cleaning the seal grooves in front calipers

[exdirtbiker]

My 80 GS1000G has rust on both front caliper pistons. The bores in the calipers look great.
New piston kits getting ordered.
The grooves in the calipers that the seals go in have "aluminum crud"... badly.

Any advice for getting them clean enough to let a new seal ..err... seal ???

(BTW- seal kits are $19 each or more... new piston kits are $22, and they come with the seals ! WRONG- ( sort of ) -- see correction below

 

[steve murdoch]

I use a Dremel rotary with the brass wheel brush.
The $5.00 dental picks kit from HF is useful as well.

 

[Nessism]

Be sure to replace the brake lines while you are in there if your bike still has the originals.

 

[loud et]

I use a Dremel rotary with the brass wheel brush.
The $5.00 dental picks kit from HF is useful as well.

I also use these, and the stainless steel version.
Note: please wear safety glasses. These small wire wheels throw lots of small wires. They will stick right in your skin,, face, Fly right through your clothes etc.....
Great tool though aside from the potential for blindness. Haha

 

[Wingsconsin]

I use a Dremel rotary with the brass wheel brush.
The $5.00 dental picks kit from HF is useful as well.

I also use these, and the stainless steel version.
Note: please wear safety glasses. These small wire wheels throw lots of small wires. They will stick right in your skin,, face, Fly right through your clothes etc.....
Great tool though aside from the potential for blindness. Haha

​YES to all this...

 

[exdirtbiker]

Correction: $20+ for new Suzuki piston with the seal kit. It's #1 on the Suzuki 'fiche. Bikebandit wants almost double price? maybe typo?
Suzuki OEM seals are less than $10 for both. the seals plus piston cost $11 or so more.
The K+L seals are $18+ without piston.
I'm buying OEM.

And thanks guys, I'm going to find my brass brushes now

 

[850 Combat]

I made the same discovery as to the K&L pricing vs OEM pricing. I have used the K&L kits though. Sometimes, the original O rings appear to be perfectly suitable for reuse, once they are thoroughly cleaned (it isn't easy to get the crystalized brake fluid off of them), but I have never tried that. Not yet...

 

[Steve]

These small wire wheels throw lots of small wires.

I use a stainless wire wheel, too, but only at the LOWEST speed.

The wires are less likely to fly if the speed is kept lower.

If the speed goes up, I tend to find wires in my shirt sleeves for quite some time later.

.

 

[philosopheriam]

Handheld soda blaster with grocery-store grade baking soda - works like a charm, will get the bores and grooves squeaky clean without damaging them.