I have started cleanup of my front brake caliper using brake cleaner and a toothbrush. The pistons were stuck and had a little band of rust around them when I got them out. I bought new pistons. I still have some surface rust from the outer seal out to the lip of the caliper. I don't think that is going to come off unless I use something slightly abrasive. Will that be OK ? or is that taboo. I was thinking about very fine emery, or maybe crocus. I have no experience with disk brakes, so advice is appreciated.
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cleaning XS2 brake caliper
- Thread starter tmikeyb
- Start date
I bead blast mine. Pretty much anything that will get rid of the rust.
A small brass or stainless wire brush on a drill also works well on aluminum corrosion.
Thanks
I recently bought a bike with stuck M/C and caliper, the fluid looked more like muddy water than brake fluid. I drained the brown fluid and replaced it with vinegar let it set over night and the and used the vinegar instead of brake fluid to push the stuck piston out. It cleaned the aluminum parts really well, almost like new but the pitted caliper piston was too far gone.
Yeah, fine grit sandpaper (1000 or 1500) should do the trick for surface rust. Just dont go to hard or you might scratch the surface I'd also give crocus a shot, but be gentle. Watch out not to hit the seals.O nce you clean that up, a bit of brake grease might help prevent it coming back. Also, if your pistons were stuck, double-check the seal grooves, make sure there's no junk or corrosion left. Even a little bit od leftover rust can cause it to stick again 
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