I got ready stripped hubs however the calipers still have the pistons in. What is the best method of getting the pistons out without trashing them?

Does anyone have handbook pages for the hubs and brakes that they could scan for me?

TIA

Caber

compressed air - they come out with a bang though

What is the best way of connecting Air to calipers?

Caber

Compressed air is a rather dangerous way to do it. Try screwing a grease nipple into the caliper and pumping it full of grease to push the pistons out.

It may be messy, but its safer...

or just hook them up to some car and pump the brake.

quote:

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Originally posted by blueshift
or just hook them up to some car and pump the brake.

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Just don't put your finger in the way of the piston... (talking from experience!)

Andy

NEVER use compressed air apart from the fact it is VERY DANGEROUS you can't get enough pressue to force a really stuck piston out.

hooking them up to a car isn't difficult, and you reduce the chance of damaging your pistons, depending how you go about it (put a bit of wood in the middle).

plus, I don't have a compressor

remember if you use a grease gun you will have to clean all the grease out afterwards.

Trade them in at your local motorist store for reconditioned ones!

[Edited on 2/10/05 by jonbeedle]

OK got the pistons out ( 4 hours!) calipers and pistons look OK where is the best place to buy a caliper service kit and bearing oil seals for cortina hubs? I guess it will probably be mail order so looking for cheap and relaible delivery.

TIA

Caber

My local factors said he could get em in 3 hrs, not a stock item but there held at the distributers, worth a try me thinks

Jason

Your local motor factor will be no more expensive than getting the stuff on the net.

The seals you will be able to get from an industrial supplier (you also get them with new bearing kits, though you may not want to go that far). The seals will have some numbers on them, something like 55-45-8 (i cant remember the exact ones!), this is the size of the seal in mm. If you can find a local engineering supplier go and ask for a lip seal of those dimensions.

David

DON'T USE GREASE TO POP PISTONS OUT.

I work in the Engineering Design department of the company that manufactured the original M14 and M16 calipers. Used to be called Girling and is now TRW.

DO NOT use grease to pump out the pistons. Grease is a mineral oil based product and even the tiniest amount left in (less than 0.5% concentration in the whole system) will destroy the new seals in the caliper and any other rubber seals in the system. Brake fluid is vegetable oil and CANNOT be mixed with mineral oil or any mineral oil based product i.e. Grease/Paraffin/Kerosene etc...

I am sure someone will come along and say "I did it this way and it works fine" - well good luck to you but it's a dangerous business and I hope you're not driving behind me next time I do an emergency stop

[Edited on 4/10/05 by JAG]

i got them out manually by levering them out. i removed the dust seal rubber thing then with 2 very large flat bladed screw drivers levered them out using the dust seal groove to put the end of the screwdriver in. took a bit of patience and didn't damage the pistons or calipers. its the piston seals that make it tricky as they are a tight fit to stop fluid leaking out when in the car of course

Ned.

ps some piccies on my website:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/users/ned/build/donorparts/index.htm

[Edited on 4/10/05 by ned]

Jag is 100% correct.
Try a little experiment next time you change a set of seals. Drop one of the old seals into a jar of parraffin!! you will be surprised at the results.
Low pressure compressed air is the best way. Preferrably from a foot pump.

Local motorfactor ( Pistons & Components ) no longer stock seal kits nor can they get them. They can special order disks and pads though. The local independent factor has shut up shop. so I am still in need of somewhere to get the seal kit

Caber

Go to brakesint.com. You can get all the parts from there, and they are cheap. Find the caliper and click related products.

David

That's what I call a good website everything you want and really fast. Placed an order with local LSUK today will have to cancel as it is twice the price of this website!

Caber

Brakes international are definitely the boys. had various things off them, discs, pads, recon kits, replacement caliper.. they're always helpful on the phone, they found cortina type 16 split-caliper washers (the kind NOBODY can find) and charged me something like 20p for them, and threw in free bleed nipples.

they rule.