You sir are a GOD SEND! Thanks so much for sharing this AND for letting us see the whole process and KNOW that it is not magical nor easy...just smart. Every time I see a documentary on the "Battle of Britain" I will be remembering you and the attitude of the Yorkshire man. :) Sincerely...a serious fan from the camp of "wooden shoes, wooden head...wooden listen".
Thank you very much been struggling with seized callipers for a few weeks now tried various methods no luck at all . Tried your idea all removed worked a treat your are a legend thank you
Brain power prevails, you saved me time and money getting a piston on my ebike brake caliper unstuck. Smaller application, so I used four allen (hex) wrenches.
@@BikeFromTheBrink A brake caliper is a brake caliper... Another nice thing, I'd bought some loctite thread sealant while working on a Saab hydraulic clutch, and also used it on the ebike hydraulic brake line. A brake line is also a brake line! 😉
So after days of trying I searched for a way and came across this video. And it worked a treat on a pair of zx9r six pot front calipers I had to use screw driver bits in with Allen key as the pots are much smaller but worked well. You are a lifesaver
For you sport bike or dual piston folks out there...the screwdriver bits make excellent fillers around the Allen wrench...and the hexagonal shapes stop the turning inside while spreading pressure to the outside. Dual pistons are quite a bit smaller than the one demonstrated here. And once again...so very grateful for you sharing this.
@@BikeFromTheBrink Worked fantastically for me. The chrome polish and lithium grease both very helpful in this. And thankfully too...as finding parts is expensive or difficult for calipers.
Thanks sir for sharing this genius idea I have taken my motorcycle caliper piston yesterday with some different sets of tools but the idea is yours a very very big thanks to you sir. Please keep up the great work .
My husband has just removed 4 pistons from 3 GS1100 calipers using your method. The 2 pistons from the front calipers took some doing initially but once you see that first bit of movement you just keep going back and forth with some WD40 sprayed around as well. Brilliant Tip !
@@BikeFromTheBrink I would not use WD40 unless you want to ruin the seals by having them swell up. The best way to remove pistons is to leave connected and pump the pistons using hydraulic pressure. No chance of damaging the pistons either.
After 3 days trying about everything imaginable, saw your vid and....yes it worked!! Awesome tip, thank you very much for sharing! Even the local motorcycle shop didn't know this one 😎
Watched this last night, tried it this morning having gone through a variety of other methods, air line, grips, etc and it worked like a dream. 10 mins to take out the offending piston. You are sir, a God send indeed😀
Thanks for the tip mate. Spent about 3 hours on this problem yesterday. Removed today in 5 minutes with your method. Should have figured this out myself.
@Bike From The Brink Hahaha 1994 MK2 donated to me on the brink of death. Only things left are brake rebuild and sill welding and she's ready for the road again :D Not sure what Toyota were drinking when they designed the MK3... shameful 🤣
Good work, glad it got you out of a hole. Remember to give me a subscribe, it makes a big difference for me. Maybe I'll come up with some more Yorkshire level money saving tips.
Thanks for posting, tried using air, repeated heating and cooling, soaking in solvent, and finally a torch. Nothing worked until I tried your method. Thanks for posting! G
Thank you so much for this amazing tip and video. It made it possible to unstick my VW T25 from calipers with opposing pistons! Never would have got it without your help. Cheers from Detroit, Michigan USA
Thanks for this tip. I found the best approach is use the largest hex wrench with the smallest sockets, as these fill the inside of the piston better. Any gaps around the hex key I filled with whatever smaller Allen keys would fit, to minimise the play around the large hex key, which is essential to avoid slippage.
Thanks man. I'm old & been at this type of game for years, & one thing I've learned is that you never quit learning. Thanks for learning me a bit more. Cheers
Thanks for sharing this, I'm currently restoring a GPz750 Turbo, just tried this on the rear caliper that was bone dry and the piston hadn't moved for ten years - 5 minutes and I had it out. I'm also a Yorkshire man 😉
Thanks for sharing, so glad that i find this video. You’re a life saver! For the People with a Suzuki GSX600F(And similair model brakes), For the front brakes you need a 12mm socket and a 5mm Hex key. That do the trick.
THANK YOU! I got my piston stuck in when trying to rebuild it (didn't put the rubber bellow thing in the piston gap before putting piston in!). I had been trying to hit it out using a screwdriver and hammer for ages. I didn't do exactly what you did, I used some large end cutting pliers to grab the end of the piston and rotate it whilst pulling/wiggling and got it out in a few minutes.
