View Full Version : I have messed up cleaning my calipers.
Feckin' things :roll:
Was trying to clean my 6 pots when I went for one pump too many :( and it popped out - but the other side is sticking out just too far so it won't come completely out. And obviously I can't pump any other ones out now
Tiger 55
23-03-09, 07:54 AM
I can't pump any other ones out now
Sure you can, pop the one that popped out back in, have a little bleed and start again.
Dave20046
23-03-09, 08:57 AM
pull it out
plowsie
23-03-09, 09:15 AM
Molegrips, T-shirt on the face of them so you don't damage the pistons. Thats if you wanna pull the other out.
Molegrips, T-shirt on the face of them so you don't damage the pistons. Thats if you wanna pull the other out.
A T-shirt? I would use something alot more substancial than that. And I would only use this method if the pots were almost out and needed a gentle but firm helping hand. If I were in Stu's position, I would do what has already been suggested. Put the piston back in and try again.
plowsie
23-03-09, 10:06 AM
Well, a t-shirt was all that was to hand, and it was folded a few times, no chance of damaging the piston. But yeah, pop it back in and see how you get on.
punyXpress
23-03-09, 10:17 AM
Is there enough room to use a small G clamp & push back the piston that's still in?
Is there enough room to use a small G clamp & push back the piston that's still in?
I'm pretty sure he wanted them further out not back in.
A T-shirt? I would use something alot more substancial than that. And I would only use this method if the pots were almost out and needed a gentle but firm helping hand. If I were in Stu's position, I would do what has already been suggested. Put the piston back in and try again.
nah, this method works surprisingly well. Obviously not a single fold of the material. With a good wad of t-shirt (other clothing garments are available...) and a firm grip with the mole grips you can rotate the pistons as you pull them, works a treat. Used this approach loads of times with no damage.
punyXpress
23-03-09, 12:23 PM
I'm pretty sure he wanted them further out not back in.
Yep So when he pushes that one back, there's room to take the one he was shifting right out. I think, but that's a dangerous thing for me to do.
nah, this method works surprisingly well. Obviously not a single fold of the material. With a good wad of t-shirt (other clothing garments are available...) and a firm grip with the mole grips you can rotate the pistons as you pull them, works a treat. Used this approach loads of times with no damage.
Quite possibly so. But to just state use a T-shirt is not a very good explanation. I can envisage plenty of less knowledgeable folk killing pistons by this explanation. I would personally use a nice thick chunk of card. Mole grips flat edges gripping a rounded surface. A recipe for damage to occur.
plowsie
23-03-09, 12:29 PM
My bad.
Stu, As I'm sure you're aware the 6 pot Tokicos fitted to the ZX6R (I'm assuming this is the bike we're talking about) are made in 2 halves. There should be 4x 6mm hex headed bolts holding them together. Now Ideally you'd loosen these while the caliper was mounted to the fork, but you won't be able to do that easily now as the disc won't go back in.
Carefully secure the caliper so as not to damage it, undo the 4 bolts holding it together. This gives you access to all your pistons. When you've reassembled and pushed the pistons back in, put the 2 caliper halves back together and torque them back up.
Jambo
Edit:Clearly after doing this the caliper will be empty of fluid and you'll need to bleed it, but as you've already had a piston come partly out I figured you were down this road anyway.
Got red rubber grease? Essential for re-assembly, grease the seals before and lessen the change of damaging one of them.
Yep So when he pushes that one back, there's room to take the one he was shifting right out. I think, but that's a dangerous thing for me to do.
Yes that's possibly a good plan - If I had one :D
Stu, As I'm sure you're aware the 6 pot Tokicos fitted to the ZX6R (I'm assuming this is the bike we're talking about) are made in 2 halves. There should be 4x 6mm hex headed bolts holding them together. Now Ideally you'd loosen these while the caliper was mounted to the fork, but you won't be able to do that easily now as the disc won't go back in.
Carefully secure the caliper so as not to damage it, undo the 4 bolts holding it together. This gives you access to all your pistons. When you've reassembled and pushed the pistons back in, put the 2 caliper halves back together and torque them back up.
Jambo
Edit:Clearly after doing this the caliper will be empty of fluid and you'll need to bleed it, but as you've already had a piston come partly out I figured you were down this road anyway.
Yup the caliper is empty so that's fine. But I don't understand how splitting the caliper will miraculously give me access to the pistons :???: won't I be faced with the old mole grip scenario for the remaining 5 pistons to get them out still? :???: I can still attach the caliper to the bike with one bolt as I did that to get the brake line off
Got red rubber grease? Essential for re-assembly, grease the seals before and lessen the change of damaging one of them.
Yeah got that thanks :D
Ohh Almost forgot to say, many thanks to all posters especially to all those who refrained from saying have you done a search :D
and nobody said RTFM either :smt047
I don't understand how splitting the caliper will miraculously give me access to the pistons
It won't, but from the sounds of things you have popped one out too far and it's jammed against it's opposite number. Splitting the caliper will allow you to get that one back in, then pump the others out as normal.
By the way, have you done a search...
Here's a possible slight derail but relevant to said calipers.
Us there enough space to pump all 6 out enough to be able to Remove them?
If you pump one side out at a time you can pull them all the way out. It's not a bad idea to do this regularly as they get covered in brake dust and crystalised brake fluid which stops them sliding in and out properly, give 'em a clean up and re fit them and binding calipers will be a fing of da past...
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