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07 standard, I noticed it ate through a set of front brake pads pretty quickly and then noticed the caliper pistons were almost seized. I took apart the caliper and hit it with some brake cleaner, there was some nastiness in there. I have a rebuild kit already but I am wondering if it would be better to replace it since i cant clean inside the channels or if i should continue cleaning. The piston surfaces I assume need to be polished cleaned, but what about the hard to reach areas?
Thanks for the input, i dont think its rust so hopefully just brake fluid buildup. I replaced the brake fluid 3 ish years ago while doing pads and that was the extent of it and probably needed a rebuild then.
I have an ultrasonic cleaner so ill grab some aluminum safe cleaner to run through it and keep at it with some elbow grease.
Back in the day we would use a ball hone and brake fluid to clean it up.. Install a new seal and dust kit and away we went..
don't forget to use silicone grease for the sliders..
Last edited by 98hotrodfatboy; Nov 5, 2025 at 02:22 PM.
I gotta say, the Harbor Freight heated ultra sonic cleaner has been such a good purchase, I have had good results with so many things. With the size and density of the brake caliper I wasn't expecting such good results. I ran them each side individually and flipped them around a couple of times. I used Simple Green and water.
Before
After
Last edited by fortillian; Nov 8, 2025 at 08:38 AM.
I have been eyeballing an ultrasonic cleaner for a while now, I should get off my butt and pick one up. Undoubtedly will be useful when I tear apart my project bike.
They are a fantastic addition to the tools. Just make sure to get one large enough to handle whatever you plan to ever use it for. They rate them in liters.
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Are these calipers worth using?
