I did a brake change today, using Hawk ceramics. Reading the posts it looks like most everybody was able to do the job in an hour or so. Well for me, whose done a few brake jobs in the past it took me about 5 hours. Harbor Freight didn't have the special kit for pushing back the piston, so I bought a cheapo piston retractor from Harbor Freight, but couldn't turn the piston at the same time as compressing. So I found a clamp used for woodwork and visegrips to turn the piston. My standard jack stands didn't fit under the car because the jack didn't pump the car up high enough. So I used my ramps to prop up the rear of the car. The fronts were the most time consuming, mainly due to the sensor. I was able to use the old sensor on the front because I got to the brakes before the sensors went off. To put the sensor back on took a couple of hours and even now I am not sure that it is secure. The little clip that holds the sensor would fall out, or dropped to far into the pad, so it wouldn't hold the sensor and lastly the sensor just wouldn't press back into place. So I used a bunch of tooth picks to keep the clip from moving and then pressed the sensor on top of the clip. Very gingerly I tightened everything up, just to find I left off the caliper retaining clip off the other side. My torque wrench did not go up to 88.5ft/lb so I plan on getting another torque wrench that will go to the higher numbers. When I was cleaning the rear wheels a set of weights fell off, so I ended up calling America's Tire and they put the weights back on and re-torqued all the wheels. Lastly, as I was compressing the pistons, I lost about 10cc of brake fluid even though I left the cap off and had sucked up about 10cc of fluid just so I wouldn't leak any onto the concrete. Took the car out to brake in the new brakes and put in some of the fluid I took out, but it wouldn't take it all. Its all topped off and won't take anymore, so I will see tomorrow after running some errands if I can put back what the remaining fluid. You'd think I could of done this job much quicker with the amount of experience I have had and the tools that were sufficient to do numerous vehicles in the last 30 years. It seems no matter how many tools you have you still need more, as I had never worked on a modern mini before.

 

You are not alone in the speed category. I see others give times to do services I don't find hard, but I almost never can do them as fast. I am not slow, but brakes took me about two hours for front and rear. Oh well.

 

why do you need to fluid back? unless the brake fluid reservoir shows that the fluid is low there is no need to put the fluid back. I also wouldn't put it back because in the 5hrs the fluid has probably absorbed a lot of moisture.

 

Flush your brake fluid. Should be done every two years. Brake fluid absorbs moisture.

 

So, how do you like the new brakes?

Why did you change them? Do you do some track events during the year?

I find the stock brakes to be just fine for street and occasional track day use, don't you?

 

Just had a brake flush 3K ago.

 

I changed the brakes because when I had the fluid flushed, I was told I had about 3K left on the fronts and 4K on the rears.
So far, I have not done any freeway speed runs, just grocery runs and petrol fill up, thus far.
I don't do any track time with the car, basically just a communter car and pleasure/vacation car. We have a G35 coupe, but its not as economical.
Up to this point I don't feel much difference between the OEMs and these ceramics, so thats a plus. I was initially afraid that I would need a lot more pressure to make stops, but it feels the same. The big reason for my decision to go to ceramics was the low dust factor. I also know that I will go alot further on these pads that the originals.