How To - Refurbishing Brake Calipers

[grog]

Eric, got kit from UK, cant remember shop but pretty much same as you showed. $97 landed. Couldnt find a fault.

[Hooli]

I never bothered. Cleaning the old seals by scraping the crud off & turning in them upside down (so if they'd twisted as they often do when pistons stick they twist straight again) always worked for me.

The important bit is to take the time to get the grooves the seals sit in perfectly clean as it's crud in there that cause the issues.

[Tally]

My rebuild kit also came from powerhouse when I did mine , no complaints from me either still working perfectly. Pistons off eBay if they need to be changed as well.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Thanks fellas, will order the powerhouse kit for front and rear callipers, I am assuming that these have never been changed out, so not bad going for a 20yo motacicle.

[GSXKING]

We obviously don't get the amount of crap off the roads that you get ie salt etc 🙏
My bike is 21 yo next Monday & all I've ever done is clean the calipers whilst changing brake pads several times in 148,000+ kms of travel there are no apparent leaks or seized pistons so I'll consider myself very lucky 🍀

[Eric GSX1400K3]

We obviously don't get the amount of crap off the roads that you get ie salt etc 🙏
My bike is 21 yo next Monday & all I've ever done is clean the calipers whilst changing brake pads several times in 148,000+ kms of travel there are no apparent leaks or seized pistons so I'll consider myself very lucky 🍀

well done Chris, bike's a credit to you. Fully agree re the longevity of vehicles where there's no extremes of temperature (frost, snow and salt etc.)  Mate bought a 56 Cadillac from Nevada, original condition (I.e unrestored) started first go after putting a new battery in it.

[grog]

No extremes of temp in Brisbane?In that 21 yrs its prob felt 4 to 44. Thats pretty wide. Yeah i know no freezing stuff. Mine in same climate, thought my brakes were all good also, fair bit of build up when pulled apart, couple of lazy pistons, they were very dirty. Calipers are crap design, should have outer seal as cars do. Good fun re doing them, will do my spare set, donate to someone who wants them.

[Eric GSX1400K3]

No extremes of temp in Brisbane?In that 21 yrs its prob felt 4 to 44. Thats pretty wide. Yeah i know no freezing stuff. Mine in same climate, thought my brakes were all good also, fair bit of build up when pulled apart, couple of lazy pistons, they were very dirty. Calipers are crap design, should have outer seal as cars do. Good fun re doing them, will do my spare set, donate to someone who wants them.

PM sent

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Tech tip, after rebuilding the calipers, and they are mounted back on the forks, check all caliper joint bolts with a torque wrench.  The 6mm socked head bolts go to 21Nm.  I did mine by hand, and had a slight weep between the halves. With the torque wrench they went another 1/2 turn and sealed it up correctly