Front Brake Install

[jergrande]

Hello SHcooter Family it's been awhile.
I've moved forward with my trek to work on the scooter myself. My lasted project is the brake pads. After reading the service manual, I was confident I do the front brakes at least. After much patience, WD-40 & a little assistance from my vice-grips, I got it all apart. My question comes with the install. The book said something about "pushing the caliper body inward" to make room for the pads. As I was trying to install the new pads, I realized the "caliper pistons" are still in the way (see photos).
Does anyone have any tips on how to get the pistons back in with out damaging anything? I managed to get the outside one back in, slowly, with the vice grip, but unsure about the other one.

Thanks Again,
Jeremiah

[TommyXP]

I might have cleaned up the surfaces with emory cloth before pushing them back in, in order to lessen the abrasion upon the seals, though many times it has little effect not doing so......Make certain that you have the top off of the brake fluid reservoir and watch that it doesn't over-flow when pushing the piston back in; as sometimes people keep the reservoir topped off as the brakes wear and new pads will result in it being too FULL.....
Have you changed ALL the brake fluid yet too? All the garbage in the fluid accumulates right at the pistons and helps corrosion, I think.......
Be certain to apply a Never Seize like coating to the threads that hold the caliper too to make it easier to get off next Time.....
I often used a large C-clamp and placed an old pad across the cylinders and cranked them back home too.....

[SH125Paul]

With the caliper split the piston side from the mounting section... That way you can clean and red rubber grease the sliding pins...
Clean the pistons with scotch brite pad or some such and brake cleaner... Plus a wire brush and coppa slip on the shim springs and pad carrier and holding pin...
A little squirt of silicon lube for thd seals, and you should be able to push the pistons in to the caliper body with ya thumbs...

Without the caliper split... Or beford splitting... A squirt of brake cleanef and a go with an old tooth brush, and pry the pistons back using a large screwdriver between the old pads that you ard about to replace...

Just done fore and aft for the scoots MoT... 1 hour all in removed, strip clean and replace... EBC organic pads get my vote...