relube the pistons and seals with the brake fluid. thats what the service manual suggests.

put a piece of 1/4 inch wood between the pistons. so when you blow air in the caliper they don't hit each other. and keep your fingers out of there when you do it. I got mine jammed in there and crushed. and they dont release unless you pry on them.

I also used permatex's synthetic caliper grease on mine. now permatex has a better lube for calipers. and you can use it on the pistons and seals. but I can't find it in stores yet.
http://www.permatex.com/products/au...ricants/specialty_lubricants/Permatex_Ceramic_Extreme_Brake_Parts_Lubricant.htm

a one liter bottle is way way more than enough. I end up using 1/2 - 3/4 of a 12oz bottle. a liter is basically a quart.

 

yeah I got my fingers crushed too :lol HURTS!!


I used a rag and stuffed it into the bores for the pistons... it really doesnt take much pressure using a rag to block the air hole.

 

^ haha, yep the force those little bastards can apply is amazing.
It was the funniest thing I ever had happen to me. I could not pull my fingers out of the caliper so I had to dig for a screwdriver and pry the pistons apart.:lol it left me with some sore ass fingers for sure

 

thanks for the reply guys.

I worked on it for about an hour or so yesterday, but I don't have an air compressor All I have is this;

I just placed the nozzle from my mini compressor (which all I have is the tip that fits for filling up car/bike tires) over the inlet from the banjo bolt (not very good of a seal at all). Do they make an attachment for this kind of cheap air compressor that kind of looks like an air blower - what I mean is, starts out very narrow then gets bigger to make a good seal around the brake line opening in the caliper?

Like this, but with an adaptor that will fit into that mini-compressor

Well, using this sorry ass method, I did manage to get 3 of the 4 pistons out of the right caliper. I guess I just couldn't build up enough pressure though. I was trying to put the nozzle over the brakeline port and close the three other brake fluid passages with my fingers. I have fairly small hands, but there was no way. And if did happen to come out with my hand it there it would've gave me a pretty good little shot, but I wanted to at least get that one caliper done.

This is the right caliper I was able to get the 3 pistons out of;

The left caliper on the other hand - I was only able to get 1 piston out;

Before I started doing this, I raised the front wheel off the ground and first took the right caliper off and spun the tire - no change really from both brake calipers attached - abour 1/2 turn with a lot of force to spin the tire. Then I switched and took the left side off and put the right caliper on (with both off it will spin 10x+) it spun about 2 full revalutions! I also noticed that I could see the pistons actually retracting a bit in the right caliper as I let off the brake. But in the left, I could see only one retract (which was the one that popped out).

I think this is the main reason I was only able to get 1 of the pistons out of the left caliper. Left caliper is really gummed up.

I have a friend from work who is going to let me borrow his 70lb air tank with a blower attachment (I should've gotten this from him before I started). So hopefully this will create enough pressure to pop the remaining pistons out.

Here is how I have my brake lines - I tried to get them as far away from anything as I could.

I also filled up my resevior with some old/new dot 4 brake fluid (I say old because the seal was broken about a year ago) and tried to flush the brake lines.

I plan to have the brakes put back on by tomorrow.

I tried using the rag method Thrak, but I am sure it will work out once I get the "correct" tool.

 

I have an air compressor and still had trouble getting all the pistons out. .

I seen a video of a honda tech and he didn't bother to remove them completely. he put a thin piece of wood, like a shim in between the 4 pistons and let them all come out at once. they don't come out of the caliper all the way at this point (as you know)then he use a old tooth brush and brushed them off with a cleaner he had that was safe for rubber.

 

I have an air compressor and still had trouble getting all the pistons out. .

I seen a video of a honda tech and he didn't bother to remove them completely. he put a thin piece of wood, like a shim in between the 4 pistons and let them all come out at once. they don't come out of the caliper all the way at this point (as you know)then he use a old tooth brush and brushed them off with a cleaner he had that was safe for rubber.

Yeah, I took the calipers to a friend of mines place today (who has a air compressor) and I was able to get two more pistons out of the left caliper.

So that left me with 1 piston remaining in each caliper.

We tried everything to get that last piston out of each cylinder, wood clamps, c-clamps (with a piece of wood to cover the other 3 piston chambers) , pushing the piston back it, then popping it out again - spent close to 2 hours trying differant stuff. Nothing.

