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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - caliper stuggles


Greetings, Been trying to finish my caliper re build
but struggling to get the lip seals in.
any advise or tips>! Regards Pete
P C Knightley

They are extremely difficult

If you have the 2 halves apart then put the piston in and slide the dust shield over the piston and down against the caliper body. This tends to centralise it. Now with extremely gental taps try and ease it in by tapping at alternate sides. When it finally goes in it almost drops in.

Many years ago I tried to overall my calipers without splitting them, somehow I managed to get the dust seals in but I think it was very much hope for the best!!!
Bob Turbo Midget England

I haven't tried this technique, but it occurs to me that you could try wrapping something like cellophane film around the piston circumference. Get the edge inside the cylinder so that it is past the seal and then press the piston in as Bob describes. It may just help the edge of the piston ease in past the lip of the seal. Then withdraw the cellophane. Lots of lubrication should help too.
A strip of old 35mm film negative might be the sort of thing - if you still had such a thing from the past!
Guy

is it the seals or the seal retainers?

the retainers are a total *rse in my experience. A wheel bearing outer fits exactly round the outside of the caliper piston and can be used to press the retainer and the seal in with a g-clamp. Putting the retainers in the freezer for a couple of hours helps too.
Rob Armstrong

Definitely easier to fit the dust seals after the piston.

I have rebuilt calipers without splitting them, having read the warnings in the Haynes manual, but these days I do split them.
Dave O'Neill2

Haynes repeats the warnings in the BMC manual ... but I've never seen a reason given.
Paul Walbran

This thread was discussed between 11/03/2012 and 12/03/2012

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