Mark Vaughan's Journal

Someone on the forum described a front caliper rebuild as one of the easier "big" jobs that you can do and I agree.

I encountered some of the same problems as others in regards to removing the pistons, but in my opinion, compressed air is the way to go. Go slow... be careful (don't lose a finger in the process)... and make sure that you have a piece of wood between the pistons and you will be OK.

The inlet side piston willl probably be the first to move, so let it break free, use c-clamps to push it back in (and hold it there) while you push out the other (far side) piston.

All four of my pistons had serious pitting on the outer edge. None were re-usable, so I replaced them all at about $15 per piston. Throw in an inexpensive rebuild kit (just a few seals) and you are way ahead of the game when compared to buying new, or even rebuilt calipers.

Jack (aka: Twigworker) had posted valuable advice in regards to the metal seal retainer on the top seals. Don't remove it..! Use a small screwdriver to pick out the old seal and just re-use the existing retainer.

I also took advantage of a really neat product... Evaporust. This stuff works miracles..! My calipers looked like heck and after removing the old seals, there was quite a bit of rust in the seal grooves. 24 hours in a bowl of evaporust and it all dissapeared..! I'm serious... there wasn't anything lefy to clean up. It's amazing.

OK... that's the end of my testimonial (at least for now... I'm really impressed with this product)

I'm putting ceramic pads back on the front... not for performance, but to minimize the brake dust. I have (in need of restoration) wire wheels (that will be another story) and I'm just saving myself a little time cleaning them down the road.

Also... I forgot to mention that I am replacing all of the flexible brake hoses and the hose to the clutch master. Small investments for a lot of peace of mind.