Hello all,

I am trying to restore an old Bianchi with Modolo Sporting brakes, however I am having problems with the brake pads. I removed the old and brittle pads (they cracked into pieces), but I'm having issues installing the new replacements from Kool Stop. How do I do it? I'm scared to bend the sides of the holder (they seem brittle), but I can't simply slide in the new pads because they are blocked by the back of the screw that holds them to the caliper. What do I do?

Can you just back it out until flush, press in the pad, then thread it into place?

My Modolos look a bit different but I used those pads for my resto.

Good luck.

could be that these KoolStop pads were made for the Modolo PRO style holders which are different (AFAIK) to these holders you have. I don't have one in front of me to pull apart for for one the PRO holders and pads are rounded on the leading end and square-cut on the trailing end. plus the fitting is a bolt rather than a nut and is designed to screw into a threaded boss (tubular) on the holder and might be smooth on the holder inside, The longer bolt is made to go into the hole in the pad for extra security.
I assume KS does not offer a "rounded on both ends" Modolo pad, so if this is your only choice you might need to carve a groove into the hole so this pad with press in. but if you do be SURE you always position the pads/holders correctly since "slip-out" will be much more likely!
I'd use a burr in a Dremal is I was going to do such carving, and lock up the pads in a small vise

Undo the wheel install guide, to remove the screw from the brake plate. Slide the pad in and replace the screw. Pretty much as simple as that. Best of luck. I will not have to do the same thing buy my set of Modolo Flash caliper pad holders, but probably not since the design is a bit different. Will I use the original pads on the Cambio Rino? Not sure as they might well damaged from the passing of time and negative environmental impact. Time and investigation will tell the true tale...

I never changed pads on this model brakeset from Modolo, which has a different means of anchorage to the caliper arms thsn the higher model brakesets, but ai th8nk thisvmoght work.....
Slide the new brake pad into the holder so it almost hits the bolt head in the channel of the holder. Then, using a small flat bladed screwdriver, lift the leading edge of the brack pads by levering it up with the screwdriver tip so it just clears the top of the bolt and slide the pad over the bolt head while making sure the leading edge pad does not pop off the holder. The pad should settle down on the holder when the hole on the back of the pad lines up with the bolt head, once it is fully slide into the holder.
if you can clamp the holder on to a bench vise to do this, it will be much easier.

I did this last year and had to open the sides of each holder a wee bit. Just at the back “behind” the bolt/stud. I then slobbered up the pad with rubbing alcohol and nose dived it in and over the stud. Bent the sides back into place. That may be a death sentence for the holders but they will work for the rest of my sorry ole life.

Note: once installed on the bike, I found the pads were too thick. They left no room for adjustment and insufficient brake cable tension. The holder itself is thicker than most (ex: Campy) pad holders due to that hump in the center where the “bolt” is. I removed them and carefully milled 1 to 2mm of red rubber off each pad on a disk sander. Long time to set up that procedure, seconds to do the sanding. Now they’re fine.

Thank you all so much for the advice! I ended up using a razor to cut a groove from the end of the pad to the hole in the middle. It seemed like the only way to make it work - what a stupid PITA design! I’m sure that higher-end Modolo, and Campagnolo brakes had a much better-engineered design than this.

THIS. Beat me to it.

Don't try to hold yourself in place with the brakes at a steep uphill stop. Because the pads will slide out backwards. The retaining hole (was) there for a reason.

"The retaining hole (was) there for a reason."
Yes but that reason was sensible only with the Modolo "pro" style holders which use long bolts instead of these "Sporting" and perhaps "Flash" model holders that have a stud which appears to be unnremoveable and nuts that screw over the external ends of the studs. These Kool Stop pads were not designed to work with such holders and they don't, unless you resort to gross modifications.

Ah, thank you, I see that now, nuts on studs and not bolts like my current cartridge pads. Perhaps slot was necessary. I would first have tried cutting a ramp (bevel, 30 degrees from long axis) on the inserting side of the pad, lube everything with dish soap (will rinse off with soaking), then try pushing them on by hand or by pushing the two parts together with a vise, carefully, until *pop*, the hole pops over the stud. Removing them will be more difficult.

My modern cartridge pad holders, use a bolt into a recessed plate, the bolt should not protrude over the plate. It's the *tiny* retaining screw aft that holds the pads in place, thus, I can remove, clean, replace pads without having to readjust the holders. These are road pad holders, I used much longer bolts and concave/convex washers to use them on V-brakes.

in hindsight I also would try the 'ramp and lube' method rather than cutting that slot into the center hole (which I had suggested, but now have second thoughts).
Best option (if you have time and money to spend) would be to ditch these "Sporting" pad holders and use Modolo Pro style holders. I'm sure some are out there but couldn't guess what they might sell for

I'd be sorely tempted to just run a set of Kool stop Continental brake shoes and ditch the original holders. You may not win any style points with this but it's less work.

For me, the advantage of cartridge pads is not the economy (there isn't any) but the ability to slide out to clean and replace without having to readjust the pad position. On road calipers, that's not a chore, but on V-brakes that are adjustable in three degrees of rotation and one degree of translation, times four, it's a pain in the butt. Eliminating that hassle, only remaining pain was that the tiny-allen pad retention screws in front are blocked by the fork, so I replaced those front and rear with 7mm external hex screws, loosened with an open end wrench.

"Sporting" they may be, but in terms of ease of use, Sportin' Life would say, "... It ain't necessarily so... "

Sorry. Gershwin. Can't resist.

I know a rough git who had those exact holders with that stud . He cut the stud off !
No problem installing pads after that .

"more than one way to skin a..." as they say ^
I haven't seen this style in person but if the stud have enough threading to grip (and be SAFE after modding) then sure: just reduce the end of the studs that intrude into the holder's interior!
I'd use a Dremel to grind them flat (or flatter) while leaving everything in place, maybe even adding a dollop of epoxy to what's left, for insurance.
You want your new brake pads to stay on and stay tight!

So how did he install the holders to the calipers without the threaded studs??

Yeah, .Modolos aren't really that good at the lower model levels. They flex quite a bit at their very thin section caliper arms, and the Modolo "Sintered" pads don't really stop that good, and they are harsh on the rims.
.

Hiya - Apologies to all for not being clear about what was chopped etc .
That model pad holder has a seperable bit that has a locating pin on one end a d thread on other .
Pics attached showing one in holder with the seperable bit next to it (before surgery)

There was a debate at the time as to the safety of it ?
The conclusion was that it wouldnt make a lot of difference as long as pads were mounted in correct orientation .

Hiya - Apologies for lack of clarity in my comment .
Have responded in this thread with more info and a couple of pics .

To my eye, the OP did an accurate enough carving job such that I really doubt that the pad could be coaxed backward.
Hopefully duplicated on the other side!

One more thing that I think should help would be some directional beveling of the retaining stud, allowing easier "forward" pad motion while resisting movement rearward(?)

The Modolos all seem to respond very well to some degree of spring relaxation, reducing needed lever pull force.
I've done this on many calipers, so can brake quite safely from the hoods with good pads.