Suffering From Sticky Brake Pistons? Try This Quick Easy DIY Fix!

[@gmbntech]

Have you ever had problems with sticky pistons?

[@detmer87]

New Shimano MT200 on my new ebike. Did everything like in this video. Really made that sticky side work. But it didn't help. I didn't bother with warranty either. Just replaced it for MT500.

[@elrictdb]

I fix up old bikes and almost always have to clean the pistons on older entry level hydraulic brakes that have been ignored their entire life, so I'm very familiar with this process. However, I'm a cheapskate and so I use the soft padded handle of my pedal spanner to push the pistons back in. The single biggest problem I have is that cotton buds have cardboard stems now not plastic and bend far far too quickly, meaning I have far less leverage to really scrub away that gunk - so I need someone to invent a noose brush that fits round the piston. The 2nd problem is that on many shimano 2 pot callipers it's impossible to get the tip of the cotton bud around 360degree of those pistons so you only clean about 310 degrees around the circumference. Top Tip - the older the calliper, the more times you want to push the pistons out, clean and push back in. 10-20 cycles is not uncommon to get the pistons moving nice enough.

[@idlefruitcake7092]

This channel is so useful. Thank you too the whole team🙌

[@gmbntech]

great to hear that we can help! 🙌 👊

[@timbo031170]

4mm Allen key is perfect size to put between opposing pistons to stop them dropping out

[@marcogiacomelli3625]

@@timbo031170 I believe gmbn had a other more details video done by nother mechanic which I can't remember the name of, more in depth and honestly more accurate too

[@bchearne]

Exactly. I don’t need extra pieces of plastic in my life

[@sp00n]

Be careful with the pistons though, ceramic ones might crack and crumble

[@statom985]

True, but here you get only one out

[@yertle38]

I design and sell 3D-printed tools to release one piston at a time. Thanks for the video, my small Etsy shop got a weekend sales bump. Not trying to promote myself, just a thanks for teaching people how to get their caliper running smoothly. I used to wrestle with my Code RSCs to get them to feel great again.

[@charlesboisvenu3847]

I want 2…can you make me 2?

[@Myke_Juliet]

I always clean BEFORE pushing dirty pistons back in. THEN clean again. I don't have 100% faith the seals would keep the dirt out when pushing dirty pistons back in. Just my OCD I guess.,

[@marcogiacomelli3625]

It hurt to watch putting the pistons back without cleaning them first Definitely not ocd just logic

[@marcogiacomelli3625]

Even better, after cleaning, stick 3 or 4 mm Allen key between the pistons to push them all out without falling So you can throughly clean before pushing them in even once There is a way more detailed video on gmbn I thought this one was more in depth but the other one was better It was Owen's if i'm correct

[@TheRealMichaelB]

AGREE - That was agony to watch. Why do that???🤦‍♂🤦‍♂

[@niuniezpolska4683]

Thanks! Good tips. I will add mine from long experience: 1. For Sram use grease because DOT is nasty. For Shimano mineral oil works well. 2. For cleaning I prefer to use dish washing fluid because it removes grease very easily and itself with water. 2. After you lube pistons use narrower bleed lock (to simulate break pads with disk), work breake and clean multiple times because grease will get to your pads. 3. Bleed breaks afterwords. 4. Use floating disks :)

[@FirstNameLastName-ev3jk]

Dish washing fluid contains salt. Not good.

[@statom985]

Why grease with dot ? Dot will eat that grease

[@adrian.m258]

Don't take brake advice from someone who doesn't even know how to spell "brake".

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Use only your approved brake fluid to lubricate the pistons... Never use grease or anti seize on pistons, seems obvious but I've seen other channels do that, the grease or anti seize will catch contaminants and carry them in the system...

[@LaurenceGough]

Or they could react with the seals - it's actually best to just use nothing so the seals can grip the piston and work properly!

[@charlesboisvenu3847]

Where can we get the tool to lock in 3 out of the 4 pistons?? This is a must have

[@roccopietrofesa7914]

I use zip ties to hold the pistons in and then advance the unzipped tied piston for service. SRAM says the pistons should be dry.

[@halconxoxo1706]

This was a good video. It was instructional and helpful. This is a common problem.

