That's "easy fix other than hitting the local parts store and wait a week for it to show up".

I'm doing a brake overhaul on my recently acquired RX8 and boy does it need one.

I've got the caliper off completely (disconnected both parking brake cable and brake line) and while the piston turns with the right tool (and a lot of resistance, the one on the drivers side wound back in with a lot less effort), it doesn't wind back in. There was plenty of meat left on the pads, so it shouldn't have overextended internally?

New/overhauled caliper time?

 

turn and push and it should start to wind back in

the piston may have seized. Are the pads the same thickness on both sides of that caliper? Same as the other side?

The rebuild kits are pretty inexpensive...bit of a PIA to do yourself unless you have done them before.

I have rebuilt mine 3 or 4 times and am still using the same ones the car came with ( Thats with cooking them a lot on the track and not running any dust boots) you should have no issue rebuilding them

 

Turn and push is what I did, the pistons turns both ways - not well, but it turns. Turned them enough times so they should've ended up in the next county by now, but it doesn't move in or out. Thanks for confirming that I'm not a complete dumbass .

Pads are the same thickness, no sign of a seized caliper. Those are pretty rare out here anyway (desert climate), but I lived in the UK for over a decade so I know exactly what seized ones look like.

I assume rebuild is basically "wind the piston out, clean everything up and replace the rubber parts"? Done that plenty of times on my motorcycles so it shouldn't be that big a deal, but as mentioned the piston doesn't really move out either. Most likely I still have to go with a reman one because I'm running out of time - need to have the car back together and running in the next couple of weeks, and I just discovered I also need to replace the shocks as both rears are leaking.

 

I had one that took a lot more pushing It is difficult to do without having the caliper in a vice or still attached to the car. It will turn and seem to catch and then wind down if that helps

if you have time the $30 rebuild kit is worth the work

Basically that's the trick.....wind it out and then clean it up and put it back together. Use lots of brake fluid to get the seals to slide in easier. Nitrile gloves too

 

Time is unfortunately something that is in short supply right now...