I did once many years ago. am considering it now... any tricks for getting the piston in quickly? (thats what I spent the most time on last time) and any tricks for preventing the master cylinder from draining while I have the brake line open for an extended amount of time?
does anyone rebuild their own brake calipers?
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you tube......i know there are videos on this, as some were posted on here before.
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
I did once many years ago. am considering it now... any tricks for getting the piston in quickly?
Drum brake or disk brake?
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
and any tricks for preventing the master cylinder from draining while I have the brake line open for an extended amount of time?
I find it easier to just let it drain.
I did once many years ago. am considering it now... any tricks for getting the piston in quickly?
Drum brake or disk brake?
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
and any tricks for preventing the master cylinder from draining while I have the brake line open for an extended amount of time?
I find it easier to just let it drain.
To prevent the master from draining, use one of these:
They're available at any auto parts store, available in different thread sizes. If you need a female version, get the male plug, and also get a brake line union like this:
Thread the plug into the union, and you have yourself a female plug.
disc. cool idea on the plug!
While you can order a rebuild kit ahead of time, you will not know if the piston can be reused until you take it apart.
Some rebuilt ones are not expensive.
Some rebuilt ones are not expensive.
Originally Posted By: tomcat27
I did once many years ago. am considering it now... any tricks for getting the piston in quickly? (thats what I spent the most time on last time) and any tricks for preventing the master cylinder from draining while I have the brake line open for an extended amount of time?
I just rebuilt mine and I have an answer for both questions.
Getting the piston out is trivial. Do them one side at a time so that the other side stays in place. Simply push the brake pedal with your hand while holding the caliper in your other hand and the piston will come out. Do this slowly so that the piston doesn't fly out. You might want to put something in front of the piston (brake pads for example) to prevent it from accidentally flying out. In my case, this part worked very well and was the easiest part of rebuilding the calipers.
Stopping the brake fluid from seeping: Find a screwdriver of the right diameter and put a rubber hose of right diameter around it. Plug the screwdriver with the rubber hose around it through the union bolt and it will stop the leak. It needs to be a tight fit though; so, you need to experiment with different-diameter screwdrivers and hoses.
Other important parts: Make sure that you don't forget the old retaining ring inside the caliper. Install the boot in the correct orientation and make sure that both inner and outer lips of the boot are in the correct grooves. Then put the retaining ring and check again to see if everything is in the right place. Use a small screwdriver but do so gently to put the boot's lips in the grooves. Retaining ring (obviously) needs to be over the boot -- not under -- but it can accidentally go under it; so, be careful.
I did once many years ago. am considering it now... any tricks for getting the piston in quickly? (thats what I spent the most time on last time) and any tricks for preventing the master cylinder from draining while I have the brake line open for an extended amount of time?
I just rebuilt mine and I have an answer for both questions.
Getting the piston out is trivial. Do them one side at a time so that the other side stays in place. Simply push the brake pedal with your hand while holding the caliper in your other hand and the piston will come out. Do this slowly so that the piston doesn't fly out. You might want to put something in front of the piston (brake pads for example) to prevent it from accidentally flying out. In my case, this part worked very well and was the easiest part of rebuilding the calipers.
Stopping the brake fluid from seeping: Find a screwdriver of the right diameter and put a rubber hose of right diameter around it. Plug the screwdriver with the rubber hose around it through the union bolt and it will stop the leak. It needs to be a tight fit though; so, you need to experiment with different-diameter screwdrivers and hoses.
Other important parts: Make sure that you don't forget the old retaining ring inside the caliper. Install the boot in the correct orientation and make sure that both inner and outer lips of the boot are in the correct grooves. Then put the retaining ring and check again to see if everything is in the right place. Use a small screwdriver but do so gently to put the boot's lips in the grooves. Retaining ring (obviously) needs to be over the boot -- not under -- but it can accidentally go under it; so, be careful.
You can get the piston out by putting some wood where the pads were and hitting the inlet to the caliper with compressed air. (The wood prevents the piston from achieving flight status!)
used to rebuild them when i worked at pep boys. i no longer do them as rebuilts are pretty inexpensive for my cars
Originally Posted By: Donald
You can get the piston out by putting some wood where the pads were and hitting the inlet to the caliper with compressed air. (The wood prevents the piston from achieving flight status!)
Yes, but not everyone has compressed air. Simply pressing the brake pedal with your hand is far easier as I described.
You can get the piston out by putting some wood where the pads were and hitting the inlet to the caliper with compressed air. (The wood prevents the piston from achieving flight status!)
Yes, but not everyone has compressed air. Simply pressing the brake pedal with your hand is far easier as I described.
Originally Posted By: Chris142
used to rebuild them when i worked at pep boys. i no longer do them as rebuilts are pretty inexpensive for my cars
I liked rebuilding mine rather than getting some aftermarket caliper because you really can't beat the Toyota workmanship. I also used an OEM Toyota rebuild kit -- an added plus. With the aftermarket calipers, it could be a hit or miss -- probably more miss than hit.
used to rebuild them when i worked at pep boys. i no longer do them as rebuilts are pretty inexpensive for my cars
I liked rebuilding mine rather than getting some aftermarket caliper because you really can't beat the Toyota workmanship. I also used an OEM Toyota rebuild kit -- an added plus. With the aftermarket calipers, it could be a hit or miss -- probably more miss than hit.
I do rebuilds to Japanese brands (calipers such as Nissin, Aisin (Toyota) and occasionally, Sumitomo varieties) so long as they are in good shape (not rusty) and piston bore not pitted heavily.
I always acquire OE pistons but mostly carsen caliper kits for rebuilding.
