Brake calliper piston sticking

[josadler7]

Hi
Please can you help? My Ford focus Mk1 2002 nearside brake calliper piston is sticking, causing the brakes to bind one sometimes. Same thing happened on the other side last year and Ford charged me ~£400. I’m wondering if it would be better to clean up the piston and use some brake grease stop it sticking, or buy a new calliper? I’m selling the car soon so… Thanks in advance. J

[shoota]

I had the same prob on a Mitsubishi Delica. My mechanic said it would be more expensive to strip clean and refurbish than to buy replacement part and fit it because of the amount of time and fiddling involved.
If you can do it yourself fine but if not I'd go for the replacement (secondhand?) option and a good independant mechanic rather than a main dealer.
Mine didn't cost anything like £400 but I can't be exact as it was in with some other jobs.

[TWR]

Jos, don't waste your time & money, I have just replaced my old E36 that my neighbour bought off me a while ago, it will take you an hour to take off & replace the old for a recon one, how they work it, you take your old one off take it to your local spares shop & they will replace, if you know them well they will give you the replacement first so you can replace there and then, the E36 replacement was £45.00 it can cost you £20+ for a rubber kit. It's not worth it.

[TWR]

Check this out on EBay Jos, FORD FOCUS MK1/2 N/S FRONT BRAKE CALIPER FREEPOST!!!
Express delivery available
£19.99 Free Type in Ford Focus, brake caliper this will come up. BUT, for the extra I would by a recon the reason, if it starts to stick when you sell the car the byer will be back, it's not worth the bother.

[malagabob]

I had to have mine done Mk1 Focus after piston seized. Was told its the flexy hose breaking down and blocking the oil ways with bits of rubber.

[TWR]

With respect to your answer Malagabob, once a caliper starts to stick it is normally caused by the rim of the piston, they tend to pit that in-turn catches the side of the bore, hence sticking piston.

[chas2008]

not heard that one before malagabob...think you were given a bit of waffle, brakes operate between 800psi-1500+ psi, cant imagine a little bit of rubber hose stopping that sort of pressure....
sometimes just squeezing the piston back in (leave the reservoir cap off) a few times can free it of enough to make it work....seen it done to get cars through MOT.s

[tonyav]

In the past i have freed up a seized brake caliper piston ( usually on old fords ) by removing the caliper and using a foot pump with one of those adapters for blowing up air beds on the end. Place the adapter in the hole where the brake pipe fits ( might need a mate to hold the adapter in place ) gently put your foot down on the pump and you will see the piston moving up out of the caliper, pump until the piston has come right out and the you will see that black ring of gunge that seems as though it has baked it self on which is stopping the piston from having free movement, then clean of the said ring of gunge, i have used very fine emery cloth to do this. And then put it back together replace your caliper on the car and bleed the brakes, it has worked for me in the past.

[malagabob]

Possibly was spun a yarn, you know what garages are. but if youve got up to 1500psi force in one direction Chas and no psi in the opposite direction where would bits of rubber if the yarn was true go, stay at the back of the piston.