[@markhirst1296]

So according to SRAM tech guys, you DO NOT lubricate the pistons with dot grease or hydro fluid, they are a supposed to remain a dry fit.

[@aliens1990990]

:O

[@LaurenceGough]

Exactly to ensure the piston can return due to the seal flex.

[@Howardv1]

Yup, this is NOT recommended for systems using DOT fluid. DOT is highly corrosive. You don't want to spread it all over your pistons. Only do this with mineral oil systems like Shimano.

[@jonathanbanks8956]

@@Howardv1 what do you think is pushing on the back side of that piston?

[@MarLon-f4x]

@@markhirst1296 i was always taught by my father that their is a reason for the seal around the piston, brake fuid one side and clean dry air the other .you never want to mix brake dust with brake fluid !

[@exothermal.sprocket]

The right individual with the right personality for the presentation. Thank you!

[@pgreenx]

@@exothermal.sprocket check the comments. She may be nice but apparently SRAM SAYS NOT TO DO THIS. Only do this for shim and brakes

[@exothermal.sprocket]

@@pgreenx I don't own SRAM brakes currently and haven't dealt with sticky pistons. I'd be looking into data independently if/when that occurs.

[@garethrobinson2275]

Quick and easy. Takes a special tool and clean each pad individually with a Q-tip. There are eight pistons to clean and reset. 🙃

[@MikeesTexas]

Excellent tutorial!!!!

[@tedoakes9235]

I installed a brand new SRAM Code R brake last week. I was amazed to see that the pistons didn’t leave the caliper evenly on a brand new brake. Not a little bit uneven' way uneven. No amount of cleaning is going to fix that 😂. Kinda shocking. It took seven years and 400 rides for my two pot Shimano XT brakes to develop uneven action. Go figure 🤔

[@myt9211]

same here

[@vittocrazi]

But thats normal. Not all seals are perfectly equal.

[@tedoakes9235]

Why didn’t this affect my XT brakes?

[@vittocrazi]

@@tedoakes9235 because you got a Lucky bunch there. Again, its normal. As long as It doesnt affect performance, its okay.

[@marcogiacomelli3625]

​@@vittocrazinot from new stuff, that's not normal, my 7 years old Shimano zee's support what I'm saying

[@toddperdue8164]

Ma’am. I hate to disagree with you, but I’m gonna. It’s fine to add oil to the piston to get it moving smoothly again, BUT, do not leave the oil / lubricant on the piston, clean it back off after it works smoothly again. Oil will only catch all the trail dust and dirt your bike is tossing up

[@fe9523]

Thank you so much for always making these videos, I love doing service to my bike and you guys have always nailed everything that I need to learn from home

[@gmbntech]

Thanks for watching! Happy we can help make working on your bike at home possible.

[@wilsonsothernames]

If a one side keeps being shy after repeated clean / lubes : have shy one slightly proud of the caliper body and push proud one right back.

[@nicolaspade1341]

Thanks for the video. I have this problem repeatedly on my Shimano Deore 4 piston breaks. I have cleaned several times and at best it lasts a ride… getting very frustrated about the amount of time I am spending on keeping these breaks running

[@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589]

Assuming, of course, that you have 4 piston brake calipers. Most people don't. If you don't, just spray the internals of the caliper with brake cleaner /isopropyl alcohol and work each piston back and forth a few times whilst you hold the other one in with a tyre lever.

[@francoisjoly7696]

Exception: SRAM has a specific grease for their Dot brakes and it's flawless

[@LaurenceGough]

Great video - but it's actually best to just use nothing so the seals can grip the piston and work properly!

[@moldyketchuphead]

This video works for XT brakes but is missing some steps for SRAM. First of all you can't push the pistons back with a tire lever or even the Park tool you showed because most of the time it requires way more pressure to get them to move than those tools can apply and if you attempt to lever them you run a high risk of breaking the brake pad retaining pin tab. I use a small C clamp that I modified to fit in there and padded it with leather.

[@tedoakes9235]

Could you please post a picture or details of this?

[@statom985]

@@tedoakes9235 .

[@LaurenceGough]

Yeah it is hard work getting them back in for sure without any damage!

[@garyhurst3230]

Hi, I was told by a hope brake teck to use 100% silicone oil the kind that they use on treadmills so I did and so far so good.