Thank you so much 🙏❤ My husband and I really succeeded to remove the last bit of the brake piston which was stuck. Couldn't have done it without your genius method. Forever thankful 🙏🙏
Good tip. I’ll give it a go. I have been grappling with a seized caliper piston for well over an hour filling the inner piston with a single socket and the square end of a socket extension on a socket wrench for the rotational force. It’s work to spin the piston but can’t quite get it outward while it’s spinning. Perhaps a large hex key will do better.
It was quite a bit more effective and didn’t slip multiple times like the socket extension did! Thanks so much for posting this. Got all three calipers rebuilt but still need to bleed the system.
was going to break out the grease gun again, but i hate the mess, so i thought i would see what youtube says about the matter. this worked very well (with the help of a bench vise). i was thinking that once i got it moving then i would finish it off with the air gun, but it wasnt necessary. thank you !
Only just found your video -Thank you for making, sharing/posting it, it is just the sort of solution I was looking for - I am also adverse to spending money on unnecceary tools - It really helped me out. Mucha appreciated.
Hi mate. I just stumbled across your video as I was researching this very topic about removing, "stuck" pistons from a caliper (in my case, a piston from the front caliper of my 1996 Landcruiser 80-series). I tried soaking it in WD-40 for days end, smacking it with drift, attempting to lever it up with a rather large screwdriver - all to no avail. I just saw your idea - bloody brilliant concept, though I suspect I may need a longer lever than your particular (large) allen key, but the concept is truly brilliant. Though in order to apply the necessary force, I may need to temporarily mount the caliper back on the car (without the disk mounted) in order to apply maximum leverage. Wish me luck, and thanks for this exvcellent idea.
I think the WD40 is a double edged sword, sometimes it eases them, but if it doesn't, I think it swells the seals and makes the job harder. If it has a big pot you will certainly need a bigger allen key then you can choose, flex your muscles or put a scaffolding pole on it :)
Hi Ben I really appreciate the video, I had 2 stuck pistons on a 1982 RD350LC and I had the pliers type removal tool and it didn’t budge. After watching your video and a little faffing about with sockets and that I had both pistons out in a few minutes. You’re tip is genius and really works a treat thanks again and keep up the great work 😊
Excellant idea! It gos without saying, if you use your brain, there's a will, there's a way to get the job done! Special tools are nice, but expensive! Sometimes you"ll only use them once in awhile! Thank You for the idea!
good thinking ! once you get that thing moving it's only going to get easier and easier ... eventually it must succumb to your will. i am going to do a bit of messing around and see if i can make a set-up where i am successfully moving the mass with a ratchet on a hex shape, which should speed things up a bit.
If you have an airline you can use it once they start to turn. This one was too stuck for the airline at the beginning. You could put a socket hex in the hole pointing up and put a socket and ratchet on.
Thank you! I’m going to give this a go tomorrow morning. Mine is a two piston caliper, and I tried to use the pressure from the brake lever, but one of them just refused to budge at all. And yes, those plyers would have fallen apart from your calliper!
thanks mate, i have a 1984 Volvo 240GL with one stuck piston in each of the calipers, i was quoted AUD$380 to rebuild each caliper, and my disability pension doesn't stretch that bloody far. i'll give you method a try sometime soon, tried several methods so far with other pistons that were stuck but still have the 4 being super stubborn.
Brilliant little trick!!! Worked a treat on a really nasty calliper job!! Thankyou that man! Just used a large socket and a 1/2’ extension. The square edge seemed to help more and u can turn with your ratchet 👍🏻
Thanks for the tip. I was going to order a set of ratchet caliper piston pliers but I agree they look like cheap crap. Used your tip using a quarter inch 8mm socket with a little bit of knurling around it (more grip methinks) and a 10mm Allen key to lever it out. 3 out of the 4 out in a few seconds, the really stuck one took about 10 mins and from what I'd seen, the pliers wouldn't have touched it. Top tip and £30-40 richer so a few pints in the pub tomorrow too... Thanks again 👍
Try putting a bleed nipple in the brake line hole and then use a grease gun, if its really welded stuck buy an air grease gun and you can apply pressure well into the 100's psi (far far more than an airline that might only have 60 odd) and not a mark left on the piston. Then you have a grease gun which is a tool worth having anyway.
I had an airline to hand. It didn't shift it. Rather than buying, the point was to fathom a way to shift it with stuff you have just lying around. Stuff regular Joe has. Most people don't have a grease gun.
