Grease gun to remove stuck piston - Friggin' Awesome !

[BradW87]

Thanks!

My way of doing it would entail wiping the majority of the grease out, remove the seals/rubber parts then rinse/brush the caliper in gas/kerosene or something similar. A spray of brake cleaner to finish with and it'd be one clean caliper.

Thank you for your explanation!

[Bonz]

My way of doing it would entail wiping the majority of the grease out, remove the seals/rubber parts then rinse/brush the caliper in gas/kerosene or something similar. A spray of brake cleaner to finish with and it'd be one clean caliper.

[BradW87]

Grease goes where?

May seem like a silly Q, but what do you use to clean the grease out with after??

[crazy steve]

I am a bit late to this party... Did the caliper not want to give up the piston by using the brake lever while still on the bike?

If you have a partially-functioning brake system, using the master will work. But what do you do when the master needs rebuilding too? Do the brake rebuild piecemeal? Master first so you can get the pistons out? This is much simpler...

And while this is messy, the mess is on your workbench. No worries about brake fluid on painted surfaces.... Pour some brake fluid in the banjo fitting before starting and most of the grease will fall out once the piston is out...

[Bonz]

Courtney, that's a big ROFLMFAO!

Good to be able to give ourselves the credit for all the things we do and laugh about it!

[Courtney]

How to make a spark plug into a "Greaseplug"

I did this to free a very stuck V8 Chevy. I just found the cylinder with the valves closed and a hand held grease gun did the trick in short order.

Now that is friggin' brilliant as well. I could have unstuck a VW engine that way instead of trying 2nd gear with some serious pushing up and down the driveway.

[Courtney]

I am a bit late to this party... Did the caliper not want to give up the piston by using the brake lever while still on the bike?

Well Bonz, it's like this see? Some dumb s**t took the caliper off before he pumped the piston out with the brake lever. I wonder who that coulda been?

[Bonz]

I am a bit late to this party... Did the caliper not want to give up the piston by using the brake lever while still on the bike?

[jetmechmarty]

How to make a spark plug into a "Greaseplug"

I did this to free a very stuck V8 Chevy. I just found the cylinder with the valves closed and a hand held grease gun did the trick in short order.

[fredintoon]

I used to swear by compressed air. I would always push the caliper in before applying the air to it. I also used to surround it with old pillows or blankets to avoid any disasters with the jet propulsion of the piston from the caliper.
Then I ran into one I could not get out with the compressed air, so, reluctantly I tried the grease gun method that most members said worked better on one that was stuck badly.
Yes it is a bit messy, but damn it works great and is easy to do. No danger involved or anything damaged. I will still give her the one time quick try of blowing it out, but if it does not move right away I go to the grease gun in a hurry. Great tip! Not everyone has a compressor but most have access to a grease gun.

Hi Rasputin,
everyone should own an air compressor. Any strong willed person can fight off obsessive airtool collection once they have bought the basics.
But the reason a grease gun works better is that air compressors put out 125psi and even a cheap nasty grease gun puts out way over 1,000psi.
Safer too.
I'd rather mop up a grease spill than play "dodge the missile" if my safety padding didn't work.

[clcorbin]

Yeah, but compressed air doesn't always work. I've run into more than a few where it didn't budge them. The grease trick works every time...

And as one who generally uses the compressed air method, I do have to admit that with grease being incompressible (ok, it only compresses a LITTLE bit with a LOT of pressure....), the whole piston launching event is MUCH less than with air behind it. Of course, it is not NEARLY as exciting either...

[Rasputin]

I used to swear by compressed air. I would always push the caliper in before applying the air to it. I also used to surround it with old pillows or blankets to avoid any disasters with the jet propulsion of the piston from the caliper.
Then I ran into one I could not get out with the compressed air, so, reluctantly I tried the grease gun method that most members said worked better on one that was stuck badly.
Yes it is a bit messy, but damn it works great and is easy to do. No danger involved or anything damaged. I will still give her the one time quick try of blowing it out, but if it does not move right away I go to the grease gun in a hurry. Great tip! Not everyone has a compressor but most have access to a grease gun.

[crazy steve]

Compressed air is a bit less messy but glad the grease worked.

Yeah, but compressed air doesn't always work. I've run into more than a few where it didn't budge them. The grease trick works every time...

[dpotter58]

The first time I used air I almost crapped when it shot out...

[DGXSER]

I just use a rag instead of wood, but yep, something softer than metal, that isn't any part of your body, to absorb the impact.