Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I am in the process of replacing the seals in my Front brake calipers. it is always a messy job I use the brake pressure to move the pistons. Fluid everywhere, G-clamps that never seem to be the right size and the bits of wood used last time, have been thrown away and I have no reserve.

Why all of this? I do not have an air supply Quote" Extract the caliper pistons. Piston removal may be affected usingĀ  a low pressure air line." A foot pump no good I cannot get a good enough seal, Handpump the same. My little electrical pressure pump has the same problem no pressure due to a bad connection.

Any body with a great idea and a clean one? I am fed up with cleaning up all the mess.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have used a high pressure air line.

Wrap the caliper in rags so no damage can be done when the pistons come out.

Once one is out push it jus back in, tether with cloth and blow the other out. A foot pump will not provide enough air most of the time.

Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, Peter Douglas Winn said:

I am in the process of replacing the seals in my Front brake calipers. it is always a messy job I use the brake pressure to move the pistons. Fluid everywhere, G-clamps that never seem to be the right size and the bits of wood used last time, have been thrown away and I have no reserve.

Why all of this? I do not have an air supply Quote" Extract the caliper pistons. Piston removal may be affected usingĀ  a low pressure air line." A foot pump no good I cannot get a good enough seal, Handpump the same. My little electrical pressure pump has the same problem no pressure due to a bad connection.

Any body with a great idea and a clean one? I am fed up with cleaning up all the mess.

Why ? New ones are cheap and do the jobĀ 

Link to post
Share on other sites

The reason is the Brake cylinders are new but who knows if the rubbers are not old. As a precautionary measure I have decided to change the seals. I have done the job many times so that is not the problem. I am just fed up with the mess eachtime.Ā  Roger If you can find a civil servent that is prepared to permit MIG welders in an underground parking space please tell me.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Do they run on a car battery? I have no power point in the garage. (The community do not want to pay for the electricity and they refuse to permit a meter). The little one I use to pump up the tyres takes ages (battery device) I cannot get a decent seal and the pressure is never enough. I have an underground garage it is forbidden to work on cars, but they turn a blind eye to nuts and bolt jobs. This means I can do a lot of jobs.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Peter,

buy a cheapĀ one with wheels, load the pressured air container up to 8Ā bar.

After loaded unplug it and take the unit (on wheels)Ā to your car, this will do the job.

If not move it back to the next 230V supply.

Du machst das, GrĆ¼ĆŸe, Marco

Link to post
Share on other sites
56 minutes ago, Peter Douglas Winn said:

Do they run on a car battery? I have no power point in the garage. (The community do not want to pay for the electricity and they refuse to permit a meter). The little one I use to pump up the tyres takes ages (battery device) I cannot get a decent seal and the pressure is never enough. I have an underground garage it is forbidden to work on cars, but they turn a blind eye to nuts and bolt jobs. This means I can do a lot of jobs.

Can you use something like this:

https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwjkqqH3wJ7zAhV0kWYCHbeYADYYABALGgJzbQ&sig=AOD64_3yOSEoZd370_tqn7iHc1T2mQntPg&adurl&ctype=5&ved=2ahUKEwjxy5b3wJ7zAhUHuksFHaQZCJwQvhd6BAgBEFI

FillĀ  it up at a garage.

Link to post
Share on other sites
1 minute ago, Drewmotty said:

Replace the bleed nipple with a grease nipple and use a grease gun.Ā 

Finally!

+1

Actually, I was able to pull the pistons out by hand....they really should not be locked up. But the grease works very well too.

Ā 

Edited by JochemsTR
Link to post
Share on other sites

A mechanical tool could be something like a O-ring or a rubber washer,

compressend between two washers (made of aluminium) by a bolt / ring nut.

To pull the piston out by the ring nut.Ā You know: like on thermos flasks?.

BUT: this could fail anyway and you have so many other options...

Ā 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I like that idea. What about contamination. I don't think I have a completly clean grease gun. Ok, I could on a Sunday take the calipers to a place with compressed air. :D:D:D

I am trying to do the job in the underground garage without any agro.

Link to post
Share on other sites

As you have the calipers off the car why restrict yourself to the tools in an underground garage?

Use an air bed adaptor with the extreme tip cut off to use a foot pump but ideally take ot to a workshop, friend or neighbour with a high pressure air line and save yourself a lot of time and aggro.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Andy

I can bleed the fluid with my vacuum pump. Then I have to have compressed air. Where I live this is not easily avaiable. The only compressed air in the vicinity is the local petrol station, tyre pumps. I am hoping I can just pull the pistons out. If not I have this problem. I am looking for an easy way, without having to take off all the bits and get into a car and drive around until I find somebody with the right gear.

Re. friends nobody repairs their cars nowdays, infact they don't even wash them themselves, they just spend money and go to the wash garage. To be fair, it is forbidden to wash cars on the streets and all the old washing places have to have a very expensive oil seperators. So much for the greens.

Most of the young garage employees here are trying to find the USB connection in the TR6 for their analytic computer. Or as a very highly qualified engineer said that's interesting when shown a torque wrench.Ā  I won't mention the firm involved.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Mike for that price I take the car to a local garage. I haveĀ  no storage space in the garage so afterwards I would throw it away. Hum.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Peter-You have my sympathy. I can't imagine a more depressing situation than having a TR6 and not being allowed the freedom of working on it. Perhaps this is what hell will be like.Ā 

There must be someone in your circle of acquaintances with an air compressor that would blow the pistons out.

Berry

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Peter,

If you are able/Ā willing to remove the callipers from the car, then this can be done by mechanically leavening out the pistons:

  1. Ensure either the bleed nipple or break pipe entry is open (to allow flow of fluid / stop suction due to non-flow of break fluid).
  2. Remove the dust cover from the piston.
  3. Spray WD40 between the side of the piston and the housingĀ (if the piston has rusted and has not been used for a while, it might be stuck).
  4. Gently push the piston back into the calliper - just a little bit, to free the piston.
  5. Using two flat screwdrivers on opposing sides,Ā lever the piston out. Use the protrusionĀ on each side of the calliper as the fulcrum point for the screwdriver, and insert the screwdriver into the recess in the piston used to retain the dust cover.
    Using just one screwdriver does not work because the piston tilts within the housing and locks.
    See the attached photo.

I have used this technique on rusted pistons and managed to extract them without damaging them.

Ā 

@anyone: does anyone know if stainless steel pistons are a good thing? Stainless steel expands about 34% more than carbon steel (of the standard pistons), so I was wondering how they behave once the disc has become hot due to breaking.

Paul

Ā IMG_1781.thumb.jpg.3ea7ba586e0281d8e5a229923e77f161.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Bill this is exactly the one I use but it is very low pressure which only builds up if there is a perefct seal.

Paul I am sure I can get the caliper off. I will try it, I thought about doing this. The reason I did not go this way in the past was the worry about damaging the Pistons. I can empty the system as I have a vacuum pump.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Please familiarise yourself with our Terms and Conditions. By using this site, you agree to the following: Terms of Use.