Yes, the grease gun method works great. Air is compressible, grease and oil is not. Use a grease fitting (zerk fitting) with the appropriate threads in the bleeder port. May require a brass hex bushing as adapter for size difference. Another method is to bake caliper in an oven at 250° F (121° C) for 30 minutes then use freeze spray on just the piston and it will come out with ease. Use a penetrating fluid around the circumference of the piston will aid in its removal.
This is very clever but also making an easy job very hard. You simply need to connect your caliper to a master cylinder, bleed the system and use the hydraulic pressure to push the piston out. I keep a front master with hose on the shelf just for this purpose. You can also remove the front master from your handlebar and use that one. This is very easy and probably much faster. I have done this many times, it always works. If there are 2 pistons, let the first one move halfway out then restrict it with a c clamp so the other one will start moving.
I disagree. Firstly I didn't have a master cylinder, as it came without one. But even if I did, I got that out faster than you can connect and bleed up a caliper.
Brilliant tip. I had been trying with a track pump with no success. It was a bit fiddly with my small twin pot caliper but I used some 6mm hex drive bits the bit holder and an old slider pin. Once they had rotated they blew out easily with the track pump.
Great tip thank you so much! But would have been easier if you used a long metal tube on the Alan Key to lever it instead of straining with just the short Alan key. Cheers!
Thanks for that tip, I'm going to try it on my SV's brakes. I used the air method but only one piston is moving so I'll try your tip on the other piston and see if I can get that moving as well. Also, I would say get a decent vice but then I remembered, you're from Yorkshire so you'll make do with your cheap, German Workmate rip-off😁 (I have one as well and they are made of cheese somewhat).
Yorkshire is proud of you Ben. Nice use of that workmate there, saving another few quid on wear and tare on the soft jaws. Try 0000 steel wool on that piston but it does look bad.
You'd be proud. The ID was about 1mm bigger than my chuck. I lay some paper towel over and pushed it up snug on the chuck. Once powered on I used 1000/2000/3000 wet and dry. It has come up really well.
@@BikeFromTheBrink Well thought out and glad you rescued the piston. you would be also proud of my "Heath Robinson" blast cabinet made from a 45 Gallon drum, works well even with my 25L compressor, will do a vid about it soon. Writing it all up for the VJMC mag at the mo. No space for a lathe in my shed, have to keep moving the pillar drill on and off teh bench when required.
Fantastic, careful with the air, they can fire out once freed up. Give me a subscribe click, it helps a lot and I might come up with more money saving tips.
My piston seems to be on backwards?? Every video ive seen has the hollow side of the piston shoeing out, mine has its flat side showing. Should i turn it around?
That can work, but if one put its seized it will only push the free one out. This bike cave to me with no master cylinder. Connecting it to another, bleeding it up, trying this then, reconnecting the original would have taken much longer.
If you gouge it on the slide / outside the piston then even if it's not corroded it'll be scrap...I've gouged a couple of the pistons on my Honda 125 but replacements are available..it's the callipers that are not produced for older bikes and cars...and callipers are expensive so clean them up carefully and especially corrosion in the O-rings grooves...also I changed all 4 on a Kia Picanto for a family member...kits are readily available for most modern cars and bikes...even some classic bikes...I was lucky with the stuck Picanto front calliper...I think passenger side...seized solid...wish I'd had this video as a guide...the inlet for the fluid lined up perfectly with the back of the stuck piston...on my old Black and Decker Workmate (coincidentally) with a 8mm bar I first hit down inside with a 1lb hammer...nothing...so I got my 4lb club and belted it...the workmate was jumping off the ground but the piston moved then...i punched it right out...then set about cleaning with wire brushes in a drill and smaller ones in a Dremel clone...didn't bother painting callipers...fitted each new piston with seals and boots...one new boot didn't fit and tore...I refused an old boot...new pads...do for another 5 years or more...
Thanks my good man, only trouble is I have 2 to do 😬 and that's before I start getting them down to bare metal and paint them, I kid you not they look like they went down with the Titanic 🤣
You sir are a GOD SEND! Thanks so much for sharing this AND for letting us see the whole process and KNOW that it is not magical nor easy...just smart. Every time I see a documentary on the "Battle of Britain" I will be remembering you and the attitude of the Yorkshire man. :) Sincerely...a serious fan from the camp of "wooden shoes, wooden head...wooden listen".
Nice one, glad to help and thanks for subscribing.
Battle of Britain :) is that from his much I wrestled with it instead of using a longer lever?
@@BikeFromTheBrink LOL...no just the sheer inventiveness and tenacity.
Thank you very much been struggling with seized callipers for a few weeks now tried various methods no luck at all . Tried your idea all removed worked a treat your are a legend thank you
Finally! A video that doesn't just say "use an air gun". Thank you!
