Front Caliper. Wah!

Hello,
I tore down my front end to swtich out my steering bearings and that was an easy fix. But, putting it back together has been a different story. The major problem now is trying to get the front brake caliber back on. I bled the brake lines and I'm guessing that the piston shot out because, I put cardboard in there instead of a block of wood, whoops. How can I get that thing back in? I'm on the bicycle until I get this one figured out. Thanks.

 

Get the piston lined-up square and true.

Use a "C-clamp" with a socket inside the piston cup ... and, PRESS the piston back-in by gently closing the C-clamp.

You Must have the caliper piston lined-up perfectly or it binds.

 

Also undo and leave off the master cylinder cap so the excess brake fluid can get out , if any..

 

Feel free to let me know if this is a bad idea, but I have used a ball joint separator and gently tapped it into the caliper to separate the pistons. I did use some old pads in between the pistons and separator to provide even pressure and protect the pistons from too much side pressure. Of course I had the luxury of having some old pads on hand that I didn't care about. It seemed to work and haven't seen any leakage. Maybe an option? Brett

 

Thanks Dudes. I'm going outside and taking a crack at this sucker. I'll let you know how it goes.
Peace.

 

A good idea I think. Better than most screwdrivers and will fit in a fairly tight space.

 

The job is easier to do if you pull the bleed nipple and let the caliper's brake fluid release. There's very little hydraulic resistance at the caliper, that way.

Just shoot the whole thing with Disc Brake Kleen when they're in there.

You have to bleed the whole system, anyway ... why put pressure on the Master Cylinder's seals that are trying to keep the fluid from going back to the reservoir.

 

Almost there I just have to bleed the line and go for a test run. The socket/clamp worked perfect. Almost too easy and I had the bleed nipple open. Thanks for the help.