Front brake help
 

Hi guys...im looking for some help....my front brake is sticking on..n binding the disc...i need help finding n locating a front brake service kit..seals.for 2001 xt600e.. thanks

Yamaha XT600 E 3TB front brake caliper seal repair rebuild kit 1990 1991 1992 | eBay

The pistons can be cleaned with a wirewheel.

gee man, between bad idling, not starting and front brake it looks like your XT keeps you busy :)
just hold on, old bikes go through patches like that, soon everything will be smooth sailing

a good clean could solve your caliper, even reusing the old seals if they are still good. in 99% of the calipers i rebuilt, after a wash in warm soapy water seals could be reused and didnt leak.

one tip if its stuck like that: before you disconnect the caliper from the tube, remove the pads, put a thin piece of steel in the caliper and use the brake lever to pump out the pistons as much as you can. use a C clamp to hold the one that goes out faster. if you do it right youll have them pop out together.

I ussually just disconect the caliper, and use compressed air, they pop right out ;)

I really wouldn't advise using a wire wheel.

A brake piston works better when it's smooth as a mirror. Not scratched up with wire.

That will ruin the seals and accelerate piston corrosion.


I have a polishing machine to restore brake pistons with. You need to preserve their coating or hardened outer.

If you don't have access to polishing services, then you can very careful with very fine Wet & Dry. And using it with water.

It doesn't matter what you use on your pistons as long as:

A: It doesn't leave a scratched, uneven surface.

B) It doesn't put flat spots on the piston or miss-shape it.

C) It doesn't remove any coatings/ hardening. Of which there are many kinds.


To post "Use a wire wheel" is ambiguous. Because without knowing the finer details of the process, someone may just use any wire wheel. Most wire wheels are coarse, made of steel and are completely in-appropriate for cleaning pistons.

Can you use a brass wheel !!!!!??? Perhaps. But that depends what grade of strands on the wheel and your skill to use it. I would't personally use any grade of metal abrasive on a brake piston. That's just my choice. It's too risky.

My professional advice. (And yes, I am a professional), is to use a Sisal polishing mop as these are actually made for the first stage of a polishing process. I use these a lot.


Going back to the actual point of the thread. If you're not sure about how to properly clean a piston then just buy new ones. They're not too expensive and they're widely available as pattern parts.

A scotchbrite pad lubricated with brake fluid is what I've used to clean up the seven or eight brake pistons I've had to make decisions on over the last few months. Similarly, a small piece torn off the pad is what I've used to clean up the seal groove in the calliper.

If the scotchbrite pad doesn't clean up the piston to the point where it slides easily in the calliper or if there's any marks at all in the region where the seal moves then the piston is scrap as far as I'm concerned. They're cheap enough not to take a chance on - although some of the brand new aftermarket replacements I've been sent have been a worse fit than the rusty originals.