Most Japanese calipers are coated with some kind of coatings (on the outside) so that it's rust resistant. Most aftermarket remans would have those coatings sand-blasted away while leaving fresh metal behind...in rust belts: these remans tend to seize up rather easily, if not quickly.
Q.
I always acquire OE pistons but mostly carsen caliper kits for rebuilding.
Most Japanese calipers are coated with some kind of coatings (on the outside) so that it's rust resistant. Most aftermarket remans would have those coatings sand-blasted away while leaving fresh metal behind...in rust belts: these remans tend to seize up rather easily, if not quickly.
Q.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4FzXGrSrmU
my fav. car guy on youtube.
pepboys has most calipers for 30-40 range and they come with lifetime warranty. Unless something goes wrong in first week, id say theyre gonna be good for atlease a while. Why not go such route?
In my opinion theyre reman work was phenomenal.
my fav. car guy on youtube.
pepboys has most calipers for 30-40 range and they come with lifetime warranty. Unless something goes wrong in first week, id say theyre gonna be good for atlease a while. Why not go such route?
In my opinion theyre reman work was phenomenal.
I've only rebuilt calipers when the piston has siezed.
Pretty obvious that I'd need new pistons in that case.
You can use line pressure to blow the piston out, as others have explained.
You can probably also work it out by using a pair of vice grips or channel locks and twisting while exerting outward pressure.
A golf tee in the open flared brake line will slow the flow of fluid to nothing, although if you used line pressure to blow the piston out of the caliper, the master cyliner may have already sucked air and you get to bleed all four. Not that bad of a task, you end up with fresh brake fluid throughout and DOT 3 or 4 is pretty cheap by the quart.
The advantage of DIY in this case is that you can buy known quality rubber and pistons.
You won't know what the Mexicans or Chinese used in a finished rebuilt, even though they are pretty cheap.
Pretty obvious that I'd need new pistons in that case.
You can use line pressure to blow the piston out, as others have explained.
You can probably also work it out by using a pair of vice grips or channel locks and twisting while exerting outward pressure.
A golf tee in the open flared brake line will slow the flow of fluid to nothing, although if you used line pressure to blow the piston out of the caliper, the master cyliner may have already sucked air and you get to bleed all four. Not that bad of a task, you end up with fresh brake fluid throughout and DOT 3 or 4 is pretty cheap by the quart.
The advantage of DIY in this case is that you can buy known quality rubber and pistons.
You won't know what the Mexicans or Chinese used in a finished rebuilt, even though they are pretty cheap.
Just fill the brake-fluid reservoir completely (to prevent the fluid from dropping below the low level) and then gently press the brake pedal with your hand. Piston will come out naturally when you press the pedal. You don't need compressed air if the caliper is hooked to the brake line, which is the case when you're doing an on-vehicle repair.
Rebuilding the caliper is fairly easy. As I said, if you are rebuilding it for a quality car, you get to reuse your quality OEM core and piston, which will be far better than aftermarket cores and pistons.
Rebuilding the caliper is fairly easy. As I said, if you are rebuilding it for a quality car, you get to reuse your quality OEM core and piston, which will be far better than aftermarket cores and pistons.
Remans are more cost effective
And that ETCG video wasn't very good at all. That was the final straw for me unsubbing and not recommending his video's anymore.
And that ETCG video wasn't very good at all. That was the final straw for me unsubbing and not recommending his video's anymore.
Also, don't forget to fully lubricate seal, piston, and bore with brake fluid. Use glycol grease on the seal as well if it comes in the kit.
I used brake grease for the bushings.
I just used my hand to push the pistons in. You need to make sure they are going in square and then push hard.
You can put the dust boot after the piston goes in all the way -- at least in my Corolla calipers.
I used brake grease for the bushings.
I just used my hand to push the pistons in. You need to make sure they are going in square and then push hard.
You can put the dust boot after the piston goes in all the way -- at least in my Corolla calipers.
In an auto class I took, some students had rebuilt their own calipers to save money, unfortunately, they only got a few weeks of life from their calipers.
I just buy reman calipers. Don't go cheap, I have seen cheap reman calipers fail within weeks after they were installed.
I just buy reman calipers. Don't go cheap, I have seen cheap reman calipers fail within weeks after they were installed.
Originally Posted By: artificialist
In an auto class I took, some students had rebuilt their own calipers to save money, unfortunately, they only got a few weeks of life from their calipers.
Then they did a poor job. And likely used aftermarket parts.
My Honda remans lasted at least as long as new OEM. But then I always used OE parts when rebuilding.
In an auto class I took, some students had rebuilt their own calipers to save money, unfortunately, they only got a few weeks of life from their calipers.
Then they did a poor job. And likely used aftermarket parts.
My Honda remans lasted at least as long as new OEM. But then I always used OE parts when rebuilding.
There isn't too much in that video that was properly or efficiently done.
Reassembly as follows: lube then install square cut piston seal into the caliper bore. Install dust boot into its groove, seating it all the way around (without the piston). Lube the piston, now, while applying very low pressure air into the brake hose fitting, push the piston onto the dust boot and the air pressure will pop the seal over the bottom of the piston. AS SOON as that happens, discontinue the air and continue to press the piston into the caliper bore. When the piston bottoms out, make sure the dust boot is seated properly into the piston groove.
Reassembly as follows: lube then install square cut piston seal into the caliper bore. Install dust boot into its groove, seating it all the way around (without the piston). Lube the piston, now, while applying very low pressure air into the brake hose fitting, push the piston onto the dust boot and the air pressure will pop the seal over the bottom of the piston. AS SOON as that happens, discontinue the air and continue to press the piston into the caliper bore. When the piston bottoms out, make sure the dust boot is seated properly into the piston groove.
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