Re: Trident rear caliper

> I posted a little while ago about the rear brake binding-up on my '93
> Trident. I'd bought a new disk and pads in May last year (did consider a
> new caliper but was quoted some ridiculous price) and had the caliper
> cleaned up (and new seals fitted) by a competent motor-mechanic friend.
> Two or three weeks ago after a 15 mile ride I found the rear disk was
nearly
> red hot and the caliper was cooking up nicely too, so obviously the
pistons
> were sticking. My mechanic mate recommends (as a first-aid thing) taking
> the lid off the fluid reservoir and using a blunt flat object to apply
> leverage to the piston-side pad so as to force the pistons back down into
> the caliper barrels to free them up.
>
> Does this seem a reasonable approach? I'm a bit puzzled by the problem
> appearing so soon after last year's overhaul, that's all, though the bike
> hasn't had an awful lot of use over the winter, and it's only done about
> 2,500 miles since the brake overhaul. Maybe I should have the caliper
> overhauled again, or maybe bite the bullet and get a new caliper...
>
> Any suggestions from m'learned friends?

The advice given is good, try to push the pistons back. Then operate the
brake and do the same again a few times. If the piston seems very stiff,
then the only remedy is to rebuild the calliper again. Perhaps one of the
seals has not seated properly in a groove, and is thus jamming the piston.

	#1
Brian	Re: Trident rear caliper > I posted a little while ago about the rear brake binding-up on my '93 > Trident. I'd bought a new disk and pads in May last year (did consider a > new caliper but was quoted some ridiculous price) and had the caliper > cleaned up (and new seals fitted) by a competent motor-mechanic friend. > Two or three weeks ago after a 15 mile ride I found the rear disk was nearly > red hot and the caliper was cooking up nicely too, so obviously the pistons > were sticking. My mechanic mate recommends (as a first-aid thing) taking > the lid off the fluid reservoir and using a blunt flat object to apply > leverage to the piston-side pad so as to force the pistons back down into > the caliper barrels to free them up. > > Does this seem a reasonable approach? I'm a bit puzzled by the problem > appearing so soon after last year's overhaul, that's all, though the bike > hasn't had an awful lot of use over the winter, and it's only done about > 2,500 miles since the brake overhaul. Maybe I should have the caliper > overhauled again, or maybe bite the bullet and get a new caliper... > > Any suggestions from m'learned friends? The advice given is good, try to push the pistons back. Then operate the brake and do the same again a few times. If the piston seems very stiff, then the only remedy is to rebuild the calliper again. Perhaps one of the seals has not seated properly in a groove, and is thus jamming the piston.