need brake caliper help
 

need help (compressed air source) extracting pistons from calipers. calipers are removed from car, gaskets and such removed, pistons soaked with pb blaster. they are not loose enough to extract without higher pressure. car is 83 SC

TIA jim

Jim,

I'd be happy to help you out. I just finished rebuilding all four calipers on my car... all in nasty shape, two required over 100psi to get the pistons to move! So, I know the drill.

I'll be around most of the weekend. I'll PM you with my phone # & location.

thanks!

many thanks to john for removing the pistons from my calipers! thanks john :D

My pleasure, Jim. Hope the rebuild went well.

Are you doing the other pair of calipers? You may as well, since they are likely to need attention within the next 6-12 months. Give me a call when you are ready and I'll pop the pistons out.

Ok, how'd you do it? would it work if you just hooked them back up to the car and pushed on the pedal?

Hi Bill,

How's your heater blower working?

About the pistons... I just stuck a board down between the pistons and cranked up the compressor. Jim's still didn't move. We gave the pistons a little persuasion (rotation) with some vice-grips... reapplied the psi and out they came.

I like your idea of trying to do them on the car... next time I do my calipers (I hope that's several years from now!!) I'm gonna get the pistons 1/2 of the way out before removing the calipers from the car. A little wood between piston and rotor should prevent any damage.

I don't think you can get the pistons all the way out with the caliper still mounted due to the thickness of the rotors. Also, I wouldn't want to risk spraying brake fluid all over my wife's car!!

However, your idea is a great way to make the final piston removal step much easier.

Lucky,
Our heater is going strong.
I still have the other one for backup!

You sort of have the idea, but what I ment was take the caliper off the rotor and the piston would probably be able to come all the way out. (I would stop short of that.

Maybe tie a rag or bag arround it to keep the brake fluid from making a mess.
Haven't done on in a long time but I think it should work.

Jim, keep us posted with your caliper rebuild. Pics would be nice as well.

Bill,

Sorry... I was thinking about doing more than one corner. Your approach would be fine if you are doing just one corner.

With calipers still mounted (but pads removed) you could put thin pieces of wood between piston and rotor (on all of the calipers) and push all of the pistons part way out at the same time. A nice time saver.

To my way of thinking if one caliper is bad then they all probably need attention and the incremental effort to rebuild 'em all is small compared to having to jack the car up a few weeks later. You gotta take all four wheels off to bleed, anyway, so why not do all the calipers at one time?