@@rosie-b I tried that, the air didn't shift it either
Brain power prevails, you saved me time and money getting a piston on my ebike brake caliper unstuck. Smaller application, so I used four allen (hex) wrenches.
Nice one, I hadn't even thought about tony stuff
@@BikeFromTheBrink A brake caliper is a brake caliper... Another nice thing, I'd bought some loctite thread sealant while working on a Saab hydraulic clutch, and also used it on the ebike hydraulic brake line. A brake line is also a brake line! 😉
So after days of trying I searched for a way and came across this video.
And it worked a treat on a pair of zx9r six pot front calipers
I had to use screw driver bits in with Allen key as the pots are much smaller but worked well.
You are a lifesaver
Nice one
For you sport bike or dual piston folks out there...the screwdriver bits make excellent fillers around the Allen wrench...and the hexagonal shapes stop the turning inside while spreading pressure to the outside. Dual pistons are quite a bit smaller than the one demonstrated here. And once again...so very grateful for you sharing this.
Did exactly this on my dual piston and it worked perfectly!
Literally about to give this a go on fkn BOTH front calipers on my sv650 lol. Been 3 weekends of messing about with it so far 😩
Let me know if it works for you
@@BikeFromTheBrink Worked fantastically for me. The chrome polish and lithium grease both very helpful in this. And thankfully too...as finding parts is expensive or difficult for calipers.
@@ryanscott8217 Hope it goes well. Recommend the chrome polish and lithium grease when you get it apart.
Thanks sir for sharing this genius idea I have taken my motorcycle caliper piston yesterday with some different sets of tools but the idea is yours a very very big thanks to you sir. Please keep up the great work .
@@haroldkortwright8502 glad to hear it
My husband has just removed 4 pistons from 3 GS1100 calipers using your method. The 2 pistons from the front calipers took some doing initially but once you see that first bit of movement you just keep going back and forth with some WD40 sprayed around as well. Brilliant Tip !
Great stuff. Glad it worked for you. Don't forget to subscribe, I'll try come up with some similar tips.
@@BikeFromTheBrink I would not use WD40 unless you want to ruin the seals by having them swell up. The best way to remove pistons is to leave connected and pump the pistons using hydraulic pressure. No chance of damaging the pistons either.
After 3 days trying about everything imaginable, saw your vid and....yes it worked!! Awesome tip, thank you very much for sharing! Even the local motorcycle shop didn't know this one 😎
Glad to help, give us a subscribe for more bike and money saving tips :)
Just removed two stuck pistons from my 1980 CB900 front brakes using this method. Thank you - spot on!!
@the_cafe_racer_project good work Mr
Thanks for your help will try this method
Proper Engineer....worked a treat on my seized caliper pistons.......Many Thanks for posting this.....
Watched this last night, tried it this morning having gone through a variety of other methods, air line, grips, etc and it worked like a dream. 10 mins to take out the offending piston. You are sir, a God send indeed😀
Great to hear, glad to help.
Thanks for the tip mate.
Spent about 3 hours on this problem yesterday.
Removed today in 5 minutes with your method.
Should have figured this out myself.
@bidlymovies987 no harm having a search before you reach for the gas axe :)
It's not just Yorkshiremen who don't like spending money on tools you only use once!
Top tip. I'll be giving this a go at the weekend.
Glad to help, report back how you get on. Subscribe for more money saving tips.
You Yorkshire legend! This method saved me scrapping an MR2 caliper. Can't thank you enough for sharing this simple genius method! 👍
Nice one, please say it was a mk1 or mk2 and not the newer hairdresser type.
@Bike From The Brink Hahaha 1994 MK2 donated to me on the brink of death. Only things left are brake rebuild and sill welding and she's ready for the road again :D
Not sure what Toyota were drinking when they designed the MK3... shameful 🤣
truth! remember to subscribe, I'll see if I can fathom any more money saving tips
Thankyou, your method worked on my schizzed '81 2x XJ750 Seca front calipers. And now, a full rebuild.
Good work, glad it got you out of a hole.
Remember to give me a subscribe, it makes a big difference for me. Maybe I'll come up with some more Yorkshire level money saving tips.
Thanks for posting, tried using air, repeated heating and cooling, soaking in solvent, and finally a torch. Nothing worked until I tried your method. Thanks for posting! G
Brilliant, give me a follow, I may yet come up with more money saving tips.
