Topic: Can I dunk my entire front caliper?

[robdrobd]

My front caliper is all rusty and I can't even get the pads out. Can I dunk it in simple green or rust remover for a few hours?

[rbirkhan]

Stick a compressed air line on the brake line fitting and it will pop right out usually pads and all.

[flybox1]

the short answer is.... yes.

carefull with that compressor, your piston will go a flyin'

[robdrobd]

She's a dunkin right now

[Gunner_CAF]

I have read (I think the FAQs) that you can put a grease gun on it and inject grease into it.  This may work better than air for the real stuck ones.

On my super stuck caliper, it removed the brake pad from the plate.  I soaked the brake pad plate with PB Blaster.  I used a sharp chisel to work the pad back and forth until I could see it was free.  I then slapped it face down on a wood workbench and the plate worked it's way out.  Once I did this, 100 lbs compressed air popped the cylinder and plate out.

Be careful using compressed air, the cylinder really pops!  I held the opening down into the work bench so it didn't fly across the garage.

I have more info on how I took the brake pad off and a few pictures here:

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=73339.0

Gunner

[JTFormula]

You can lower the air pressure on the compressor just so it doesn't madly shoot out (but whats the fun in that?)

I wouldn't recommend the grease gun thing because then you have to really clean the heck out of the caliper after so you don't leave all the contaminants in where the fluid will be. Nothing like rebuilding the caliper and then having foreign matter to ruin your good work.

[mrrch]

The grease gun method works great (nice,slow and easy). If the caliper is that stuck you will have to clean out the bore and the seal groove anyway so the grease is not a concern.

[Alan F.]

The simplest way I know is to leave the brake line attached and the master full of fluid, disassemble the caliper halves, place the caliper into a large coffee can (notch the plastic lid for the brake line and snap the lid on) do the 'Captain Morgan' pose with one foot up on the coffee can and give the brake lever a squeeze or two, the ejected piston and brake fluid mess will be contained safely and simply. 

Even a weak master cylinder will eventually eject the piston.

[Gunner_CAF]

The simplest way I know is to leave the brake line attached and the master full of fluid, disassemble the caliper halves, place the caliper into a large coffee can (notch the plastic lid for the brake line and snap the lid on) do the 'Captain Morgan' pose with one foot up on the coffee can and give the brake lever a squeeze or two, the ejected piston and brake fluid mess will be contained safely and simply. 

Even a weak master cylinder will eventually eject the piston.

Agreed, but in my case, the master cylinder was stuck in.  The fluid looked like a dirt and grease mix.  This was not possible.

Gunner

[Alan F.]

No spare master?  Sounds like it needs a rebuild before the caliper.