Most of the time, the brake caliper piston won’t go back in because it sticks when the caliper is old and the brake pads wear out too quickly. The piston will break because it can’t compress and work with the new, thick pads as it gets longer to make up for the smaller pads.
Even if you bleed the brakes and change the brake pads and rotors, the brake caliper piston won’t go back in. It’s unable to go back in by itself. You can change the whole caliper if that doesn’t work, but you can also fix the piston by changing the seal.
How do I find a brake caliper piston?
An important part of your car’s braking system is the brake caliper piston, which is responsible for stopping the car. Inside the caliper, holds the brake pads and lets them move freely. here the piston is found.
When you step on the brake pedal. Hydraulic fluid moves towards the caliper cylinders. This makes them move out and press against the brake pads.
This pressure makes the pads and rotors rub against each other, which slows down the wheels and stops your car in the end.
You can get brake calipers of metal or cast iron, and most of the time, they have either one or two pistons. More often than not, smaller cars have single-piston calipers, while bigger cars usually have dual-piston calipers.
It can make your brakes drag if one of the pistons in the brake caliper doesn’t move freely or sticks. This can finally cause the pads and rotors to wear out faster than they should.
When the piston can get stuck, the brakes become totally useless.
If you think there is a problem with your brake caliper pistons. You should check it out and fix by an experienced mechanic as soon as possible.
Signs That Your Break Caliper Piston Is Faulty
If you have bad brake caliper pistons, you might notice a few things, such as:
- Brake pads that wear out too quickly
- Rotors on the brakes that get worn down or broken
- When you stop, brake drag can make the car pull to one side.
- The brakes smell like they’re on fire.
- Less ability to stop
If you notice any of these issues, you should get your brakes checked out right away by a professional mechanic. Not taking care of the issue could cause more damage and could finally lead to an accident.
What makes brake caliper pistons break?
Problems with brake caliper pistons, such as
- Cracks or rust on the piston
- Brake oil that has dirt or other particles in it
- A buildup of brake dust on the cylinder
- Getting hurt on the pump
- Wearing away
Most of the time, Fix these issues by either cleaning or changing the parts. But sometimes, the whole measure might need to be changed.
The piston in the brake caliper won’t go back in. What can I do?
If the piston in your brake caliper won’t go back in, here are some things that might help:
- To get the piston back into the caliper, use a brake bleeder kit.
- Put the new cap around the piston in place.
- Change the whole caliper.
The best option for you will depend on how bad the problem is.
How to Use a Kit to Bleed Brakes
Air in the brakes can make the pedal feel soft when you press it. It can also make the brakes less effective and make stopping farther away.
A brake bleeder kit has everything you need to bleed your brakes, and it’s not too hard to use one. If you do these things, your brakes will be bled in no time.
- Find the bleeder screws on each of the four brake calipers. You can find these on the top or side of the caliper. They are connected to a small plastic hose.
- Someone else should press on the brake pedal while you open the bleeder screws on each caliper. Make sure you only crack them open enough to let air and fluid out, but not so much that the fluid starts shooting out of control.
- When you see air and fluid coming out of the bleeder screw, tell your helper to let go of the stop pedal. Next, shut down the bleeder screw and move on to the next one.
- Do this until all four bleeder screws are empty and clean brake fluid is coming out of them.
- After bleeding all four brakes, add new brake fluid to the tank and close the lid.
Now that you know how to use a brake bleeder kit, you should really take care of your brakes!
Regularly bleeding them will help make sure that they always stop as well as possible and may even help your brake pads and rotors last longer. Don’t wait any longer—get a kit and start bleeding the brakes!
How to Put the Seal Back on the Piston
- Take off the old cap. You can use a pry bar or a screwdriver to do this. Watch out not to hurt the piston.
- Get rid of any old brake fluid or other junk .
- Be careful not to tear the new seal as you put it on.
- Put new brake fluid on the inside of the new seal.
- Put the piston back into the caliper chamber and tighten the retaining screw(s) by hand. Not too tight, or you could damage the piston or threads.
What you need to do to get corrosion off of the brake caliper piston
If the piston in your brake caliper is rusted. Your brakes might not work right or stick. Here are some ways to clean brake caliper pistons that have rust on them:
- Use a wire brush to get rid of any loose rust on the piston’s surface.
- Use a product that stops rust from forming on the piston. This will help keep the rust from getting worse.
- Spray some oil on the piston to help it keep moving easily.
- You might have to replace the piston if the rust is very bad.
How to Change the Piston in the Brake Caliper
- Take off the old cap. You can use a pry bar or a screwdriver to do this. Watch out not to hurt the piston.
- Get rid of any old brake fluid or other junk that is stuck around the piston.
- Be careful not to tear the new seal as you put it on.
- Put new brake fluid on the inside of the new seal.
- Put the piston back into the caliper chamber and tighten the retaining screw(s) by hand. Not too tight, or you could damage the piston or threads.
FAQs
How long do pistons in brake calipers last?
When your brakes are repaired, the brake caliper pistons should be changed. Their life may be longer, though, based on the make and model of your car and how you drive.
Most of the time, though, you should get a new brake caliper piston every 70,000 to 100,000 miles.
What Does It Mean When a Brake Caliper Piston Breaks?
A broken brake caliper piston can lead to a number of issues. First, the pressure in your brakes won’t be spread out properly. This can cause your brake pads and rotors to wear out faster than they should.
In either case, it is very dangerous and needs to be fixed right away by a qualified mechanic.
How can I keep my brake caliper piston from breaking?
You can help your brake caliper piston last longer and keep it from breaking down too soon by doing a few things.
Also, try to stay out of stop-and-go traffic as much as possible. Doing so can put extra stress on your brakes and make them overheat.
How far back should the caliper pistons go?
When you step on the stop pedal, the pistons in the calipers should move back about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. There is probably something wrong with your brakes if they don’t, and you should get it checked out by a master repair right away.
What does it cost to change a brake caliper piston?
How much it costs to replace a brake caliper piston will depend on the part that needs to be changed and the make and model of your car. You can usually count on paying between $100 and $200 for the parts and the work.
Is it Possible to Make the Caliper Piston Go Too Far?
If you push the caliper piston out too far, you could damage the seals. This could cause the pressure to drop, making it impossible to apply the brakes properly. It lead to the piston getting stuck, which will make your brakes useless.
Because of this, you should only push the piston out as far as it needs to be in order to change the brake pads.
Is it possible to put a piston back in a caliper?
It is possible to put the piston back into the caliper after taking it out, but this is usually not a good idea. This can be hard to get the piston to sit right, which can cause leaks and make it impossible to use the brakes properly.
It can also damage the seals if the piston is not set properly. Which can also cause leaks.
Conclusion
It is important to get the problem checked out and fixed as soon as possible if the piston in your brake caliper is stuck or won’t move. Not taking care of the issue could cause more damage and could finally lead to an accident.
This is an issue that a lot of people have with their brakes at some point. It can be annoying, but luckily there are some simple ways to fix it. You should be able to fix this problem quickly and easily if you know what you’re doing.
You could use a brake bleeder kit as an option. In order for the caliper to work properly again, this will push the piston back into it.
You could also change the cover around the piston. In this way, the brake fluid won’t leak out and hurt the car even more. In more serious cases, the whole caliper might need to be replaced.
