Help...how do I remove this???

uncle buck · Post by **uncle buck** » 21 Jul 2011, 19:16

Hi people,
I hope someone can help me with this one.

I need to strip the rear caliper down to renew the seal on the handbrake actuating lever, but I'm stuck as to how to remove the Lever Stop Post, this has to come out so that the actuating lever can be removed.

As you can probably see from the marks on the stop post I've had a go at it, I heated the caliper area & the stop post until it was hot then tried to unscrew it with a small pair of Stiltons but it wouldn't budge. I'm now wondering if the post is pressed in. As you can see the area of the caliper that the post goes into is a lug on the caliper, I really don't want to break this off the caliper.

Would any of you knowledgeable chaps have any idea how this post is removed from the caliper.

Thanks.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 21 Jul 2011, 19:29

well it looks like someone has tried the molegrip aproch,

i would think it either unscrews or drifts out,

regards malcolm

uncle buck · Post by **uncle buck** » 21 Jul 2011, 19:50

Yeah that was me with the Stillsons.

Thanks.

HDI Dave · Post by **HDI Dave** » 21 Jul 2011, 20:14

citronut wrote:
i would think it either unscrews or drifts out,

regards malcolm

Same here. Maybe if you could get better purchase/grip on it, ie bigger moleys/stillsons/leverage etc?

Would it ruin the stop post if you filed 2 sides of the bottom/larger ring flat, to get a spanner on it, and then a quick tap with a lump hammer to crack it?

Looks old, shame you can't just nack it, ie cut the top off and drill the rest out.

uncle buck · Post by **uncle buck** » 21 Jul 2011, 20:23

I had the Stillsons on it & was pulsing the pressure to try to budge it, I also tried tapping the top of it with a small hammer as I held the pressure on but still no joy.
I actually bent the post a little in my attempt to loosen it. I'm scared to use to much force in fear of cracking the lug on the caliper where the post is fitted to, as you can see it looks very prone to cracking off if you get it wrong!

I thought about sawing through it then drilling it out, I would then make a new post from a bolt or something, I have a friend with a Lathe so I'm sure I could rope him in to knock me something up.

Thanks.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 21 Jul 2011, 21:27

spoz its not left hand thread,
have you tried warming it up

regards malcolm

Post by **CitroJim** » 21 Jul 2011, 21:44

citronut wrote:spoz its not left hand thread,
have you tried warming it up

regards malcolm

Good thinking Malcolm...

Soak it in Plus Gas overnight as well...

It is astonishing just how a steel item can corrode into alloy. A while back I was asked to see if I could get a number of sheared studs out of Nissan Pulsar alloy caliper spacers. Each one was a 14mm stud with about a 1/4" stub of thread available. I used a reverse-flute socket stud extractor on the end of a 3 foot breaker after heating the alloy to the edge of oblivion and soaking it in Plus Gas.

With herculean effort they came undone and in all but one case with no thread damage despite the huge level of aggression needed to extract them.

Maybe it will be a good idea to avoid heating a caliper too much though but you should be able to get plenty enough localised heat to the affected area with a small propane flame.

Good luck

uncle buck · Post by **uncle buck** » 21 Jul 2011, 22:37

Hi,
I can't see why it would be a left hand thread but you never know, next time I take the caliper off I'll give it a go.
I did heat up the post but still it didn't want to move.

I have been meaning to overhaul both rear calipers for a while as the handbrake has been virtually none existent for a while, the pending MOT forced me to take a look at the problem

I renewed both rear discs & pads & realised the handbrake mechanism on one of the calipers was almost seized solid. I managed to free it off with oil & WD40 but it needs stripped and done properly as the seal around the shaft of the handbrake mechanism has seen better days and must be letting in the elements.

I'll ring a few places tomorrow that do caliper reconditioning & see if I can find out for sure how the post is removed, for the time being the handbrake is working so the MOT man should be happy.

Thanks for the advice.

addo · Post by **addo** » 21 Jul 2011, 23:51

There's no visible thread traces on the bottom end of that hole, nor on the shank.

I'll suggest it's splined (maybe helical) and driven in - the head profile is your clue here. In case of Loctite, a good blast of the torch might work well for starters.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 22 Jul 2011, 08:35

in heating the post this will expand, it is better to heat the caseing,

i would not usualy go with heating a calliper, but Unc says he is going to overhaul these, so i would think in the proces they are getting new seals,

regards malcolm

addo · Post by **addo** » 22 Jul 2011, 09:12

Yes, I could have worded that better!

uncle buck · Post by **uncle buck** » 22 Jul 2011, 10:24

Hi,
I've just came off the phone to Bigg Red (Very helpful by the way) who told me the stop post is just knocked in so it's just a case of knocking it out via the hole in the bottom of the lug where it lives, they said they normally come out ok but if its stubborn give it a bit of heat, so top marks to everyone who said it was pressed in

Best to know for sure though as the last thing I want is the lug on the caliper breaking off

The handbrake mechanism is working fine since I unseized it but the caliper does need to be overhauled so once the MOT is out of the way I'll set about it with my newly acquired knowledge of how to get the thing apart.

Many thanks for all of the advice.

Thank you.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 22 Jul 2011, 12:47

there you go just requires a big hammer

regards malcolm

dnsey · Post by **dnsey** » 22 Jul 2011, 16:27

You'll be best supporting the lug with a notched plate or something, rather than the whole caliper - that way there's minimal risk of fracturing it.

uncle buck · Post by **uncle buck** » 22 Jul 2011, 17:26

Thanks for that tip, I was thinking of what would be the best way to support the caliper housing while drifting the post out, as you say some sort of notched plate should do the job.

Thanks.