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Caliper Piston Removal Made Simple


tomk1960

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My son-in-law shot this video with me last Sunday and had it edited and ready to post this morning. The featured caliper is from an '84 VF1000F. You can use this same procedure with the calipers still on the bike which saves you the trouble of having to do it on the bench later on. I hope some of you will find it useful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHvIA_--BAs

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I like it! Very professional looking, good quality video and sound. I love the text graphics put on the video just like how they are doing credits at the movies these days... well done.

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Great video - nicely done. You need to make another video showing off the bikes in your garage! You've got some really cool Honda history there - I'd like to take a virtual tour and see some of those machines...

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I do and did the exact same thing while the brakes are still on the bike but removed from the forks if I ever have to take the pistons out to replace seals or just clean them up. I may be missing something but I don't see the need to do it on the bench.

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Great video Tom. My only complaint is I think I saw a small speck on dirt on your shop floor. :wink:

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Thanks guys! I will be sure to tell Jordan (the guy who was behind the camera) how much you liked the video. And since you requested it, a virtual shop/bike tour will be on the list of future videos. Some of the other future videos that I plan to shoot will cover:

  • Fork seal removal and replacement using very basic tools
  • Caliper rebuilding
  • Bleeding a complete (front to back) brake system from scratch in well under an hour using a simple trick I learned - no special tools required
  • Step-by-step powder coating
  • Removal and replacement of the sight glass on master cylinders
  • ...and who knows what else?

I wish Jordan lived closer - he's a good 90 minutes away, but fortunately he and his wife come to visit every few weeks. Next time he's here I hope to shoot two videos instead of just one.

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I do and did the exact same thing while the brakes are still on the bike but removed from the forks if I ever have to take the pistons out to replace seals or just clean them up. I may be missing something but I don't see the need to do it on the bench.

You're absolutely right - there should be no need to do it on the bench. At the very beginning of the video I mention that the technique can be used while the calipers are still on the bike. Unfortunately, sometimes people forget and pull the calipers before they do this. Also, used calipers bought online often come with the pistons still in place, so this is meant to help in those situations too.

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Nice vid..... would love to see some pics of the bike he is sitting on at the end of the vid... :cool:

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With used calipers that would certainly be the best way.

If the calipers are already off, I prefer to stuff a rag in place of the pads and use compressed air to pop them out. Very quick and (almost) no mess.

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My calipers laughed at compressed air at 120 psi...the bleeding method worked beautifully. I didn't have a putty knife readily handy, so I used the metal backing off the mirror...

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Great vid--thanks.

I once used compressed air to pop pistons out and ended up covering a couple of my bikes with aerated brake fluid. I got most of it off, but I missed one bike's OEM windscreen...it still has the spots to prove it!

Ciao,

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Nice vid..... would love to see some pics of the bike he is sitting on at the end of the vid... :cool:

Ask and you shall receive...my '83 CB1100F Super Sport

Seatcompleted1_zps3e72bb67.jpg

Here it is right after I got it a few years ago:

Toms1100F_zps82f4494a.jpg

Bodywork was complete, yet rough, but it ran well, so I rode it for the rest of the season and then dug in during the winter. It's now 90% complete and runs great, but I still have details to pick away at. It gets ridden the most of all my bikes, although the Interceptor is starting to catch up.

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Great vid--thanks.

I once used compressed air to pop pistons out and ended up covering a couple of my bikes with aerated brake fluid. I got most of it off, but I missed one bike's OEM windscreen...it still has the spots to prove it!

Ciao,

Well, it does require a bit of foresight...

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