He asked me if we could just take those big blue screws out (thats the side both of the 1 remaining piston is in each caliper). I've read that you don't remove those, but I wouldn't know how to take them out anyway.

Has anyone removed those big blue screws? I've finally just decided that I going to clean the calipers up as much as I can w/o getting those last pistons out.

I think the next time I clean the calipers up (this is what I should've done) I'll get a piece of linoleum (I have a bunch left over and cause its so thin), cut it to about the size of my brake pads, put it inbetween the pistons. Then I will force them all out at once. I think that will work pretty good.

I've already removed the seals on the 6 pistons that I got out and I don't want to mess with it anymore.

 

how do you guys push the piston back in so it is flush? i know how to do it on a car brake caliper, but not on these...

 

I always remove the pistons furthest from the line and bleeder ports first, then the 2 up top. You can make a tool out of strap steel, welded (or bent) into a "U" shape to hold the pistons in their bores, while you remove the others.

Do what you need to do to remove the last 2 pistons. It would be a shame to go to all this trouble and still have the brakes drag because you only did the job part way.

 

I always remove the pistons furthest from the line and bleeder ports first, then the 2 up top. You can make a tool out of strap steel, welded (or bent) into a "U" shape to hold the pistons in their bores, while you remove the others.

Do what you need to do to remove the last 2 pistons. It would be a shame to go to all this trouble and still have the brakes drag because you only did the job part way.

Well, I cleaned the calipers up pretty good last night. I was thining that I could go ahead and put those seals back in along with the pistons, then make what you describe "U" or find something else that will clamp down the 3 pistons that I just cleaned. Put compressed air to it again with those clamps in place and it should easily pop the remaining piston out.

I could probably do what I was doing before with the clamps to block off the pistons... See I think now it should work a lot better before with the pistons and seals in there as no air should be escaping.

 

SUCESS!!!!!!

I was able to get the last piston out of each cylinder - here is how I did it

After I cleaned up the seals and piston blocks I re-instaleld the seals and pistons.

Picture is a bit blurry, but I cut up a bunch of strips of linoleum to block two of the pistons and I used a hose clamp to block off the 3rd piston. That piston that I spent a good hour yesterday trying to get out, came out in about 5 seconds. And I didn't even need an air compressor, I just was able to use my poor mans electric air pump method and it came right out!!

I went to pepboys and bought this;
http://www.permatex.com/products/automotive/specialized_maintenance_repair/brake_maintenance_repair/auto_Permatex_Ultra_Disc_Brake_Caliper_Lube_Hi-Temp_Silicone_Formula.htm
I did some searching on that stuff you mentioned serpentracer, but it seems to have just came out.

I lubed up the seals - but not to much and I put a very thin layer over the pistons. I don't think I will ever have to buy another bottle of this stuff ever again - i could probably do 50 brake sets with what I have left.

Thanks YamRZ350, I was going to just give up and not complete the job - I am glad I did now :thumbup

Tomorrow after work they go back on.

 

I'm having a huge problem with brake drag. I've put in new seals, cleaned the pistons, rebuilt the master, and now i've ordered new rotors.

my brakes drag, and the other major problem is that I have to pump the brakes back up after hard braking. This is especially a problem at Road America, braking into turn 5 is great, but then I have to pump them back up 2-3 full pumps before I have anything for turn 6.

What do you guys think?

 

What kind of fluid did you use? Loosing brake feel after hard braking is from the fluid boiling in the calipers - at least, thats what I was told.

Well, after I got my brakes put back on/bleed - I still have a bit a brake drag, but no where near as bad as before, I get about 4 full turns now from the front tire, where before it was only 1/2 turn.

I pretty happy with it - I re-used the seals also.

 

my brake drag went away till i did hard braking. I could get 4 turns out of it... after hitting turn 5 just once, i was back down to one revolution.

i was using valvoline DOT4 synthetic with a 574* boiling point. i should go buy some of this stuff. https://www.innovativetuning.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=76

i get almost 1 turn out of a free revolution right now. i'd be happy if i could get 4. one of the guys i track ride with has an 05 r6 and gets no drag.


this just sucks.