C2 - How to remove brake caliper piston?

[tigernut]

Can anyone tell me how the pistons come out of the rear calipers? It looks like they are held in by the outer seal alone. If so, how does one remove the seal? Pry?

I want to examine the sleeve to see if a hone will do the job or it is pitted too bad and I need to replace.

Thanks,
Doug

 

[IH2LOSE]

I am not sure if you plan on re using the rubbers But I was told the rebuilders use compressed air to pop them out,Just use an air blower with a rubber tip and close the bleeder hole and blow it into the brake line hole.I think once you pop them out they are finished and need to be replaced

 

[Tom Bryant]

If you are going to replace the seals just hook one side with a screwdriver and pry. They pop right out. Be careful not to insert the tool too far and scratch the sleeve.

 

[Kid_Again]

Tom is correct...that's the method in the shop manual but compressed air would be interesting and exciting. NEVER re-use the rubber goods.

 

[allcoupedup]

this just happened to me on my brother's Nissan. I tried to bleed one side and hadn't installed the pads on the other side. Kept pumping and and the pedal would not stiffing up .... then POP!!!! piston on the ground and fluid all over the place. I was able to clean and reassemble but these were calipers with one piston.:L

I wouldn't recommend this method but would could pump a little bit to get the piston out of the bore - then use a pick or something to help get the boot of the seal off the piston.

Brian

 

[IH2LOSE]

Tom is correct...that's the method in the shop manual but compressed air would be interesting and exciting. NEVER re-use the rubber goods.

Kid again,Welcome to our forum.

 

[tigernut]

Thank you all.

I let the seals soak in WD-40 and they popped right out. The seals were in pretty bad shape.
Looks like the sleeves aren't pitted so a quick hone and new seals should do the trick.

Doug

 

[Kid_Again]

IH2LOSE...hey, thanks!

I don't have as much time any more to spend on the 'Net but this looks like a really good place....VietNamVet pointed me over here....you don't have a lot of LAWYERS here do you?????????

It has been real interesting, lunched my newly rebuilt 427 and just said to hell with it and bought a ZZ440 and in the middle of that, my brand new lift from Autolifters shows up......that's AFTER I got my money back from the first lift supplier who declared bankruptcy - only me

...if Mark still has it, he should post the picture of the truck i used to pick up my lift - a REAL classic

 

[Vipermike]

If the brake line is still connected just pump the brake pedal a few times and the pistons will pop right out. However, you need an extra set of hand to do it this way as one piston will pop out before the other three and then the remaining pistons won't come out. Have someone slowly pump the brake pedal while you guide all of the pistons out at the same time (leave the pads in place and hold finger pressure against them). If the brake line has already been disconnected air will also work.

 

[tigernut]

Ok, I bought a seal kit for the rear caliper but after taking apart the rear caliper, something doesn't look right (pistons look larger in diameter than the seals) and the seals don't appear to be the correct ones.

What is this caliper?
Stamped on outside
Delco Moraine 5465902

 

[Ken Anderson]

As inexpensive as resleeved calipers are, you do not want to even think about rebuilding a leaky caliper. You will be very disappointed with the results.

 

[JohnZ]

Ok, I bought a seal kit for the rear caliper but after taking apart the rear caliper, something doesn't look right (pistons look larger in diameter than the seals) and the seals don't appear to be the correct ones.

What is this caliper?
Stamped on outside
Delco Moraine 5465902

That's a first-design '65-'66 caliper casting; if it's unmolested, it will have a guide post in the bottom of the bore (and a companion hole in the piston), which the rebuilders machine out when they sleeve them.

I wouldn't fiddle with it - get rebuilt/sleeved calipers, and either turn yours in as cores or sell them to someone that needs first-design caliper casting numbers for judging. Or, Vette Brakes will rebuild your first-design castings and return them to you for about ten bucks extra per caliper so you keep your correct casting numbers. '67-up had the second-design calipers (different casting numbers) without the guide pins and guided pistons; other than not having the cast-in guide pins and different casting numbers, the first and second design caliper castings are identical.