[@TallPaulsCycles]

At 2 minutes 30 seconds in: I would clean the caliper first, before pushing the pistons in. Not cleaning the pistons beforehand risks pushing dirt down into the seals and into the brake fluid.

[@alextodorov9323]

Hello, 10x for the video! From where i can find piston servicing tool?

[@oswaldoagustin2675]

Hello, thanks for sharing. Please tell me how I can get that tool to remove just 1 piston instead of all 4 at a time. greetings from Peru

[@JosiahWendell-sr8vi]

Simpler than I thought. Thanks :)

[@gmbntech]

You're welcome! Good luck with working on your bike 👍

[@angry_tardigrade]

Ceramic pistons won't crack from touching metal. That would be crazy, because they actually push on the metal backplate of the brake pads. They may crack if not pushed straight back into the caliper.

[@sp00n]

Or when being pushed out and are not straight. Had that happen when I used a piece of wood.

[@rickb.1656]

Where can I get one of those pistol servicing tools (the little plastic thing).

[@Psikeadelic]

I found mine on ebay

[@maxmustermann4400]

@@Psikeadelic whats the name of that tool? Realy want to have one...😅

[@gmbntech]

eBay is a great place to look, Shimano recommend making your own by cutting their piston spaces you will find in their bleed kits which is another option!

[@jparry2662]

4:06 Have you ever had problems resetting pistons without chipping them? I'm guessing this happened in the process of filming this informative video?

[@IronX77]

I used a metal tire lever once and the same thing happened

[@dcv9460]

Thanks for this vid 😎👍

[@gmbntech]

No problem 👍

[@charlesboisvenu3847]

SRAM manual says not to lubricate the pistons. this is due to the fact that it will prevent the seal to properly grip on the pistons to draw it back into the caliper after breaking. Any thaughts?

[@johnmuttitt]

Great - this video is easy to follow and understand. Thank you!

[@gmbntech]

Glad it was helpful!

[@billmcmillan7735]

I went to Park Tool but could not find the tool for the piston but I want one!

[@hectorhernandez1664]

It would be beneficial and you’ll avoid damaging your levers by removing the bleed bolt on them when moving your pistons allowing the fluid to move freely through the system. I’ve damaged the seals in the lever by not doing this when installing new brake pads

[@tedoakes9235]

This makes sense

[@charlesstevenson8751]

where can you get the service tool to isolate one piston at a time?

[@stefankiser6505]

Great video!

[@gmbntech]

Thanks!

[@nilsverbeeck732]

Pushing back before cleaning?

[@gmbntech]

You will need to cycle the piston a few times with the oil on it to help free up the piston, after you are happy with how the piston is moving then you should clean it 👍

[@jimm244]

Anyone have a link for the piston service biscuit? I’ve never seen one.

[@statom985]

is that piston tool avaliable on aliexpress ?

[@JamesGoddard-i7s]

Use Silicon grease, its good enough for Brembo

[@g.fortin3228]

Nice job Anna.. reminds me i need to give mine some attention :-)

[@bchearne]

I’m not sure I agree with depressing the pistons before cleaning them. Doesn’t that risk driving grime into caliper? I always clean them before I push them back into the caliper

[@Alex22M1]

The way your piston ist cracked 😬😬 Thazs the only thing i don't like about shimano brakes

[@veers0r]

Not entirely sure what I need that 3d printed piston tool for. I usually just clean the pistons before pushing them in to swap pads. Pushing the dirty pistons in all the way to then get a single piston out seems a bit counter intuitive. Is the goal just to get better access to clean it or is there something else I'm missing?

[@themeatpopsicle]

mostly more access to clean, but it's also much easier to push a single piston out because all the pressure gets put on that one piston if the others are prevented from moving

[@zethjugos1250]

Its so that u can push the piston out as far as possible without actually popping out. Allows u to clean the piston body where it contacts the seals where it actually gets gunky which makes it sticky and not recess all the way back into the caliper when u release the lever

[@woduk]

It comes in handy with 4 piston calipers as if some are sticking you can work them and in a bleed get any potential air from behind individual pistons

[@tedoakes9235]

Usually one or two pistons move faster than the others after lots riding. The theory is to clean, lube, clean, and then cycle the slow pistons until they move at the same speed as the rest

[@X41N3]

I used this video as a podcast while riding my drunk ass home...kept me from falling asleep on tarmac omg. Also had a listen to gcn si 200km roadtrip...the looks from ppl when you ride a bike and use a bt speaker 😅

[@catg9196]

You dont open the reservoir bottle so not to accidentally push fluid into the lever while pushing the piston in? Happened to me a few times. Had to replace the lever.

