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XJ550H Brake Caliper Piston- Toast, or Serviceable?

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by XJ550FirstTimeBuilder, Nov 21, 2020.

  1. XJ550FirstTimeBuilder

    XJ550FirstTimeBuilder Member

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    Hey all,

    I'm in the process of rebuilding my front brake, gonna be putting in a huge order with Len at the start of the new year (creating a parts list for everything i need is... man oh man PO's are a pain ). In cleaning/disassembling my brake caliper, i noticed a couple dents/scratches in it. Can anyone tell me if any of these are supposed to be there, or if the piston is still serviceable? I'm a student, so I'd prefer to not have to spend the additional money getting a caliper piston, but if i gotta i gotta.

    Thanks in advance! 20201121_135534.jpg
     

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  2. Minimutly

    Minimutly Well-Known Member

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    Looks good to me!
     
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  3. Toomanybikes

    Toomanybikes Well-Known Member

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    The 2 marks on top should not be a problem as they are outside the seal, but the lower one might be a leak point. B5BAC46A-70EF-41A7-9045-6999096AB08D.jpeg
     
  4. XJ550FirstTimeBuilder

    XJ550FirstTimeBuilder Member

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    Toomanybikes, that lower one is just a grease spot that i rubbed off with my thumb just now :) i didn't get around to cleaning the piston, since i wanted to be sure it'd work first.

    Minimutly, thanks for the input!! Seems like i should be good to take out the old caliper seals and get everything clean.

    Thanks again!!
     
  5. XJ550FirstTimeBuilder

    XJ550FirstTimeBuilder Member

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    Oh, i actually do have another issue with it; are the scratches on the piston face where it contacts the pads an issue?
     
  6. Franz

    Franz Well-Known Member

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    No.
     
  7. Jetfixer

    Jetfixer Well-Known Member

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    Good to go !
     
  8. XJ550FirstTimeBuilder

    XJ550FirstTimeBuilder Member

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    Oh man, that's great to hear. Thanks everyone!!
     
  9. a100man

    a100man Well-Known Member

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    Blimey, that's almost mint - you should see mine pits filled with epoxy!
     
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  10. hogfiddles

    hogfiddles XJ-Wizard, Host-Central NY Carb Clinic Moderator Premium Member

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    Nope— the lip of the piston is gonna be against the metal backing of the pad.
     
  11. XJ550FirstTimeBuilder

    XJ550FirstTimeBuilder Member

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    Ahhh man, that's rough (no pun intended), since this is my first time doing anything brake related (apart from changing the pads on my 93 Chevy) I had no idea what to expect.

    Good to know. Thanks, hogfiddles.

    I've been lurking on this site for... damn, almost a year now, and it's good to see some people who've taken part in many of the posts I've read still kicking around.



    I guess I may as well ask, also: my brake pads were black with oil, but still have at least 4 mm of additional life left in them until they're at the wear limit. I've already used degreaser and lacquer thinner to get as much fork oil off the brake rotor as possible (PO neglected a fork seal leak), but my dad (55 years experience working on cars) suggested that I sand the brake pads until they aren't oil slicked then test them out to see if they actually stop. Is this a terrible idea? I'm a student, and the prospect of 20 minutes with some 600 grit saving me 80$ is really appealing, but the prospect of not stopping when I need to, or the oil potentially causing the pads to otherwise fail, is definitely NOT appealing.
     
  12. hogfiddles

    hogfiddles XJ-Wizard, Host-Central NY Carb Clinic Moderator Premium Member

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    I would not use oil-soaked brakes. No natter how much you try to degrease them, you probably won’t get all the impregnated oil out
     
  13. XJ550FirstTimeBuilder

    XJ550FirstTimeBuilder Member

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    Alright, New pads it is.

    I was hoping I'd be able to afford to get the bike rideable for spring/summer, but it's looking like I'll have to wait a year or so. Pretty much everything on this bike needs to be rebuilt, so it's a long slow process, and being able to stop is right up at the top of my list.

    Does anyone know what the best way to know if you need to deglaze a rotor is, and if you do, the best method?
     
  14. Toomanybikes

    Toomanybikes Well-Known Member

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    I have had good luck with these scotchbrite pads and brake clean before and after.
     

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  15. XJ550H

    XJ550H Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    above all other systems in importance is the brake system if you cant stop you dont want to go.

    the brake pads when new for a 550 sometimes need the pin hole ovaled out a little to get the pin to go through save the old pad as a template.
     
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