Brake caliper rebuild - frozen pin hell

I'm rebuilding my 82 XJ750's calipers and have had the awful time of frozen pad retaining pins.

Presently, I've tried soaking the caliper in kroil - upside down, so the caliper acts like a basin - and I filled it with kroil, making sure the pin was entirely submerged.

I've tried cutting a slot in the rear of the pin, above the caliper, and managed to break two flathead screwdrivers - like chunks missing at the tips.

I tried using an grabit pro extractor on the rear of the pin, and sheared off the extractor side of the bit.

I tried JB-welding the hex cap on the front of the pin, but it breaks apart like chalk - even after 24hr cure times.

I tried gorilla-glue epoxy, but it just became rubber - again in the head of the bolt.

I tried another extractor bit in the head of the bolt, but the extractor never grabs onto the metal.


A friend advised me to boil the caliper, since the body and pin are different materials, they'd expand at different rates. The belief being this would ease disassembly. This will be my seemingly final attempt at getting this pain in the butt apart before its onto a different caliper.



Are there oversized (extra long) pins we can use for rebuilds? Maybe from another brand or type of caliper.

 

You need a bigger hammer
Why extra long?

 

Because if the bolt was sticking out considerably further, I'd think I'd get much better purchase on it. Perhaps file down the shaft so I could hit it with some adjustable wrenches.

Although, once out, It'll go back in, in better condition and with enough anti-seize to prevent this in the future.

 

Those retainer pins on the XJ650 Turbo/XJ750 Maxim calipers are a BEAST to remove......if the allen-drive head is broken or the allen slot reamed out, you can pretty much kiss it goodbye, it's not coming out.

Typically you need to soak the pins in penetrating oil, then heat up the caliper body area with a torch, and then use a hex wrench with a 3-foot breaker bar to get them loose.....

 

Before you damage the caliper, take it to a machine shop. They will extract the pin, and it won't cost you much (hint: bring beer).

 

FYI...I have a couple of extra calipers I bought a few years ago...pm me if you want'em..obviously they'll need a rebuild.

 

patmac6075, pm sent!

 

Maybe sell an aftermarket replacement with just two cotter pins through the bolt on either end.

Removal would be as easy as taking a mallet to it!