[@wazzup105]

Where can I but that brake piston tool? (preferably in the Netherlands)

[@Wissi_MonTana]

Found some on Etsy. But it’s about 14€. I also found some files on „printables“ and other 3D-Print Platforms. Maybe you have a friend That can Print it for you.

[@mattgies]

Theirs looked 3D printed, but Shimano has instructions that tell you to take a normal bleed block and cut a notch in it with a hacksaw. That way, it also has a hole in it to hold it in place with the pad pin.

[@zentinel13]

@@wazzup105 make your own with Lego bricks !

[@macvos]

​@@mattgies and how do you know you're not cutting too big a space, and pop the piston out? Or are being too conservative and not cleaning the piston deep enough? I'm sure the exact depth of the space for the piston is crucial.

[@mattgies]

@@macvos If you want to be that precise about it, then do the math and figure it out. You know the thickness of your pads' backing plates and you know the minimum thickness of your rotor.

[@Paulsbikeandboard]

Where do I find the blue tool?

[@billderas3420]

#askgmbntech Have not seen one of those "piston servicing tools" before. Looked on-line without any success. Where did that come from? Or, is there a 3D printing file that helps one create it?

[@JamesGoddard-i7s]

Sram have one for a bargin price of £70 😂 Google mtb piston retractor

[@itstheterranaut]

'r3pro' is what you're looking for.

[@trillbill9378]

Williams Racing Products $15

[@TnFruit]

I don't think it's a good idea to lube the pistons. The reason is, in the middle there is a rubber, which holds the piston. The rubber bring back the piston in its neutral position, after pressing the brake. If the piston is lubed, the piston could slip through the rubber. I don't think there is a brake manufacturer, who advises you, to lube the pistons.

[@acsipisz5110]

This procedure is an available method to learn at tec. shimano. So technically u are wrong. Otherwise i usually not recommend lubing, but cleaning by exactly the same reasons u mentioned.

[@TnFruit]

@@acsipisz5110 in the animation at the beginning of this vid you see the rubber holding the piston, the rubber deforms a little bit, when activation the brake and go back, when the pressure in the system is getting lower.

[@JamesGoddard-i7s]

The rubber does not bring the piston back its just a seal there might even be two of them. Brake fluid is incompressable so when you let the lever go the suction from the master cylinder moving backwards pulls the piston back into its housing. Its also impossible for a piston to “slip” through.

[@TnFruit]

@@JamesGoddard-i7s well, the rubber is there and the rubber is made for stick to or move slightly with the piston. Oil could make the piston slide through the rubber in one way and stick in the other way. All in all it isn't good for the consistent brake performance.

[@itstheterranaut]

'Brake', not break.

[@Juos10kustu]

my brakes are full of air and stuck. what can i do ? :D

[@mitchdomaas304]

No matter what I do. My code rsc don’t come out evenly, at all, ever. I just gave up and ride.

[@tedoakes9235]

Same. Poor quality control 😮

[@ogsvx]

#askgmbntech Hi Anna, how wide do you run your bars on your trail/enduro bikes? Or more generally, is there a golden rule to find the best balance between riding position and turning power?

[@mpl1700]

Hi, thanks for your video. I recently placed a new caliper, with new pads and a new disk. Then, I braked hard in a downhill several times to match the brakes to the disc (sorry I'm not british, and my language could be poor), so what do I see now : the disk and the pads have black dirt on it....and the brakes don't do their job, I can't brake anymore. So I suppose they are contaminated with some oil, but I can't see from where this oil comes from, I don't see oil coming out of the pistons. Do you have any idee from what went wrong ? What can yo advice me ? If I clean the disk I suppose I can still use it further....I look forward to hearing from you

[@CuzzyWuzzy]

@@mpl1700 Hi, I've been thinking, did you clean the new discs with brake cleaner before fitting them ? Often they are coating with an anti corrosion coating for storage. If you have a spare set of pads I would try cleaning everything with brake cleaner and try a new set of pads, if you don't have a new set try soaking the old ones in brake cleaner, although once the pads are contaminated it's unlikely you will get them perfect again. Also might be a good idea to check the calipers for leaks, for this put a spacer between the pistons ( with the wheels out) and put some paper towel under it, then use a zip tie to apply pressure to the brake lever. Leave for an hour and check the paper towel for brake fluid. I hope this helps. Maybe not a conventional fix but I found it has worked for me. All the best.

