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Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 6:16 pm
by terryjenner
I tore my brake master cylinder and calipers down today. You need a soft-jawed vise but I only have the aluminum-destroying version of vice jaws. My solution was to clamp a large Jorgensen wood vise into my vise, then clamp the part I was working on into the Jorgensen clamp. It worked great.

In order to keep the piston from flying out as a projectile, I put a block of wood in between the piston top and caliper bracket. As the piston worked its way out a bit, I decreased the dimension of the free space between the piston top and the free world so it wouldn't just shoot out and take me out with it.

If I had my SD card in my camera phone I would have taken a pic, but I can if anyone wants.

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 11:46 pm
by IndianaJohn
I usually just do it on the bike. Unbolt the caliper and let it hang, then just use the master to pump the piston out. Just did this on the 750 a couple of weeks ago. Of course I overhauled the master first.

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 2:10 pm
by Cookie
Some of those are amazingly stuck though. I've had a long sitter just blow the master. I have been lucky enough not to have had to go the grease gun method yet.

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 2:35 pm
by IndianaJohn
Cookie wrote:Some of those are amazingly stuck though. I've had a long sitter just blow the master. I have been lucky enough not to have had to go the grease gun method yet.
Never had to resort to that method either, but I have heard of people doing so. I've used air in the past and decided pumping them out with the master was safer. But if that failed, I might have to go with the grease gun, tho I would dread the clean-up afterward.

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 3:30 pm
by Cookie
Air just made noise on the last couple until I boiled them. The rear took boiling twice. At least I didn't have to deep fat fry them! :-D

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 3:33 pm
by milesoffun
I used the grease method and it was not near as bad to clean up as I thought it would be - 10 minutes and I was good to go.

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Mon May 24, 2010 5:34 pm
by morganfrmn
take both apart and use the master cylinder on both at same time... till they get to the end...

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 5:07 pm
by DocRoot
I have been lucky enough not to have had to go the grease gun method yet.
Sprout and I just did mine (barnfind 1100) which were amazingly corroded and stuck, and it was no-muss, no-fuss, well, maybe just a little muss:
GreasyCalliper01.jpg
GreasyCalliper01.jpg (106.69 KiB) Viewed 205 times

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 5:09 pm
by DocRoot
We used the banjo and plugged it with a short piece of copper #14 wire with a bit of the insulation still attached, stuffed up the center and then screwed back in.

You can see the amount of grease the two sides took altogether.
GreasyCalliper02.jpg
GreasyCalliper02.jpg (117.78 KiB) Viewed 205 times

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 5:14 pm
by DocRoot
The best part of the grease-gun method is that they come apart with no drama. The HUGE pressure of a grease gun is backed up by really low volume so when things let go it is in millimeters, not with a pop or bang... Things ooze, they don't squirt.

Now it's off the the ultrasonic cleaner for some R&R.

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 7:49 pm
by pidjones
I've done grease gun, air, and master. I think my favorite is actually the grease gun. A little kerosene bath for it after...

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 8:36 pm
by tomk1960
If air doesn't work, this is the method I use that ALWAYS works, every time. And no greasy mess to clean up afterwards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHvIA_--BAs

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 8:51 pm
by SnoBrdr
IndianaJohn wrote:
Cookie wrote:Some of those are amazingly stuck though. I've had a long sitter just blow the master. I have been lucky enough not to have had to go the grease gun method yet.
Never had to resort to that method either, but I have heard of people doing so. I've used air in the past and decided pumping them out with the master was safer. But if that failed, I might have to go with the grease gun, tho I would dread the clean-up afterward.
I had to do it.

Cleanup wasn't really that bad.

A can of Brake Kleen easily did the trick.

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2019 10:27 pm
by pidjones
I'd much rather deal with the grease than more brake fluid.

Re: Tip for brake caliper piston removal

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:27 am
by Rat
You have to clean them anyway ....

Gord(greasey)Jones :lol: