I reckon I have refurbished well over 50 set of calipers and this is how I do it - hope its of some help
Strip the calipers down to all separate components
Bodies – I clean in thinners to get brake fluid out, remove grease and some of the grime
I then used a bench mounted fine wire wheel to remove the rest of the detritus and the old paint – once clean I mount the caliper halves in a vice and using a Dremel with a wire wheel I clean to piston seal grooves to remove the build up of corrosion (it can be fairly hard so persevere here to make sure you get a good clean surface so the new seals sit where they should do)
At this point I run a tap down all the threads to clean these out
Now wipe down with panel wiper (or thinners) to make sire clean
Masking – I mount in the vice again (soft jaws) and place masking tape over the mating and piston holes – the overlap of the masking tape I remove with a very fine file or scalpel
Painting – I sit the caliper halves on rattle can lids – I use a base coat to spray 2 or 3 light coats over the inside and outside faces of the halves – leaving a few hours to cure
If your using rattle cans you may need a few more coats to get a decent build up
Tokico Raised Lettering – to remove the paint from the raised lettering I place 2 layers of masking tape around the lettering and then using a fine flat file I lightly remove the paint – once paint all off a light brushing with a Scotchbrite pad to get a machined look – Wipe again with panel wipe –(not thinners as thinners will remove paint and your back at square 1)
Clear Coating/Lacquering – same principal as the painting – I use a 2K clearcoat applying 2 light coats until I get desired finish – don't go to heavy on the lacquer as it tends to come away in the bolt holes when torqueing up
Of using rattle cans then this is a lot thinner than using the spray gun so may need a few more coats
(I now have the caliper halves vapor blasted as gets them so clean they are ready to paint)
Pistons – I clean in thinners and if the pistons are steel ones, I lightly remove any grime on the bench mounted wire wheel – If alloy ones no abrasives as this removes the coating - if any of the pistons are badly scored get a replacement at this time because if you use a scored or pitted piston you will just wreck the seal
Rebuilding – Placing all you need for one caliper on a clean towel – then using red rubber grease give the seals a light smearing and put into the groove – any remaining grease on your hands wipe on the piston and inset the piston making sure it is level as this makes it go in smoothly – repeat for all 6 pistons
Put the 2 halves together and put in all the half bolts until tight – I torque up on a jig I made to 25Nm or you can wait till the caliper is on the fork leg an then torque up
Caliper is now ready to refit
Hope this helps
Del
Thanks
@😎KiwiCol.
Just did my first rebuild today. Kind of wished I'd painted them but the caliper paint at the shop was the wrong gold so I proceeded and left the old paint on. Some great tips here
@Del thanks for the write up. Got some pics for us? What paint do you use? I doubt we'd have the same brand down here in the colonies but I'd like to eventually spruce them up. Wire wheel inside the grooves was something I didn't think of but mine looked pretty clean, gave them a light going over with a small brass wire brush. Hopefully they'll do the job and not leak. I'll know soon enough I guess.
For whom, like myself, preferring an outsourcing rebuild, let me mention here the guys at POWERHOUSE, accidentally found on eBay, but with a pretty website
https://www.powerhouse.uk/content/motorcycle-brakes/motorcycle-brake-caliper-rebuild-service.php
I am planning to forward my calipers to them and have them refurbished and painted
why not send them to Del,,,top of this page,,
top job by him,,
That's where mine will go
@Del His work is top notch .
Just to add he's one of us . :cheers:
After great and detailed description it would be shame not to mention to put seals (little o-rings) between halves before assembling :devil: :cheers:
@VladTepes taking notes ??????????????? :stir: :stir: :stir:
:upu: :upu: :upu: :upu: :upu: :upu: :grin:
I am of course interested in contacting Den for my Calipers yet to be restored.
Do you have a website? Thank you
Quote from: Athelstanexxx on Thursday, 26 November 2020, 10:02 PM
I am of course interested in contacting Den for my Calipers yet to be restored.
Do you have a website? Thank you
@Del
@Del Does his refurbs as a hobby just pm him he's normally on here fairly often :cheers:
I am just about to refurbish my K3 caliper including a new seal kit I have found this kit through ebay.
Am I correct in assuming this is the one most people use?
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/150958308691?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=hS1wkmtVSpa&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=_M0J_4k6R_O&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
For us in the colonies, there is also Mick Hone, however their kit is a bit dearer, then again they are genuine Suzuki parts, the UK supplier uses oem spec, which is different than genuine.
I am tempted to do the rear at the same time. I have not yet serviced these callipers since I've owned this bike.
I will do the disc bobbins at the same time
@Eric GSX1400K3 I definitely wouldn't bother with the overpriced ones!
Powerhouse kits are very good and recommended too.
On my last GSX (Old Sophie) I ordered from Powerhouse the set of 4 piston calipers to do the mod I did..
Very nice quality and no complaints so I would think their kits will be well up to standard.
S.
Eric, got kit from UK, cant remember shop but pretty much same as you showed. $97 landed. Couldnt find a fault.
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.
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.
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.
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 🍀
Quote from: GSXKING on Sunday, 02 October 2022, 03:19 PM
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.
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.
Quote from: grog on Sunday, 02 October 2022, 06:20 PM
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
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