I replaced the rear pads on my wife"s Miata. I used a pair of channel locks to turn the caliper piston in. I don't have an e-brake now. I later learned that there is a allen head bolt on the back of he caliper that is supposed to be used to adjust the piston back into place after I was done. My question is... Is it to late to do it now? Did I ruin the caliper? The car is stopping just fine, I just don't have an e-brake. The e-brake was working just fine even with the worn pads on there before but not now. The car is a 95, 5 speed. First Mazda I ever worked on and I am a little confused.

 

Most probably the caliper internals have been damaged. I think though that I would at least try to remove the calipers again. Step on the brake pedal to run the piston out as if pads were worn and then use the allen bolt to draw the piston back in. Would not hurt anything to try anyway. Once the pads and caliper are reinstalled then rotate the allen head adjuster clockwise while turning the rotor by handuntill the rotor just locks up then back the adjuster bolt back out 1/2 turn. Hope that works and you do not need to get all new calipers.[:@]

 

That ws it. There is a bolt behind the caliper that I removed and inside there is an allen-head bolt. I just screwed it in, I heard it click, then I screwed it in until the wheel locked up and back off on it a little. I tried this with the caliper still on the car and it worked. I didn't need to remove the caliper. Most important, I don't have to replace them. Thank you for your help.