brake caliper rubber dust boots

[daver clasper]

Hi

I understand these are sometimes omitted by folk.

Mine were intact though started to disintegrate on removal. (had sticking piston). they had collected a fair amount of crud in them (is this normal) and bottom of pistons were rusty.

So wondering how much help/harm they do and if to clean up pistons/bores and refit without boots.

Maybe some red grease around bottom of pistons and clean them up from time to time.

Any help great please.

Thanks, Dave      

[esxefi]

they should be fitted to the standard equipment to prevent corrosion as you have found,only permissible to leave them if using stainless pistons but even then for road use fitting is advisable.

[Hogie]

Hi Dave,
              use the boots.
Even the stainless pistons will pick up on rust from the caliper body,

Roger

[Velocita Rosso]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.ht.....re&_sacat=177927

[Nick Jones]

Fit the boots -  they are a good thing (though if you have the 16P calipers I can appreciate that you are probably wondering how the hell to get them on there!).  Without them the calipers WILL sieze.

Nick

[daver clasper]

Thanks everyone

Yes. They are the 16P calipers and have read they are tricky to fit, so a bit daunted.  Vaseline, wooden coffee stir stick?.

Also is it difficult to figure out how they fit please?.

Cheers, Dave

[Jonny-Jimbo]

I don't run them on the touring cars I run, but then again they do get the pads popped out between races and the pistons pushed into the bores and the surfaces wiped off. Could get annoying doing that every few weeks...

[daver clasper]

thanks folks

any tips on fitting the 16P little rascals please.

Cheers, Dave

[Nick Jones]

It's not difficult to see how they fit, but actually getting them there is a challenge.  The issue is that there is a lip on the bottom of the dust seal that needs to go into a groove at the top of the cylinder bore.  It is securely held in place by the piston and thus needs go in before the piston is fitted.  This isn't too hard to achieve proved you've thoroughly cleaned the groove out to allow it to sit all the way down, flush with the bore (very small screwdriver is great for this).  The problem comes when then trying to fit the piston as the top opening of the dust seal is smaller than the OD of most of the piston because it drops into the groove at the top of it.  You have to try and stretch the seal enough to work the piston into it without unseating it from the bottom groove..... More than a bit fiddly.

I find it takes about 4 pistons to learn the knack and about a week to forget it.  I've not done one for about 2 years so consequently the knack is long forgotten.  I promise it is possible, without exotic tools, though probably not without "some" cussing.  You'll probably not believe this 10 minutes after starting and will continue to disbelieve until you actually manage one  (I'm not going to predict a timescale).  You'll then spend some time doing the second one and wondering how the hell you managed the first.....

I have previously considered a special tool which need be nothing more exotic than a thinwalled sleeve just big enough for the piston to slip through.  You could then fit this to the seal before engaging the lower lip and then just post the piston through it.

It looks like a cut down aerosol cap would be perfect if you could only find one the right size.  I've only found too big and too small in the past......

The PB variant is a completely different design in this area and is very much easier.

Good luck!

Nick

[daver clasper]

That's great, thanks Nick

Look forward to that. NOT

Cheers, Dave

[Spider]

Don't feel like your alone in the world Dave I have to fit some in a day or two.