Caliper Piston removal

[Kev95GS]

Hi All, :wave

Got a 95 R1100GS, ABS, with 72K, La Chica Vieja. :heart

I have a sticky caliper on the front, so it seemed like a good time to go ahead and put on Stainless brake lines :clap and some brake maintenance.

Lines are on the way, got to the master cylinder and WOW, leaking, crud everywhere around and behind the boot, :sick . The cylinder wall is not scarred and I will put in new seals, it'll be aw'ight.

I want to replace the seals in the calipers but, I can't get all 4 pistons out at the same time. Not enough clearance. I can get one side out, both pistons, but then can't get the other side out because there is nothing to hold the pressure when I use the air compressor.

I wanted to try to have all the pistons out so I can clean it well and get all the old fluid out while it was apart.

Any ideas? Or should I just take 'em out 1 side at a time, replace the seals and clean?

Thanks!

Kevin

[deilenberger]

If the pistons have a hollow center where they face the brake pads - there is a tool made just for this purpose to remove them. It has expanding jaws that clamp on the inside hollow center and allow you to pull them out. Problem may be there isn't a lot of clearance in the caliper to get the tool in..

You might check with a professional auto parts place (NAPA or simular - not Autozone, Kragen, etc) and see if they have a tool to do this.

[Bob_M]

You can use the hydraulic pressure of the brakes to push out the pucks. A simple clamp can be fabricated with long bolts and plate steel, to hold the looser one down so that the brake fluid can push out the tighter one

[manicmechanic]

I've even used some small (3-4 inch) C-clamps to hold the pistons in, then use brake power or the compressed air route.

[Kev95GS]

Thanks guys,
I can get the pistons out, just not all 4 at the same time. Due to limited clearance, when I push the pucks out using compressed air, 1 side has to stay almost completely compressed.

I will see if there is a tool available as deilenberger suggests. But, it may be that I'm just being to anal about it.

I wanted all 4 out so I could get all the old fluid out by blowing air through the channels, then re-install the new seals and pucks, but it will probably be OK if I just clean each side as I remove the pucks.

Just waiting on the parts truck now.

Kevin

[billyb]

kev95gs;

Be careful using compressed air as its possible
that they will come out under quite a bit of pressure.

If you can use hydraulic pressure, there should not
be the compressive force.

I'm sure there is someone that can explain it better
than I.

Goood luck