I'm not familiar with the Clymer manual any longer, but I think it is fairly reliable from what I do recall.
I have not done a brake pad swap on a VT Ascot yet. I'm in the process of doing the brakes on my FT/CBR hybrid. It's not that difficult of a job. Usually about the hardest part is removing the pins that retain the pads. Make sure you spread the old pads as far apart as possible before you remove them. That will make things easier during reassembly.
Do you already have the replacement pads? Usually you have a choice between metallic/semi-metallic, or organic. The metallic pads usually offer some better braking performance, but they wear down the disks a bit faster. I used to run the metallic pads, but have lately started using organic pads after having to buy some disks.
Do you have any high temperature anti-seize? I like to apply a very small amount to the pins that retain the brake pads. Just a finger smear is all. You don't want any excess to drip onto your braking surfaces.
It's nice to have about a 12" to 18" length of 4"x4" to stand up & support the calipers instead of dangling from their brake lines. Don't let them hang from the lines. You should replace your front brake line if you can afford to. The rubber is pretty old by now. Those braided stainless steel brake lines are worth buying. The front line usually runs about $55 on eBay.
Jump into it. Just make sure you pay attention to how the parts come apart & lay them out in the correct order. Then put it back together. Easy.
Good luck
J.
