Caliper repair and servicing

The brake fluid from the master cylinder pushes the caliper piston into the brake pads that push against the rotor to slow the wheel down. The problems that can cause the piston to malfunction is caused by the pistons  seals that are leaking or the piston can rust onto the cylinder. This is why it is important to replace brake fluid regularly and to use the correct brake fluid.

 We had difficulty removing the piston as it was corroded. When it was removed we discovered that the person/s that removed the piston previously had damaged it (damaged caused by hard metal tools). The marks on the piston made it unusable. We cleaned out the caliper cylinder and found that the cylinder had a hole in it. In this case the caliper cylinder and piston will need to be replaced as they are both unrepairable. If they were not damaged the cylinders inside diameter and the pistons outside diameter should be measured to make sure it fits correctly. The pistons seals and the dust seal will also need to be replaced.

 Measuring the pistons outside diameter

Measuring the caliper cylinder's inside diameter