Any ideas how I can get the pistons out of my Cortina callipers? I have soaked them in WD40 for a week and used all the special words to encourage them to move but to no avail. I understand you are not supposed to split the callipers but I have in a desparate move to gain better access. Do you have to use new bolts on re assembly? If so do you know who can supply?

Help

Only way is to connect them up to a master cylinder -- and apply a lot of of pressure, presure, move a tiny fraction, push, back ----- repeated hundreds of times,


WD40 is self defeating -- it is mostly kerosenes --- swells the seals.

Try a proper silicone spray.

[Edited on 2/3/07 by britishtrident]

Not worth the hassle to free them off and recondition , check for prices off reconditioned units . Cheaper in the long run.

Assuming you are into guns!

I've had one off with mole grips and the other by attaching a big bike pump to the caliper and blowing it out. Watch what you do though, it'll have your eye out if your not careful

We spent hours trying to get the piston out of a caliper, in the end we gave up as new one's aren't lots of money and you get all new parts.

False economy IMHO

Steve

Yep, if it's seized then chances are that the bore and/or piston is scored - try the recon route. You don't need to paint them either

Have freed them off with gentle pressure with a G clamp and pushed them in. They went really easy. was just going to put them back together and get the air on them. What sort of pressure then? As not to take the back wall out of the garage.

If they are moving then you wont need much more than a few psi (a foot pump is safest) to pop them out.

Got the bugaz out! The condition of the pistons is amazing, no corrosion at all, just 30 years of dirt! It was the rubbers that had stuck rock solid to the pistons not rust thankfully. On to the next job now.