Brake Caliper Balls-Up

[Sharpy]

Good thread this, and I must admit to having a few "issues" with my brakes, when I replaced the brake lines earlier in the week I though I would also clean up the calipers, but I was foiled at the first hurdle when I could not get the brake pad retaining pin out!  

I know this is not screwed in and once the retaining pin is removed it should come out fairly easily... but it did not.

Now planning on soaking them in WD40 and seeing if I can get them loose, sure I can.  

Then I will be doing something similar to this!  

[Descolada]

Sharpy, the first time I took my pads out I couldn't get the pin out either. I cursed and swore but couldn't get it out. It was only once I started to clean out the gunk around the pin that I realised that there was an "R" clip holding the pin in place. I had assumed that because there was a bolt type head on the pin that it would unscrew, but no. It should just pull out once the R pin has been removed.

Can you turn the pin in the hole or is it stuck solid?

[mjc506]

The first time I did mine, I ground away the back of the 'pocket' on the inside side of the pin, and then hammered it out. It was a bit stuck...

[Sharpy]

Cheers Desco, but I have found the R pin... but the pin itself is stuck solid, even had a set of mole grips on the case, and a bench vice.... nothing!  

Left it at that for now as I need the bike tomorrow, but I will be having another go over the weekend.  I am confident I can get it out, but I might need to get some news pins... I suspect the current ones will be a bit 2nd hand once I am done with then!!  

MJC - That thought has crossed my mind, but it will be a last resort!

[Descolada]

Funnily enough I just got a couple of set's of pins to keep as spares;

Here you go; Suzuki DL650 V-STROM GSF650 BANDIT SFV 650 FRONT BRAKE PAD PIN PINS X1 BPS9

They look expensive but I have seen them far dearer than this - at least these are free P&P  

[Sharpy]

Great thanks!

[trailguru]

I've had seized brake pins when I first came to service the calipers on an old SV I bought (identical to the v-Strom calipers). So I drilled a small hole (smaller than the diameter of the pin) in the 'blind' side and tapped them out using the reverse end of the drill I used to make the hole.  Simples!

I used said holes as lube ports and the pins never seized after that.