HOW TO REMOVE YOUR CALIPER PISTON

HOW TO REMOVE THE WHOLE CALIPER AND FINALLY REMOVE THE BIG PISTON INSERTED ON THE CALIPER.

THIS PISTON LOOKS LIKE A SMALL MUG OR CUP ABOUT 2 1/2 INC IN RADIUS OR DIAMETER , INSERT IN THE CALIPER HOLE THE SIZE OF IT.

THIS HOLE HAS AN O RUBBER O RING ON ITS SLOT TO PREVENT THE FLUID FROM LEAKING AT THE EDGE OF THE PISTON.

THIS CALIPER IS WHERE THE BIG PISTON IS PLACED.   THIS PISTON IS THE ONE THAT MOVES BACK AND FORTH THE MOMENT YOU PRESS THAT BRAKE PEDAL  TO PRESS THE DISC TO THE SURFACE OF THE BRAKE DISC TO STOP IT FROM ROTATING  AND FINALLY STOPPING  THE CAR.

THIS PISTON MOVES FORWARD OR OUTWARD BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE OF THE BRAKE FLUID ENTERING THE CALIPER AND THIS PISTON STOPS OUTWARD MOVE BECAUSE IT TOUCHES THE FACE OF THE DISC PAD.  THIS PISTON MOVES INWARD OR BACKWARD AFTER YOU HAVE RELEASED YOUR BRAKE PEDAL.

DUE TO DIRT, RUST THAT ENTERS THE  PISTON,  THERE WILL COME A TIME THAT  THE PISTON WILL STUCK UP AND HENCE IT EITHER WILL NOT MOVE OUTWARD OR IT WILL NOT MOVE BACKWARD .

IF IT WILL NOT MOVE OUTWARD DUE TO DIRT OR BEING STUCK UP , YOU WILL HAVE A WEAK BRAKE.

IF IT WILL NOT MOVE BACKWARD, THAT MEANS THE PISTON IS ALWAYS PRESSING THE DISC PAD TO THE DISC BRAKE  AS IF YOU ARE ALWAYS IN A BRAKING MODE AND YOU WILL EXPERIENCE  TWO THINGS.

                  1.   THE CAR SEEMS TO  HESITATE TO MOVE FASTER.
                   2.   THE  DISC BRAKE WILL OVERHEAT  AND YOU WILL NOTICE IT IF YOU TOUCH YOUR  WHEEL RIM , IT IS TOO HOT.

TO CHECK  THIS TWO SITUATION,  TRY TO LIFT THE ONE SIDE OF THE WHEEL ( IF FOUR WHEEL DRIVE , LIFT ALSO THE REAR OF FRONT TIRE) .    MANUALLY ROTATE THE WHEEL, IF IT'S DIFFICULT TO TURN IT MANUALLY THEREFORE  THE PISTON IS STUCK UP CLOSE. TRY THIS TO ALL THE FOUR WHEELS.

HOW TO REPAIR OR CLEAN OR FREE UP THE CALIPER AND THE PISTON.

1.  REMOVE THE TIRE,  MAKE SURE THAT SIDE OF THE WHEEL IS  SAFELY SECURED BY ANOTHER SUPPORT STAND, DO NOT RELY ON YOU JACK ITSELF.
2.  REMOVE THE NUT OF THE CALIPER ITSELF , IT IS NORMALLY A 14mm nut, easily visible and accessible,  normally there are two nuts securing this caliper,  one nut is screwed on its mother assembly and the other is not screwed on the mother assembly but is only a shaft ( no thread) so that this caliper can be swing back and forth.   be cautious because the threaded nut may be at the top or at the bottom of the caliper ( car design differs to each other ).  you might try to forcefully remove the nut like one where in fact it is the swinging shaft and you cannot loosen it.  try to  push back the rubber booths of this nut to uncover if  it is a shaft or nut.  if it is a nut,  that means the other nut is the one that you have to loosened and removed.
3. after removing the nut,  swing down or up this caliper assembly.
4.  press continually your brake pedal until the PISTON  has totally come out of its shell
5.  the piston may not totally get out of the its shell, so it would be necessary to use manual force using a tinsel or  a plier or a hammer etc etc.
6.  if it come out,  the brake fluid will come out also, so to save that fluid  put a small container .
7.  get a vice grip , clip it to the brake hose ,  remove now the brake hose bolted to the rear of the caliper.  remove also the bleeder valve.
8.  try to move outward or swing  this caliper which is secured by the shaft mentioned above ( not bolted anyway)
9.  remove now the caliper assembly by forcing the shaft to come out..
10. clean the piston using soap, or  kerosene , by using thin sand paper to remove any rust.
11.  remove the  O  RING  placed  in this  caliper hole. Clean also the big hole where this piston is positioned ,  using a thin sand paper to remove any rust and make its wall to be smooth.
12. clean also the slot where the O RING is placed.
13.  put the new O RING TO THE SLOT .
14.  PUT THE GREASE ON THE WALL OF THE CALIPER AND ALSO ON THE FACE OF THE PISTON ITSELF.
14. a.  put the rubber booths on the slot around the piston.
15.  INITIALLY POSITION THE PISTON TO THE MOUTH OF THE CALIPER.  NORMALLY YOU CANNOT INSERT THAT PISTON BY MERE USING HAND PRESSURE.
16.  GET A BIG PIPE AND A HAMMER.
17.  PUT THAT PIPE INSIDE THE HOLE OF THE PISTON THEN HAMMER THE OTHER END OF THE PIPE TO PUSH THE PISTON TO THE  CALIPER HOLE.  MAKE SURE THE PISTON IS IN PERFECTLY STRAIGHT POSITION  when hammering it.
18. put the  booths to the slot provided in the piston.
19.  PUT BACK THE CALIPER ASSEMBLY .
20.  PUT BACK THE HOSE, AND THE BLEEDER
21, REMOVE THE VICE GRIP.
22.  PUT FLUID ON THE BRAKE MASTER CONTAINER CUP.
23.  INSTALL THE WHEEL.
24.  START THE ENGINE AND TRY TO PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL, IF YOU FEEL THE BRAKE PEDAL IS SPONGY THAT MEANS THE AIR ENTER THE SYSTEM.
25.  YOU HAVE TO BLEED THE BRAKE SYSTEM.


HOW TO BLEED THE SYSTEM.

1.  START THE ENGINE, HAVE SOMEONE PUMP THE BRAKE PEDAL FOR SAY 5 TIMES THEN TELL HIM TO STAY HIS FEET ON A BRAKING POSITION BY NOT LIFTING HIS FOOT.
2.  LOOSEN THE BLEEDING NUT,  A BUBBLE IS EXPECTED TO COME OUT.
3.CLOSE THE BLEEDER NUT,  HAVE THE PEDAL BE PUMP AGAIN THEN STOP PUMPING , THEN OPEN THE BLEEDER.  PUT FLUID AGAIN ON THE MASTER CUP.
4. DO THIS UNTIL A FULL FLUID COME OUT OF THE BLEEDER AND AT THE SAME TIME THE BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT GOES TO THE FLOOR AND NO SPONGY FEELING.