I was daft enough this weekend to pump the piston clear out of my off side rear caliper. Yes yes I’m a cock etc…
Managed to get the piston back in but then noticed a ‘spare part’ had fallen out onto the floor. It’s a c shaped bit of 2.5 mm dia wire from inside the piston bore. It was obviously from inside but could not see where???
Looked at the crossectional diagram in the manual and couldn’t see it on the drawing. I could see the very complicated looking arrangement of adjusters bearings, springs and seals…
I spoke to a very nice man who rebuilds calipers and he had an old one in so he pulled it apart to ascertain the wire’s function.
Turns out all the gubbins inside attaches to the piston with this ‘c’ clip. A smal retaining stud then holds it all in place…until some cock pumps the piston out and ‘hydraulics’ the clip and piston clean off
Theres a small retaining stud which I now need to get off (it was seized in on the one this guy had - oh poo) so I can re assemble the whole thing.
Worse things happen at sea but hope this helps anyone else who does it in the future
Managed to get the piston back in but then noticed a ‘spare part’ had fallen out onto the floor.
Yes, I know that feeling well…‘Bugger, where did that bit come from?’, followed by much fouler language once the penny drops, usually ordered in the rank of St, B****cks and Aeh*le.
St, thats where it’s from.
B****cks, I’ll have to take it apart again.
Fking A**eh*le, as your taking it back apart.
Managed to get the piston back in but then noticed a ‘spare part’ had fallen out onto the floor.
Yes, I know that feeling well…‘Bugger, where did that bit come from?’, followed by much fouler language once the penny drops, usually ordered in the rank of St, B****cks and Aeh*le.
St, thats where it’s from.
B****cks, I’ll have to take it apart again.
Fking A**eh*le, as your taking it back apart.
our little callipers are used on the Dodge Viper as well!!!
But only for the handbrake, Matey
Have you booked for Croft yet - cos Nick was desperately searching for you yesterday?
I popped over to Elvers to see you all on saturday at about 16.00hrs ish - you needed to look up though
And - the instructions are in PDF format I will see if I can get it online somewhere to download. If anyone else wants them just pm me and I will email
It is possible to get the circlip out without undoing the small hex screw on the end of the internal threaded shaft.
I found seating the dust boot before introducing the piston a better method - trust me I had the c*nt in and out enough times!!!
Put the head of a tie wrap under the lip of the seal and introduce the piston to the bore while gently pressing on the piston pull gently in the opposite direction on the tie wrap to pull the seal onto the piston working around the circumference until its fully on. obviously have a good smearing of brake fluid on everything to ease it on. A bit like fitting a windscreen in an old car using some string in the seal then pulling out the string to pull the seal round the edge of the opening???
The piston should then easily push into the bore. I could not get it in using the method on the pdf - too fiddly - the seal wouldn’t go into the groove in the calliper on one side and then fouled the piston as one tried to push it in.
Also…
Getting the circlip to seat was also a right b’stard. Despite clamping in the vice, swinging on the tommy bar etc…It would not seat. After much head scratching one simply clamped the calliper in the vice with the piston verticle and used a pair of snipe nosed pliers to twist and push down on the piston - hey presto!
The piston carries/centers the circlip but cant get to the clip seat without compressing the spring at the back of the piston. As its on a threaded shaft the only way to get it further into the bore is to push and twist - ooo errr missus etc…
Sorry to go on but believe me I was near to suicidal