...

> Passat is up on it's jack at the moment, minus one rear wheel and one
> brake caliper.
> 
> Can I line up the bolts to bolt the caliper back on without
> cross-threading...... can I fsck.
> 
> Any ideas, 'cos this is pissing me off in a big way.
> 

Fuck...rear ones are a PITA. Don't suppose you've got access to a tap 
and die set to clean out the threads in the hub?


-- 
Conor

-You wanted an argument? Oh I'm sorry, but this is abuse. You want room 
K5, just along the corridor. Stupid git. (Monty Python)

Conor  wrote:


> In article <1gzp112.l2weok3xpxt0N%steve@italiancar.co.uk>, SteveH 
> says...
> > Passat is up on it's jack at the moment, minus one rear wheel and one
> > brake caliper.
> > 
> > Can I line up the bolts to bolt the caliper back on without
> > cross-threading...... can I fsck.
> > 
> > Any ideas, 'cos this is pissing me off in a big way.
> > 
> Fuck...rear ones are a PITA. Don't suppose you've got access to a tap
> and die set to clean out the threads in the hub?


Nope.

I can get the bolts in quite easily without the caliper being there, but
getting it all lined up with the caliper is a tad tricky.

Beginning to wish I'd been able to get it booked in somewhere now - but
one of the rear pads was down to the metal, so it had to be done today.
-- 
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 2.0 TSpark Lusso - Passat 1.8 Turbo SE -  COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

"SteveH"  wrote in message 
news:1gzp1qx.18bdz4y1oms1y0N%steve@italiancar.co.uk...

> Conor  wrote:
>
>> In article <1gzp112.l2weok3xpxt0N%steve@italiancar.co.uk>, SteveH
>> says...
>> > Passat is up on it's jack at the moment, minus one rear wheel and one
>> > brake caliper.
>> >
>> > Can I line up the bolts to bolt the caliper back on without
>> > cross-threading...... can I fsck.
>> >
>> > Any ideas, 'cos this is pissing me off in a big way.
>> >
>> Fuck...rear ones are a PITA. Don't suppose you've got access to a tap
>> and die set to clean out the threads in the hub?
>
> Nope.
>
> I can get the bolts in quite easily without the caliper being there, but
> getting it all lined up with the caliper is a tad tricky.
>
> Beginning to wish I'd been able to get it booked in somewhere now - but
> one of the rear pads was down to the metal, so it had to be done today.



A large rubber mallet is your friend and probably another pair of hands.  I 
find jobs like that require the brute force and ignorance approach. 
Mechanics use it all the time.  Have you ever seen what they do to a car in 
a garage?

SteveH wrote:


> I can get the bolts in quite easily without the caliper being there, but
> getting it all lined up with the caliper is a tad tricky.


Have you managed to bend the sliding pin things? If you have, then the 
brakes are going to end up binding so there's not much point persevering 
with them. Buy new sliding pins.
If they're not those sort of brakes, ignore the above!

"SteveH"  wrote in message
news:1gzp112.l2weok3xpxt0N%steve@italiancar.co.uk...

> Passat is up on it's jack at the moment, minus one rear wheel and one
> brake caliper.
>
> Can I line up the bolts to bolt the caliper back on without
> cross-threading...... can I fsck.
>
> Any ideas, 'cos this is pissing me off in a big way.


If you can hold the bolts at all delicately, then push them through, and
slowly turn them anticlockwise whilst putting pressure on them. With luck
you'll feel the ends of the threads "pop", and then carefully turn the bolt
the right way without disturbing it at all first. BTDT myself on various
cars, many times :(

Stuffed  wrote:


> "SteveH"  wrote in message
> news:1gzp112.l2weok3xpxt0N%steve@italiancar.co.uk...
> > Passat is up on it's jack at the moment, minus one rear wheel and one
> > brake caliper.
> >
> > Can I line up the bolts to bolt the caliper back on without
> > cross-threading...... can I fsck.
> >
> > Any ideas, 'cos this is pissing me off in a big way.
> 
> If you can hold the bolts at all delicately, then push them through, and
> slowly turn them anticlockwise whilst putting pressure on them. With luck
> you'll feel the ends of the threads "pop", and then carefully turn the bolt
> the right way without disturbing it at all first. BTDT myself on various
> cars, many times :(


The problem is the anti-rattle springs are putting so much pressure on
the caliper body that it's almost bloody impossible to get both bolts
lined up at the same time.
-- 
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 2.0 TSpark Lusso - Passat 1.8 Turbo SE -  COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

"SteveH"  wrote in message
news:1gzp1qx.18bdz4y1oms1y0N%steve@italiancar.co.uk...

> Conor  wrote:
>
> > In article <1gzp112.l2weok3xpxt0N%steve@italiancar.co.uk>, SteveH
> > says...
> > > Passat is up on it's jack at the moment, minus one rear wheel and one
> > > brake caliper.
> > >
> > > Can I line up the bolts to bolt the caliper back on without
> > > cross-threading...... can I fsck.
> > >
> > > Any ideas, 'cos this is pissing me off in a big way.
> > >
> > Fuck...rear ones are a PITA. Don't suppose you've got access to a tap
> > and die set to clean out the threads in the hub?
>
> Nope.
>
> I can get the bolts in quite easily without the caliper being there, but
> getting it all lined up with the caliper is a tad tricky.
>
> Beginning to wish I'd been able to get it booked in somewhere now - but
> one of the rear pads was down to the metal, so it had to be done today.
> --

See if you can get a bar or next size down bolt or whatever into one of the
holes to support it while you pivot it about to get a bolt in the other
hole, then *before* tightening the one you've got in, pivot about that one
to fit the second.

Steve

On Thu, 14 Jul 2005 16:40:45 +0100, steve@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) wrote:


>Stuffed  wrote:
>
>> "SteveH"  wrote in message
>> news:1gzp112.l2weok3xpxt0N%steve@italiancar.co.uk...
>> > Passat is up on it's jack at the moment, minus one rear wheel and one
>> > brake caliper.
>> >
>> > Can I line up the bolts to bolt the caliper back on without
>> > cross-threading...... can I fsck.
>> >
>> > Any ideas, 'cos this is pissing me off in a big way.
>> 
>> If you can hold the bolts at all delicately, then push them through, and
>> slowly turn them anticlockwise whilst putting pressure on them. With luck
>> you'll feel the ends of the threads "pop", and then carefully turn the bolt
>> the right way without disturbing it at all first. BTDT myself on various
>> cars, many times :(
>
>The problem is the anti-rattle springs are putting so much pressure on
>the caliper body that it's almost bloody impossible to get both bolts
>lined up at the same time.


I have no idea about the settup on this car (or if you have enough room in
there) but any chance you could cut the head off a spare bolt, hacksaw a
screwdriver slot into it, start it in one of the holes, then push the caliper
over it? If so you may be able to pivot the caliper on that bolt to start the
second one, then remove the first and.. well you get the idea.