[@mpl1700]

@@CuzzyWuzzy I've done it like you said, and apparantly there seems to be no leak ! So mu question is then where does the contamination come from ? I cleaned the disk, I suppose I can still use it. The pads I cleaned them with " brake cleaner'", but I suppose I'll have to throw them away, unless I use sandpaper on them, as well as on the disk....? cheers

[@andreasbrandstetter9221]

How is the tool called....😊

[@gmbntech]

It's called a piston cleaning tool, or a piston servicing tool, some people even make their own by cutting a brake bleed spacer block

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

​@@gmbntech I use a ton of cotton swab to clean around the pistons and a bleed block to push them in once they are cleaned.

[@Milessongs]

@@gmbntechWhere can we find that slick piston isolating tool/wedge?? Is it Shimano-specific, like, by calliper model?

[@damianscott71]

@@gmbntechcould you share a link or a part number for the tool please?

[@woduk]

Plenty of sellers on eBay etc selling 3d printed bleed blocks and piston tools. Bought ones from my hope brakes off there

[@Twisted_Biscuit]

Where do you get this piston block?

[@trillbill9378]

Quite a few folks on eBay that 3D print these for most common brake systems and they work fine. Otherwise I would suggest checking Williams racing products if you want one from a legitimate after market company.

[@scottwexman5615]

Hope brakes are rebuildable and in my opinion better than contributing to the throw away mentality pervasive in the industry. I have seen one too many 'lazy pistons' that never are able to get brought up to proper working condition - in my experience, exercising/cleaning/lubing the pistons only resolve the issues about 30% of the time. Check for other contributing factors, alignment, old fluid, etc.

[@johnconnolly2815]

IMO Hope pistons are too short. They easily cock and bind in place when just part way out (worn pads). I cannot get even half the life out of my pads before the pistons bind. New pads fixes it, but should be able to get more use out of the pads than half. All this despite the pistons being clean and lubed.

[@scottwexman5615]

@@johnconnolly2815 I hear you - unfortunately, no design is perfect - there are always trade offs. I tend to replace pads more frequently on any system, so perhaps that is why its not been an issue for me. Good video though. - Cheers

[@johnconnolly2815]

@@scottwexman5615 I had to make shims to put between the pads and pistons, to get the rest of the life out of the pads on Hope brakes.

[@echocornet]

Watch the Hope videos. Make sure you have filled the master cylinder correctly and do the little lever brake tip. Also make sure you wipe the Hunters grease off once you have lubed the seals. I used to think if I left a bit of extra grease on they would last longer but they just get dirty quicker. The Hope videos are good and the ‘newer’ bleeding videos with the younger guy are good if anyone hasn’t seen them. However I still need to clean and lube my Hope brakes fairly regularly though. Shimano seem to need less maintenance. I would like to try the newer Hope brakes someday but the older ones just keep on going… (if you maintain them, of course!)

[@rubengarcia160]

Donde se puede comprar esa piezas para bloquear los pistones

[@mattgies]

Se puede cortar una esquina de la pieza amarillo desde Shimano

[@BarryJTaylor]

Ive only ever had problems with DOT fluid systems. The mineral oil systems never seem to play up on me.

[@Jellytaco.]

*Cough* sram *cough*

[@tedoakes9235]

I couldn’t agree more, SRAM-poclypse 😂

[@nax-pl]

So if you are bleeding the brakes, just disassemble the damn caliper and do it in seconds instead of playing with qtips 😅

[@tomasstraka5244]

so you start by resetting absolutely dirty pistons into the caliper? Interesting.... Also pistons need the friction not to slip in the seals, so I wouldnt go overboard with lubricating them too much....

