Grease Gun Method Didn't Work!

Howdy.

After trying all ways of getting out that stubborn caliper piston, including the grease gun method, it was electrical tape on the air hose nozzle and a caliper with boiled water poured over it that worked. I couldn't get a good seal between the bleeder screw and the grease gun. How did others do it? I think I may have recessed the piston too much for grease to be an effective method in this case.

Any thoughts?

 

Clamp one piston using one or more G clamps, pump piston out using brake lever/pedal. Change seal and replace. Clamp that one, then pump the other one out. Job done.

 

It may be a case of different styles of Zerk fitting on the grease gun itself. Most Yamaha bleed screws are the same, and my grease gun snaps right on just like it would on any grease nipple. But my grease gun is at least 40 years old, so its fitting might be different than what is currently around.

Unless maybe somebody had swapped bleed screws on you.

That's all I can think of.

 

A grease gun will ALWAYS pop out a stuck piston . I don't use the bleed screw to feed grease in, I made a adaptor that screws into the banjo bolt hole. I have had the same problem with the gun sealing on the bleed screw. It was used sucessfully 4 times this weekend to remove the pistons on some anti-dive valves with the adaptor.

 

these guys laugh at my method so all i'll say is you were on the right track with the hot water

 

Not me; from what I remember it's not all that laughable. Didn't you punch a hole in your garage roof with the "steam cannon?" Or was it "only" the ceiling?

I'd give it a "100" on the spectacular scale, though.

 

I did notice that the nozzle for my grease gun was too small. It was a cheapo and works on the quad. I tried re-attaching the calipers and bleeding them to pop them out, but I think my master cylinder has taken a turn for the worse. That's the next time to tear down.

I read about the steam 'incident'. Very original. I may try it on a scrapyard caliper one day for my own pleasure. I'll wear body armor.

 

iv always used an air compressor to pop out the pistons, just did one of mine today accually. and a C-clamp to stop the piston from shooting out at 300mph and getting knicked of damaged. and a rag stuffed in front of it just for extra precautions.

 

A little heat and those hard old seals soften and give up the fight.

Use whatever fluid you like to apply the pressure, it's the heat that does it on calipers that have been out of service for a few years.

 

hope you didn't forget to turn the bleeder screw and open it first before trying to pump the grease... don't ask me how I know this

*sheepishly walking away from the workbench*

 

moellear, I made sure the bleeder was out a few turns. I made it a point to not forget!

 

When I used the grease gun method I couldn't get a decent seal either. Solution was to simply put my weight into it to force a good seal, keeping the gun nozzle as straight as possible.

 

Autozone has a selection of 10-20 different grease nipples by their grease guns. I bet you could find one that fits the bleeder threads and seats to your grease gun a little easier.

I wonder if you were able to get gasoline or even some sort of petroleum product like PB or WD-40 down to the seals if it would absord into the rubber and deteriorate/soften/lubricate the seals enough to help you remove them.

 

I had WD-40 sitting around the seals for a long time. Inside and outside the caliper. It's outand I know what works for me know. No need for messy grease!