You sir are a legend! Been at my caliper with heat, in freezer! Your tip and I was sorted in 5 minutes. Many thanks 😊
You made my day
Thank you so much for this amazing tip and video. It made it possible to unstick my VW T25 from calipers with opposing pistons! Never would have got it without your help.
Cheers from Detroit, Michigan USA
Thanks for this tip. I found the best approach is use the largest hex wrench with the smallest sockets, as these fill the inside of the piston better. Any gaps around the hex key I filled with whatever smaller Allen keys would fit, to minimise the play around the large hex key, which is essential to avoid slippage.
You legend, just got 4 pistons out of our 99 zx6r with your method. Thanks for posting this
Glad to help
Thanks man. I'm old & been at this type of game for years, & one thing I've learned is that you never quit learning. Thanks for learning me a bit more.
Cheers
@@thecountywilliams5098 every day a school day
I just used this method on a 2018 Beta EVO rear caliper, both pistons seized, I used a 7mm and a 10mm allan key and it worked perfectly!
Noice!
thanks for the idea, i've got a few stuck on my 83 goldwing. keep riding.
my friend you are a genius.. just broke my caliper loose. Thanks for posting
You are very welcome
Thanks for sharing this, I'm currently restoring a GPz750 Turbo, just tried this on the rear caliper that was bone dry and the piston hadn't moved for ten years - 5 minutes and I had it out. I'm also a Yorkshire man 😉
Nice work
Just went on ebay and thought the same thing, good idea, thanks.
The drawback of having too many bikes some sit about for years.
The struggle is real
Thanks for sharing, so glad that i find this video. You’re a life saver!
For the People with a Suzuki GSX600F(And similair model brakes), For the front brakes you need a 12mm socket and a 5mm Hex key. That do the trick.
Thank you, it worked. My piston was at least as stuck as yours, but with your technique and a lot of brute force I was able to remove it.
Good work
Can’t believe how easy this was 😂 thank you
Glad it worked for you, remember to subscribe for more money saving tips :)
Excellent video, great job with basic tools, rotation and pulling at the same time, but they come out eventually.
Just done this on two Honda CB650 SC Nighthawk callipers.. brilliant worked and well pleased.. thank you for sharing
@ianwilkinson4196 great work and thanks for the follow, another 2 and youtube start to pay me a little bit
Such a great tip! I would have been stuck without this. Thank you!
Excellent thank you, great to see some vintage know how because main stream mechanics didn't know where to start. Cheers
THANK YOU! I got my piston stuck in when trying to rebuild it (didn't put the rubber bellow thing in the piston gap before putting piston in!). I had been trying to hit it out using a screwdriver and hammer for ages. I didn't do exactly what you did, I used some large end cutting pliers to grab the end of the piston and rotate it whilst pulling/wiggling and got it out in a few minutes.
Brilliant, adapt and overcome
Great idea! Worked for me. 1994 Honda Goldwing GL1500A been sitting for 8 years.
Nice one, are they 2 pot calipers?
I tried it and it did not take as long as I thought it would, to get the piston out. So simple but.......many thanks will not forget this one...
Thank you so much 🙏❤ My husband and I really succeeded to remove the last bit of the brake piston which was stuck. Couldn't have done it without your genius method. Forever thankful 🙏🙏
So simple,,,,, when you know how, very well done will give it a go thank you..
You're welcome, let me know how you get on
Brilliant! The physics on this is spot on. Gotta go to this one first before you go to chemistry and the air compressor. TY!!!
@johne5180 I'm sure enough air pressure would pop it out, but my 120psi didn't do it.
Also most people don't have a compressor
@@BikeFromTheBrink two of the four popped out with the air pressure. One required this method. One is still giving me fits!
@@johne5180 same method but with more leverage maybe.
Looks like a good method, been struggling for 3 hours with an air line and mole grips !I will try this tomorrow, Thanks
Hope you didn't damage it already with the mole grips.
Did you get it?
You sir, are a life saver.Thank you so much for this footage.I did my calipers today.
At first, I was desperate.Your method worked like a charm!!
Nice one, what were they on?
Zx-6r 2003
@sitesofelasticy4402 nice, my latest challenge is to replicate a ZXR750H1 Expansion Tank in resin. Can't be bought these days.
Good tip. I’ll give it a go. I have been grappling with a seized caliper piston for well over an hour filling the inner piston with a single socket and the square end of a socket extension on a socket wrench for the rotational force. It’s work to spin the piston but can’t quite get it outward while it’s spinning. Perhaps a large hex key will do better.
Let me know how you get on
It was quite a bit more effective and didn’t slip multiple times like the socket extension did! Thanks so much for posting this.
