Braking point
I’d only just finished a three hour endurance race before getting the bike over for its spa treatment, the consequence being that there was more brake dust than you’ll find sand in the Sahara. It was everywhere, and especially so in the calipers. “Brakes have got loads better over the years, but its wasted potential if you’re not keeping your calipers sparkling. If you’re not careful your pistons will start sticking, or you can risk the seals’ integrity because the minute particles can get drawn up past them when the pistons retract as you release the brake lever. Basically, it’s not good news for man or machine, so you need to keep on top of them”.
Because the calipers had already been blasted off with the pressure washer on the ramp outside, his focus now turned to the insides of the calipers where they were still dirtier than Boothy’s thoughts. Armed with his mum’s washing up bowl, filled with warm water and washing up liquid, he removed a caliper at a time, extracting the brake pads from their housings, and set about scrubbing away with a toothbrush. “You’ll be amazed how filthy calipers get, and they’re not always the easiest to clean properly, but the cleaner you can make them, the better they’ll work”.
After a good sesh of scrubbing, and plenty of rinsing, Marsh pointed out the remaining dirt on the far side of the pistons. Using a special tool he turned the piston 180° so he could access the shielded side of the piston, before giving the whole of the calipers a good spray with brake cleaner, and blow off with the airline. They looked as good as new, but Marsh wasn’t finished just yet. “You want your pistons to have a firm seal against their rubbers, but you also want them to slide as freely as they can. A trick I’ve learned is to very lightly apply a bit of brake fluid to the outer circumference of the pistons before working them back into their individual chambers. It won’t knacker the seal, but it’ll mean they’ll move that little bit easier against the rubber”.
Last but not least, Marsh checked the pads were still fit for purpose, before giving them a good dousing in brake cleaner, ready to be refitted, along with the calipers.