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Re: Frozen Brake Caliper
Posted by jfrancis (more from jfrancis) on Tue, 19 Dec 2000 16:38:41
In Reply to: , Kok Chen, Sat, 17 Dec 1988 12:00:00 

Thank you all for your help on my frozen brake caliper.  To answer the most
common question; yes, I did turn in the primary piston with my special tool
made from a piece of scrap oak and a couple of screws.  It was the other
piston, what Bentley calls the 'indirect piston' that is frozen.  Stephen
Goldberger was kind enough to share his wisdom with me, and I'll pass on
some of his comments here:

'In the immortal words of 'click and clack', 'its done for'.  But it's
'mostly dead', not completely dead, and chances are you can revive it if
you have the time and inclination.

Step 1: get a caliper rebuilding kit (around $40 or so from Andrews -
enough parts for both side).

The rebuilding kit has a pretty good set of instructions in it. but here's
some additional tips.

Once you have removed the big spring in the back from the piston assembly,
the whole mechanism can be beaten out of the caliper body.  Although this
is a 'floating caliper' design, it has two pistons, one pointed in each
direction, and the caliper bore is clear through.  After you do that,
you'll find the insides rusted to h---.  You can soak all the parts with
penetrating oil and work them around until they're free, but remember that
then you need to get every trace of oil out of the parts.  Get lots of cans
of 'brake cleaner' spray for that part.  

If the piston is badly rusted, it's completely dead.  Minor pitting is OK,
so long as the pits are MUCH smaller than the piston seal and are isolated.
 If there's a continuous path of pitting that will allow fluid to bypass
the seal, it's completely dead.  A new piston is probably more expensive
than a factory rebuilt caliper body.  If you do get a rebuilt caliper, I'd
take it apart and make sure the parts are at least better than the parts
you are going to give back to them.  (most sellers have a core-charge, but
they allow you a couple of weeks to send the old one back and collect it
back).

Whenever I've done the job, I've packed the entire cavity behind all the
seals (this is where the parking brake lever enters) solid with silicone
grease.  I also pack silicone grease in the space between the piston seals
and the 'dust boots'.  The repair kit comes with some packets of 'parking
brake grease' and 'assembly grease'.  I don't use them.  I use silicone
grease.  Lots of it.'

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