Got all three calipers rebuilt but still need to bleed the system.
Good work, thanks for the feedback, remember to subscribe, it's free and helps me a lot.
was going to break out the grease gun again, but i hate the mess, so i thought i would see what youtube says about the matter. this worked very well (with the help of a bench vise). i was thinking that once i got it moving then i would finish it off with the air gun, but it wasnt necessary. thank you !
Nice work, not everyone has a grease gun
Very clever and neat little trick. Thanks for sharing this. Got stuck pistons on an XR that needs to be convinced.
Glad to help
Ben, you’re a gentleman and a scholar Sir. Worked brilliantly. If I ever have the privilege of meeting you, I will stand you a beer. Or three.
Careful, I'd travel for a promise like that
You’d be made very welcome.
Only just found your video -Thank you for making, sharing/posting it, it is just the sort of solution I was looking for - I am also adverse to spending money on unnecceary tools - It really helped me out. Mucha appreciated.
You're very welcome, glad to help.
You are a genius Sir. Thank you for this solution to a stuck situation.
Your are welcome. Please subscribe, for more money saving tips :)
Hi mate. I just stumbled across your video as I was researching this very topic about removing, "stuck" pistons from a caliper (in my case, a piston from the front caliper of my 1996 Landcruiser 80-series). I tried soaking it in WD-40 for days end, smacking it with drift, attempting to lever it up with a rather large screwdriver - all to no avail. I just saw your idea - bloody brilliant concept, though I suspect I may need a longer lever than your particular (large) allen key, but the concept is truly brilliant. Though in order to apply the necessary force, I may need to temporarily mount the caliper back on the car (without the disk mounted) in order to apply maximum leverage. Wish me luck, and thanks for this exvcellent idea.
I think the WD40 is a double edged sword, sometimes it eases them, but if it doesn't, I think it swells the seals and makes the job harder. If it has a big pot you will certainly need a bigger allen key then you can choose, flex your muscles or put a scaffolding pole on it :)
Well done! I did wonder if extending the leverage of that allen key with a hollow tube, a handle bar perhaps, would have made it less stubborn though?
Hi Ben I really appreciate the video, I had 2 stuck pistons on a 1982 RD350LC and I had the pliers type removal tool and it didn’t budge. After watching your video and a little faffing about with sockets and that I had both pistons out in a few minutes. You’re tip is genius and really works a treat thanks again and keep up the great work 😊
Great stuff, glad it worked for you.
Great stuff, glad it worked for you.
Excellant idea! It gos without saying, if you use your brain, there's a will, there's a way to get the job done! Special tools are nice, but expensive! Sometimes you"ll only use them once in awhile! Thank You for the idea!
exactly that, did it work for you?
Thank you good sir! Finally got a seized piston from a rusty old caliper. Thought it was toast
good thinking ! once you get that thing moving it's only going to get easier and easier ... eventually it must succumb to your will. i am going to do a bit of messing around and see if i can make a set-up where i am successfully moving the mass with a ratchet on a hex shape, which should speed things up a bit.
If you have an airline you can use it once they start to turn. This one was too stuck for the airline at the beginning.
You could put a socket hex in the hole pointing up and put a socket and ratchet on.
Thank you! I’m going to give this a go tomorrow morning. Mine is a two piston caliper, and I tried to use the pressure from the brake lever, but one of them just refused to budge at all.
And yes, those plyers would have fallen apart from your calliper!
Let us know how you get on
@@BikeFromTheBrink Worked perfectly using a 6mm socket and a 1/4" extension bar. Thank you!
Great stuff, you're welcome
Just jam the moving piston with a block of wood then the "froze" piston will shift.
thanks mate, i have a 1984 Volvo 240GL with one stuck piston in each of the calipers, i was quoted AUD$380 to rebuild each caliper, and my disability pension doesn't stretch that bloody far.
i'll give you method a try sometime soon, tried several methods so far with other pistons that were stuck but still have the 4 being super stubborn.
Hope it works for you, keep me posted.
Brilliant little trick!!!
Worked a treat on a really nasty calliper job!! Thankyou that man!
Just used a large socket and a 1/2’ extension. The square edge seemed to help more and u can turn with your ratchet 👍🏻
Glad to help, remember to give us a subscribe.
This comment saved me so much time. Thanks!
Impressed with that ingenuity. I'll try that one day
Thanks. Appreciate it. Hope it helps.
