Frozen Brakes.... :confused:

[natemoen]

I just bought a 1978 XS11 and the PO had taken the brakes apart to fix them and never did (big shocker there). So now I have the bike and the pistons are rusted into the caliper. Does anyone have any good way of getting them out??? I tried using compressed air but that didn't even budge them. I would like it if I could at least have the chance of reusing the pistons after I get them out. Thanks in advance!

[DGXSER]

Compressed air is typically the most successful. I would probably put a bunch of PB Blaster or the like in the caliper, let it sit for a day then drain out and retry the compressed air.

Another method is to use a grease gun. Put a solid bolt in the brake hose mounting hole, and hook a grease gun to the bleeder and push grease in to pop it out.

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Work the piston in and out a little at a time with the air.

Shoot air to it then push it back in and repeat as many times as nessesary.

BE CAREFUL THOUGH!!! when that piston does decide to cut loose and pop out it will fly if you don't have it contained.

Put the air to it inside a cardboard box........that should suffice.

And keep you damn fingers out of the way! ( experience speaking )

[jmnjrpa]

Ouch!!

And keep you damn fingers out of the way! ( experience speaking )

I folded a shop towel between the piston and the caliper to protect things but follow Greg's advise cause when it lets go it comes out with a BANG!

[GARTHXS]

monkey rage

I tools a piece of wood closet rod and set the caliper on a block of wood and applied copious amounts of blunt trauma, this freed mine up so they were able to be removed

[crazy steve]

Use the grease gun trick; when nothing else works, this will pop them out with no fuss every time. It's messy and slow, but if they're really jammed and air isn't working well, it will probably prove to be faster. It's been my preferred method if air doesn't work easily for years now. Safer too...

'78E original owner

[boediddly]

if your caliper is removed try heating it up (torch or heat gun) then use the compressed air

[Incubus]

Your pistons are not rusted TO the caliper bodies because the bodies are made from aluminum. That said, first put the caliper into a vise or use a big c-clamp vise grip to push the piston INTO the caliper. This will break any bond between the two parts. Then use compressed air to push it out. Alternately, reattach the caliper to the brake line, bleed the system and use the master cylinder to push the piston out. This has almost always worked for me. It is less likely rust and more likely dirt and dry brake fluid holding the piston in. Denatured alcohol will melt the old brake fluid, if that is the problem.

Patrick

[natemoen]

Got them apart and cleaned out! I will do the rear caliper tomorrow. Thanks everyone!