Guys,

I really need your help. I've been battling this thing all morning/afternoon and it is not working.
For whatever reason, I just cant get the the piston to decompress back into the caliper. I know there is a little gearkey thingy behind a bolt that you have to turn with an allen wrench but it does nothing but turn. The gearkey does not looked stripped at all since it has all its grooves intact. I tried turning it with needle noose pliers and they do turn but not in. just spin. When you turn it one way, it becomes more difficult than the other. I try applying as much pressure as I can but still nothing. Am I not turning it properly? I am FACING the caliper.

The piston itself doesnt look like you can put any type of brake caliper tool into it since I do not see any grooves or places to place one in.

Here is what the piston looks like
2002 Mazda Protege5 Brake Caliper Piston


This is the kit that HF says to get, Autozone's is similar. The one in the upper right middle (3) looks like the only one that MAY work but I dont know.

 

I've worked on tons of disc brakes,never on a mazda. Can't you just take a carrige clamp and one of the old shoes to compress it?

 

No, a C-clamp will not work on the rear ones on these cars. I have searched alot of forums and all whom tried have failed.

 

All I can tell you is the rear calipers do have a screw in piston and that's the ONLY way you will get it to compress enough for new pads over the rotor.
You seem to have the right kind of kit to do it with, but I have also heard of others that used needle nosed pliers and Vice grips to get the piston to return. I'm not sure I would necessarly got that route for fear of damaging the piston. But in a pinch, it may be worth a try?

 

Care to tell me where you said rear calipers in your OP?

 

Based on the picture of that tools set he posted, it wasn't hard to figure out.

 

so what was the outcome
needed to use the rewind tool??

 

same problem happened to my friends car. stripped gear key.
just take a expandable pliers, tape the ridges of the teeth of the pliers with some hockeytape or plain black tape turn the piston clockwise drivers side counterclockwise passenger side,grasp it in the area just before the dust boot, that area does not come in contact brake piston cylinder bore ..