Thanks for the tip. I was going to order a set of ratchet caliper piston pliers but I agree they look like cheap crap. Used your tip using a quarter inch 8mm socket with a little bit of knurling around it (more grip methinks) and a 10mm Allen key to lever it out. 3 out of the 4 out in a few seconds, the really stuck one took about 10 mins and from what I'd seen, the pliers wouldn't have touched it. Top tip and £30-40 richer so a few pints in the pub tomorrow too... Thanks again 👍
Nice work
Great tip. A bit pipe over the allen key would reduce the puffing and panting. 🙂
Just flexin' :)
@@BikeFromTheBrink 😂
Same one I was thinking
Try putting a bleed nipple in the brake line hole and then use a grease gun, if its really welded stuck buy an air grease gun and you can apply pressure well into the 100's psi (far far more than an airline that might only have 60 odd) and not a mark left on the piston. Then you have a grease gun which is a tool worth having anyway.
I had an airline to hand. It didn't shift it.
Rather than buying, the point was to fathom a way to shift it with stuff you have just lying around. Stuff regular Joe has. Most people don't have a grease gun.
with you George, just put a grease nipple in the banjo hole and pump it out.
Yes, the grease gun method works great. Air is compressible, grease and oil is not. Use a grease fitting (zerk fitting) with the appropriate threads in the bleeder port. May require a brass hex bushing as adapter for size difference. Another method is to bake caliper in an oven at 250° F (121° C) for 30 minutes then use freeze spray on just the piston and it will come out with ease. Use a penetrating fluid around the circumference of the piston will aid in its removal.
Good idea! I would make the hex wrench handle even longer and add a piece of pipe for extra leverage. Thanks
This is very clever but also making an easy job very hard. You simply need to connect your caliper to a master cylinder, bleed the system and use the hydraulic pressure to push the piston out. I keep a front master with hose on the shelf just for this purpose. You can also remove the front master from your handlebar and use that one. This is very easy and probably much faster. I have done this many times, it always works. If there are 2 pistons, let the first one move halfway out then restrict it with a c clamp so the other one will start moving.
I disagree. Firstly I didn't have a master cylinder, as it came without one.
But even if I did, I got that out faster than you can connect and bleed up a caliper.
Great discovery, worked for me! 2001 Honda ST1100,s tuck pistons...
Great stuff
Awesome no nonsense video !
Glad you liked it!
This worked perfectly thank you for sharing!
Glad it helped!
As a fellow Yorkshireman I applaud your no spend approach.
Doesn't grow on trees!
used this on my gas gas txt 125 AJP calipers, you are some man fella took some doing but they're budging. Cheers pal
Good work Mr
@@BikeFromTheBrink Legend man. Dropped a sub
Congrats on not cursing when the thing didn't initially want to move :D I find swearing often helps!
Thrust and leverage ;)
This worked absolutely perfectly!
Genius!!
Superb, glad it helped
That was truly stuck. Well done and a like and subscribe for all the grunting.
Just flexing for ya :)
what a great way to do this and yes with basic tools. But would adding some brake cleaner or some kind of liquid help with the turning and pulling?
It had soaked in plusgas over night, I've also heard it can swell the seal and make it harder to turn
@@BikeFromTheBrink im gonna have a field day with mine as its a 2006 brake that dont look like has been touched
@Ryan Thomas man up, that's basically new 😀
Brilliant tip. I had been trying with a track pump with no success. It was a bit fiddly with my small twin pot caliper but I used some 6mm hex drive bits the bit holder and an old slider pin. Once they had rotated they blew out easily with the track pump.
Nice one, glad to help.
Thanks for this tip! Gonna have another go today with mine. Going to try this with WD40. Hopefully they’ll move 👍
How did you get on
Top ! Works very well. So clever. Thank you sir !
You're welcome!
Wish I would have seen this sooner...saved myself a couple of hundred dollars.
Worked like a charm!!! Thank you for the video. Definitely helped me
Fantastic, remember to give me a subscribe. It's free, it helps me, and I may yet come up with more money saving tips.
Worked a treat for me - thanks.
Winner
thank you ... i'd tried everything and take back all i've said about Yorkshiremen 🙂,, i've subscribed , rgds Pete
Fantastic. Glad to help.
Brilliant, just what i was looking for 👍🏻 thank you
@@hawkins7331 no worries, remember to subscribe for more time and money saving tips
@BikeFromTheBrink already have 👍🏻
Thank you. Worked very well.
Great tip thank you so much! But would have been easier if you used a long metal tube on the Alan Key to lever it instead of straining with just the short Alan key. Cheers!
