Brake Calliper Slide Cleaning

Basically, I did a general clean up of the brakes there not too long ago to get rid of all the winter roads that were stuck to them, but it seems that I have not correctly re-attached the gator on one of the slide pins. Noticed yesterday after I hosed the bike down that it was very sticky and hard to push back into the garage, Took the calliper off to find the gator, and the slide was now very grindy..... and didn't like moving backwards and forwards easily.

Now...

Is it easy to take this apart and give it a good clean?

What sort of cleaning product can be used on it?

What sort of grease is ideal to be used when putting it all back together?


I have put some normal grease into it for now as it was looking a bit dry and I'm just back from its MOT. But I want to get it 100% sorted before it gets worse. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[yorkie_chris]

Likely you have corrosion around the outside of the rubber which is nipping it. Take it out scrape all the corrosion and use some rubber-safe grease there. The other one which slides metal-metal you can use normal grease on.

YC is the slide supposed to just pull out? it doesn't look to be corroded, it sounds as if there is a sand-like substance in it, just grit or something.

[yorkie_chris]

Corrosion is gritty.

Yeah the caliper just pulls off the hangar when you've got pads out and such.

Took it apart there, yeah the slides came out with ease, the extra dab of grease seems to have freed it up. But the brakes are still rubbing a bit. I can only assume that one or both of the pistons isn't retracting properly, which is just great...

Had a closer look at the calliper there today, and its looking like the dust seal on one of the pistons is starting to pull out with the piston. So it will need to be replaced I'm guessing.

is it best to change the seals in both of the pistons? And i read on this that they should be put in with a coating of red rubber grease.

Can get the a set of seals for one piston off ebay for £6, then will have to have a go at it myself. Have the haynes manual for a bit of guidance.