Tool tip for removing caliper pistons
Tool tip for removing caliper pistons
Here's a tool tip that I stumbled on while messing around in my shed. If you are replacing the piston seal and boot in your rear calipers the repair manual says to use a pair of needlenose plyers to unscrew the piston. Well, just try it. This is really hard to do and you might even end up stupidly trying to grab the end of the piston with water pump plyers to turn it and u will end up scoreing it all up. Here's a picture of my grinder. You can buy one rather cheaply at Harbor Freight Outlet. They have a web site http://www.harborfreightusa.com Item # 03150 . This is a great tool for cutting off bolts etc and it comes with a spanner tool that you use to install the grinding and sanding disks onto the tool. Well. guess what?, this spanner tool fits almost perfectly into the slots on top of the rear caliper pistons and you can use it to easily unscrew the pistons from the threaded e-brake shaft inside. Here's a pic of the tool and spanner wrench. You can thank me later. By the way, it is easy to get the piston seal in but the piston boots have to go around the bottom of the piston first then with a little stretching put the boot into the cyl groove. then insert and start carefully screwing in the piston. Be careful that the seal inside isn't twisted, run your pinkie around inside it to make sure before putting the boot on and be careful not to pinch the boot with the piston when using the spanner tool to screw in the piston. I bought a brake caliper kit at Advance Auto Parts that included boots, seals and a lot of other parts that you probably wouln't need to use. Usually you just need the seals and boots. just take your airhose and blast everything else clean. It has enough parts for two real brake cylinders. Item 18020688 $24.88 for 1992 240sx/se. Have fun, Pete
Re: Tool tip for removing caliper pistons (petesleaf)
Since I wrote this I noticed Harbor Freight Tools also sells an adjustable Pin wrench Lot # 36554 on sale @ $1.99 (50% off regular price). It says it fits grinder hubs so it may work to unscrew the caliper pistons as well but I haven't tried this tool. Looks like it would work if you don't want to buy the grinder that comes with its own pin tool as I mentioned.