Has anyone reused their brake piston seals?

[Oscar54]

I changed my brake fluid when I bought my bike cause it was brown not amber color. But because of the caliper design I know I did not get all the old fluid out of the calipers. So now five months later the fluid in the mastercylinder is brown again.

So I figure I have to disassemble the calipers to get all the old fluid out. My bike is a 2006 with 8K miles.

Has anyone rebuilt their calipers and reused the seals or should I spring for new ones, they look like they are $22 per piston?

 

[Sawblade]

With only 8K, I'm sure you could reuse the seals. Just don't clean them with anything other than isopropyl alcohol or brake fluid though.

 

[wrightme43]

Just flush the system man.

You may need new seals I cant tell with out holding them in my hands, but if they are not leaking they should be ok.

Just buy a mighty vac. Mity Vac Automotive Tune-up and Brake Bleeding Kit - Model 07000 at Sears.com

Pull a vacum on the caliper and pull all the fluid out down from the top. Do the other side as well, then fill and bleed. It will all be nice and new. The fluid in the calipers gets worn out first. With out a abs pump the nasty stays down there.


Brake Fluid Breakdown (Brake Fluid Test)

 

[wrightme43]

I also wanted to add that I replace my brake fluid every year.
Think about it like a airplane. It cant fail. Make determinations about how long you will let something stay on the bike with out replacement and stick to it.

I just cant have less than 100% from my brakes, I can't wonder if its right or not, and so I go a little over board.

3/4 of the way worn pads are junk.
One year brake fluid changes.
3/32" on tires mean replacement.

Silly stuff, but its my butt on the line.

The other method is wait till it breaks, or is bad and then fix it.
Downside to that method for me.

Parts fail under thier most extreme useage most often.

Like when that car pulls left across your path and you need every bit of traction, and braking force. Yeah it was under warrenty doesnt cut it there. LOL

Then again I am nuts.

 

[Cali rider]

I have an 04 with about 50K miles. I rebuilt both front calipers and the master cylinder and replaced brake lines about 9 months ago. You will need (1) caliper kit per caliper, not per piston.

Do not reuse the seals for any brake system component, EVER!! This is not a place to save a few dollars.

 

[wrightme43]

100% agreement.

If they are not going to be disassembled and just flushed they dont need to be replaced though.

 

[greenthumb]

umm, just remove the caliper and turn it upside down...

 

[The Toecutter]

umm, just remove the caliper and turn it upside down...

Could you please explain your theory of turning the caliper upside down to drain it to me and the rest of the class.because in my 17 years of working as a mechanic ive never used this procedure. :thumbup:

 

[urbanj]

I'd never reuse a component that should be replaced when removed in that application. They may be fine but why risk it. I'm sure the part is inexpensive.

That's the pro in me but if you are doing it yourself then there is no one else to blame if something goes wrong. But like it was said above, you don't mess with safety items because when they fail you will get hurt.

 

[The Toecutter]

Just flush the system man.

You may need new seals I cant tell with out holding them in my hands, but if they are not leaking they should be ok.

Just buy a mighty vac. Mity Vac Automotive Tune-up and Brake Bleeding Kit - Model 07000 at Sears.com

Pull a vacum on the caliper and pull all the fluid out down from the top. Do the other side as well, then fill and bleed. It will all be nice and new. The fluid in the calipers gets worn out first. With out a abs pump the nasty stays down there.


Brake Fluid Breakdown (Brake Fluid Test)

vacuming the system as explained here is the only way to really properly do the job.ALLWAYS REPLACE THE PISTON SEALS! anytime you disassemble a caliper ,and make sure you clean it very well before reassembly,also dont use brake cleaner or any other kind of solvent.ive done this when i first started as a mechanic (many moons ago) it causes the seals to break down and swell and will ruin all the seals in your braking system. :rockon:

 

[SovietRobot]

If you're gonna take the brake lines off, just spray brake cleaner in the holes in the caliper, and push the pistons in.

 

[Oscar54]

Thanks for the replies, all made good points. I especially liked the take the calipers off, push the pistons in and turn them upside down! Makes sense to me.

Anyway, I started on Saturday and decided to just take the calipers apart and clean them. I inspected the seals and pistons and all were nice and smooth with no corrosion. So I just cleaned them up, greased them the Permatex Synthetic brake grease and reinstalled them.

I did the Mighty Vac and man it makes it easy flushing and bleeding the system. System pumped up nice and lever is firm. I figure I will check for any evidence of leakage over the next week, but feel confident I will be OK.

But I agree that brake fluid should be drained and filled annually to minimize corrosion.

Looking through the manual I don't see a recommended rebuild interval for the master cylinders or calipers? Does anyone know of a manufacturer recommended preventive maintenance schedule on this?

 

[Fz6Sa]

Looking through the manual I don't see a recommended rebuild interval for the master cylinders or calipers? Does anyone know of a manufacturer recommended preventive maintenance schedule on this?

The manual states:

Every two years replace the internal components of the brake master cylinders and calipers, and change break fluid.

(On page 6-5 in mine).

 

[davidsa1]

I have never understood why anyone would go thru the trouble of tearing down a part and put it back together without replacing things like seals or bearings etc. to me in just does not make sense.With that said I hope it works out for you.

 

[Oscar54]

I have never understood why anyone would go thru the trouble of tearing down a part and put it back together without replacing things like seals or bearings etc. to me in just does not make sense.With that said I hope it works out for you.

I understand where you are coming from. I took the calipers apart because I was putting a new front tire on and the fluid was turning brown. It was the weekend, everything looked good and clean and the O-rings were smooth with no signs of hardening or decomposition, so I took the shot.

But I am into preventive maintenance, that is why I like to keep my fluids clean. So, since my bike is an 06, I guess I will plan on spending the $100 bucks to buy master cylinders and calipers rebuild kits in the next few months. Plus I want a set of Goodridge SS lines.

But I have checked the front calipers and they are not leaking and they are firm, so I think I'm good.

Thanks to all for the posts.

 

[headache56]

I just spoke to my local spare parts dealer here in the UK and he sells the brake piston seals in packs, with 5 seals per pack. However due to the different sizes he says I need:

1 pack x 25mm diameter seals (for each of the smaller pistons in the two front pots)

1 pack x 30mm (for each of the larger pistons in the two front pots)

1 pack x 38mm (for the single rear pot)

The total cost to replace all seals with therefore be about GBP70 in total or say USD110. I reckon the O-Rings on Space Shuttle Endeavour must be cheaper but I am sure its best to replace them rather than have a brake problem.

 

[Cali rider]

Let me clarify my statement from earlier in the thread.

If you are only replacing the brake fluid, you do not need to disassemble the calipers. If the caliper/master cylinder are working properly you shouldn't need to disassemble. Finally, if you disassemble the caliper or master cylinder, you should replace the seals.

 

[616ah]

My 2c.

If its appart - why chance it - rubber seals degrade over time and used ones are easily damaged, misassembled, etc. You create a ticking time bomb that way - you really don't want have them fail when you need them most.

For the investment of a few bucks changing the brake fluid is one of the cheapest things you can do to help keep your brake hydraulics in good shape. Removing the caliper and dumping the fluid out will get you a more complete change. Brake fluid absorbs water if given the chance causing rust and other bad things - So maintain regularly. :thumbup:

 

[616ah]

And, yes, I personally think that yamahas recomended service intervall for the seals is a bit overkill IMO - if cared for and stored properly they should last much longer...

 

[n0other]

Where do you guys get your seals from?