Just wanted to flex for ya
Thanks for that tip, I'm going to try it on my SV's brakes. I used the air method but only one piston is moving so I'll try your tip on the other piston and see if I can get that moving as well. Also, I would say get a decent vice but then I remembered, you're from Yorkshire so you'll make do with your cheap, German Workmate rip-off😁 (I have one as well and they are made of cheese somewhat).
I wouldn't recommend a vice on a piston unless you have soft jaws. That's why I used my vorkmate ;) I've had it 25 years, not bad for a copy.
Yorkshire is proud of you Ben. Nice use of that workmate there, saving another few quid on wear and tare on the soft jaws. Try 0000 steel wool on that piston but it does look bad.
You'd be proud. The ID was about 1mm bigger than my chuck. I lay some paper towel over and pushed it up snug on the chuck.
Once powered on I used 1000/2000/3000 wet and dry.
It has come up really well.
@@BikeFromTheBrink Well thought out and glad you rescued the piston. you would be also proud of my "Heath Robinson" blast cabinet made from a 45 Gallon drum, works well even with my 25L compressor, will do a vid about it soon. Writing it all up for the VJMC mag at the mo. No space for a lathe in my shed, have to keep moving the pillar drill on and off teh bench when required.
@@robbateman7987 oh I like the sound of that, I've been considering a blast of some kind
Thank you brother. You saved me with this information
You're very welcome
Genius. This + compressed air (simultaneous) = done in 5 min.
Fantastic, careful with the air, they can fire out once freed up.
Give me a subscribe click, it helps a lot and I might come up with more money saving tips.
Awesome .....worked for me...I even boiled the caliper half first to get it hot. Used wife's saucepan....not happy
But I was.
BTW I used four vertically placed
Allen keys then stuck my index finger down the centre so it
splayed the four of them....
It worked well
Thanks again
What a great idea thanks 😃
no worries
thank you very much, it works like a charm
My piston seems to be on backwards?? Every video ive seen has the hollow side of the piston shoeing out, mine has its flat side showing. Should i turn it around?
Yes, sounds like someone put it back that didn't know. It will probably work but need more brake fluid.
@@BikeFromTheBrink Thanks for the answer!
Thanks a lot sir, you made my day
Glad you got sorted
Brilliant!
Just take the brake pads off and leave the caliper connected to the fluid line and push on the brake pedal. It will push that piston out.
That can work, but if one put its seized it will only push the free one out. This bike cave to me with no master cylinder. Connecting it to another, bleeding it up, trying this then, reconnecting the original would have taken much longer.
Brilliant. Thank you.
You're very welcome! Did it work for you?
While doing this method, I managed to put deep scratches inside my brake caliper piston, should I replace them or is it okay to still use them?
Inside the cup? It doesn't matter in there, the outside is the important bit. Half the time an old piston is full of rust in there anyway.
If you gouge it on the slide / outside the piston then even if it's not corroded it'll be scrap...I've gouged a couple of the pistons on my Honda 125 but replacements are available..it's the callipers that are not produced for older bikes and cars...and callipers are expensive so clean them up carefully and especially corrosion in the O-rings grooves...also I changed all 4 on a Kia Picanto for a family member...kits are readily available for most modern cars and bikes...even some classic bikes...I was lucky with the stuck Picanto front calliper...I think passenger side...seized solid...wish I'd had this video as a guide...the inlet for the fluid lined up perfectly with the back of the stuck piston...on my old Black and Decker Workmate (coincidentally) with a 8mm bar I first hit down inside with a 1lb hammer...nothing...so I got my 4lb club and belted it...the workmate was jumping off the ground but the piston moved then...i punched it right out...then set about cleaning with wire brushes in a drill and smaller ones in a Dremel clone...didn't bother painting callipers...fitted each new piston with seals and boots...one new boot didn't fit and tore...I refused an old boot...new pads...do for another 5 years or more...
Great tip.
Bloody Legend mate🇦🇺🙏🙏🙏🙏🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙Thanks heaps for the excellent advice, worked like a boss!!!!!!!!! Keep up the great vids.
what a great idea ! Thanks bud
Trouble is with my bike the piston is solid metal in the middle no hole what do I do ?
Do you have a grease gun?
Thanks my good man, only trouble is I have 2 to do 😬 and that's before I start getting them down to bare metal and paint them, I kid you not they look like they went down with the Titanic 🤣
Perseverance, good luck
Thanks, just got it done, couldn't have done it without you 😎
Now for the bit I enjoy cleaning the calipers.
@@christopherchappell1278 I pushed my piston onto my drill chuck and packed it with tissue to hold it there, then spun it to clean it up