[@tedoakes9235]

Warning, I did this. Cleaned the XT pistons carefully, first with mineral oil, then with alcohol. After a few rides I found that the residual mineral oil worked its way onto the rotor and destroyed it. 😅

[@JamesGoddard-i7s]

If you washed the oil off with ISO there wouldnt be any residule oil and even if there was it wouldnt destroy a disc just contaminate the pads, if your gunna fib put some effort in fml

[@tedoakes9235]

Remember when you lube a piston with oil it gets pulled towards the seal, but it’s still held on the outside of the brake system. There should only be oil on the inside of brakes. When activating the brakes residual oil is pushed towards the rotor. Unless you are super careful to remove all oil you risk contaminating the rotor, which is what I did, and there is no coming back from that, until you get new pads and a rotor

[@JamesGoddard-i7s]

@@tedoakes9235😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 the disc is made from steel it cant absorb the fluid so just wash the disc in ISO or brake cleaner since you like throwing cash away. Id suggest you stop servicing bikes before you hurt yourself

[@hughjanus7354]

@@JamesGoddard-i7s you sound like a right 🔔end. No amount of isopropyl will remove the residual oil from pistons after you "cleaned" them with oil. It's basically a leaking piston situation, but self-induced, and to clean them properly you would need to rebuild the callipers. I hope you don't pretend to be a "professional" mechanic.

[@macvos]

​@@tedoakes9235 the pads are ruined, but the rotor is steel and can be cleaned (may need a little bit of careful sanding).

[@caseydbani1419]

Without scientific proof, I believe the pistons move freely longer, when using silicon grease spray i.s.o. brake oil. The same spray I also use for the fork - never have dirt stick to the stancions an go inside the fork.

[@JoeJoe-C137]

Unless you own code r series, then it's new pistons and seals every 12 months. Don't bother trying to warranty it - sram claim this is service issue and not under warranty 🙄

[@tedoakes9235]

This doesn’t surprise me 😂. Thank you for pointing this out

[@JamesGoddard-i7s]

They are a “service item” but 12 months is pretty poor, bought my hopes in 2021 greased those seals once in all that time

[@JoeJoe-C137]

To be fair, any other issues I've had with Sram/Rockshox, the warranty has been bulletproof 👍

[@rider65]

Omfg...🤦‍♂️ O k a y. Dude...🙄

[@JoeJoe-C137]

@rider65 language... was that aimed at me? 😆

[@sarcasmisthelowest]

My wife just burst out laughing after the first six words then told me off.☹

[@spills_n_thrills]

Best solution is Cura 2 pots. Save all that 4 pot fuss

[@tedoakes9235]

Two pots good. Four pots bad

[@martinmeier9639]

Wearing protection glasses might be even more important than wearing rubber gloves. Every time I have to do this, I want my rim breaks back. It's a pity that the bike Industrie hasn't solved this problem after roughly 15 years of disc break "evolution".

[@makantahi3731]

i gave up hydraulics because of that, i can't do it once a week

[@acsipisz5110]

The first piston is already cracked AF :D

[@Mr.Leeroy]

Another great advice to spray brake cleaner left and right 🤦‍♂ Brake cleaner formula is not standard and varies greatly (and is different compared to carburetor cleaner as well), so does rubber, plastic and paint compatibility. There usually is a warning right on the can, or at least a guidance to test it yourself before use on each material other than bare metal. Electrical contact cleaner may be a better choice, but then again, you won't know beforehand.

[@gmbntech]

Isopropyl alcohol is also a great option! But a bike specific brake cleaner like the Peaty's one used in the video will be safe to use 👍

[@Velo1010]

Instead of the expensive bike specific brake cleaner you can buy automotive brake cleaner.

[@SLAUGHTYBAUDFAUST]

@@Velo1010 be careful which you get some will literally ruin the paint on your bike.

[@tedoakes9235]

Surgical spirits cheap alcohol

[@Velo1010]

@@SLAUGHTYBAUDFAUST exactly. What I do is spray it on a shop rag or use the spray nozzle. You are right you have to be careful. Wipe off very quickly if it gets on the paint.

[@bendenisereedy7865]

This is complete twaddle. Brakes rely on the flexibility of the rubber seals to work, the pistons don't move through the seals except that they creep through very slowly over weeks as the pads wear.

[@sylvainbernaers]

use simple breakcleaner. 10 seconds job. disc brakes are not rocket science. my god?????????????