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Getting ready for a brake caliper rebuild....

Discussion in 'Tech' started by duc995, Mar 14, 2017.

  1. duc995

    duc995 Yep…

    New project for me! I realize, of course, the need to order new OEM seals/dust seals/etc. But, when you unbolt two-piece calipers, even if they are only four years old and never seen rain, do you need to order new bolts for the reassembly? I am anticipating the impact wrench butchering the hell out of the OEM hardware and then having the parts be on back order or something. I just want to be fully prepared....
     
  2. Kurlon

    Kurlon Well-Known Member

    I wouldn't split the caliper, pull the pistons and seals and give the caliper a thorough cleaning but leave it in one piece.
     
  3. SPL170db

    SPL170db Trackday winner


    I never butchered anything when rebuilding them....

    http://forums2.13x.com/index.php?threads/cleaning-calipers.284701/#post-3490099
     
  4. duc995

    duc995 Yep…

    So that is one vote for splitting the calipers and one vote to not .... :)
     
  5. mpusch

    mpusch Well-Known Member

    I've split mine several times to clean then and never had an issue.
     
  6. emry

    emry Can you count? 50 Fucking what?

    I've never split calipers. Motorcycle or automotive. Why? Clean the areas that are exposed to contamination, don't F with the areas that aren't and don't leak. Removing a fastener that is set by a factory is just one more area that now has a chance to fail. OEM's are paranoid about brake failures, trying to service non-service areas is inviting a failure. Why temp fate? Isn't there enough in motorcycles already? To clean something that isn't dirty? I don't get it.

    Pistons and seals. Yes, out and new. Never been an issue. The rest of my life experiences would imply that I am not the lucky one.
     
  7. duc995

    duc995 Yep…

    I guess I didn't realize that there was enough space for the pistons of a two-piece caliper to be removed completely. I always thought that was WHY they are two-piece: to be able to extract the pistons.
     
  8. SPL170db

    SPL170db Trackday winner

    Huh? There's fasteners all over the bike that are set by the factory.....in fact every single one is set by the factory. I'm assuming you've never taken apart anything on your bike?

    Splitting calipers is not like splitting engine cases. There's literally 1 seal slightly larger than the size of a pencil eraser that seals 1 port that connects the two side together. And what makes you think that its a non-service area? In every service manual I've seen it details how to take them apart o_O

    There's literally a section titled "Caliper disassembly" :crackup:


    Screen Shot 2017-03-14 at 9.06.33 PM.png



    When I rebuilt ONE piece mono block calipers obviously they couldn't be split so the pistons were able to be take out in 1 piece. The 2 piece calipers I've rebuilt couldn't and needed to be split to access everything.
     
    Murcielago311 likes this.
  9. RM Racing

    RM Racing Tool user

    I can't think of anything less necessary to do than breaking apart the brake calipers. You can if you want, but there's absolutely no need to do so for proper maintenance or repair.
     
  10. emry

    emry Can you count? 50 Fucking what?

    Guess I have spent too many year working on Yamaha's. :whoosh:Thanks for perspective.
     
  11. Only split the calipers in 2 if you're having them powdercoated or something that requires it. Replacing seals theres no reason to split them. Just use air and blow the pistons out. It makes no sense to disassemble more than you have too.
     
  12. Murcielago311

    Murcielago311 Well-Known Member

    I split the calipers on my neglected 25K mile 2006 track bike and I'm glad I did. But in your case I would just do pots and seals.
     
  13. fastfreddie

    fastfreddie Midnight Oil Garage

    "Having to" might include checking for casting/machining flash/burrs, or a bleed screw that comes in too far. Either of which can create an air pocket.

    Crud accumulating and contaminating your fresh fluid change is also a consideration, particularly when you don't know the bike's history.

    Might as well consider disecting the m/c while you're at it. ;)
     
  14. duc995

    duc995 Yep…

    Thanks guys! Glad I asked before proceeding with the chore.
     
  15. zammer

    zammer Well-Known Member

    I've always split mine, and rebuilt with new stretch bolts (they are typically aluminum). But if you can get the pistons out without doing so then yeah I would leave them together, just less work overall.
     
  16. Kurlon

    Kurlon Well-Known Member

    I've got a big ultrasonic cleaner that handles these issues nicely.
     
  17. zammer

    zammer Well-Known Member

    Yeah I work in a lab so I usually just split them, toss them in a liter of diluted simple green and then ethanol for an hour each... blow them out and it's zero work since they are bone dry then
     
  18. Boman Forklift

    Boman Forklift Well-Known Member

    I've never split mine, but emry and RM Inside are sharp dudes that have been doing this for factory's or factory race teams......so I'm going to go with what they say.
     
  19. Spitz

    Spitz Well-Known Member

    Its just less of a failure point if you leave them. If you want to, go ahead, you may want to buy the seals ahead of time however.
     

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