Rusty Brembo caliper piston removal

[Basketcase]

100% success rate with no drama after watching this Youtube video.

One stubborn piston needed the caliper warming then sprayed with crc while cooling to hand hot to wick the oil in.

 

[Andy]

I’ve used this method with success too. One important point to note, it’s possible to oval the piston, especially if it is very stuck. Using 3 or 4 sockets etc is better than just using 2.

 

[Vince]

The brakes on the Ducati 500 parallel twin that I used to swap to my 1964 Bonnie had full-seized brakes as well. The local brake place used a Grease Gun to blow the pistons out on that. The latter alloy and teflon-coated pistons took this out of being needed, thankfully.

 

[pf1]

I had 22 calipers to free off recently and took them to Ged Shorten, the only ones that came out with compressed air were coated, the rest had to have grease pumped into them and even then it was difficult to shift some pistons, they were far more corroded than the ones in the video though.
I would like to have tried this method to see how it compared.
I managed to get all the bleed nipples out myself except one using heat and an impact wrench on a low setting, yet another Youtube tip.

 

[lavgert]

100% success rate with no drama after watching this Youtube video.

One stubborn piston needed the caliper warming then sprayed with crc while cooling to hand hot to wick the oil in.

… I‘ll try that methode tomorrow and will report back. Ciao, Gert

 

[Basketcase]

I’ve used this method with success too. One important point to note, it’s possible to oval the piston, especially if it is very stuck. Using 3 or 4 sockets etc is better than just using 2.

I resisted using extreme force. If the stubborn one had not shifted after warming then I was considering trying 3 smaller sockets. Maybe 4 would give a better eccentric camming action with a hex wrench.

 

[chrisk]

I’ve used this method with success too. One important point to note, it’s possible to oval the piston, especially if it is very stuck. Using 3 or 4 sockets etc is better than just using 2.

Do you need a Kiwi mate to act as a TA, as in the YouTube video?

 

[Andy]

Do you need a Kiwi mate to act as a TA, as in the YouTube video?

Nah, got my imaginary friend. Isn’t that right Lil Andy?
Yip!

 

[piranha-bro2]

I DO like clever stuff.

Got some twin nipple Brembo 08s to bleed in the next few days - I'll try the heat and impact trick.

 

[Alzero]

I DO like clever stuff.

Got some twin nipple Brembo 08s to bleed in the next few days - I'll try the heat and impact trick.

Make sure you use a six point socket to give the best odds of avoiding rounding off the bleed nipples……

 

[pf1]

Go gently with the bleed nipples, the one I snapped was when I used a higher setting, the wrench was a Ryobi battery powered one. Ged managed to get the remains of the snapped one out successfully though.

 

[piranha-bro2]

I won't use my pneumatic rattle gun then!

 

[chrisk]

Go gently with the bleed nipples, the one I snapped was when I used a higher setting, the wrench was a Ryobi battery powered one. Ged managed to get the remains of the snapped one out successfully though.

I had to change a flat today. Used the 3/4 drive Milwaukie battery rattle gun for the first time in anger. Holy fucken moly, that thing would crucify bleed nipples.

 

[Storm]

My method for when all else fails is to drill into the piston tap a thread and then use a bolt to push against the caliper. Out comes the piston.

 

[piranha-bro2]

My method for when all else fails is to drill into the piston tap a thread and then use a bolt to push against the caliper. Out comes the piston.

Yep, great method.