Brake Caliper Slide Pin Cleaning and Lubrication

I've been having trouble with noisy rear brakes and inspected one of them today - the lower slide pin was completely seized and I couldn't remove it. I could just about rotate it with a wrench but it doesn't slide at all. Any suggestions? I tried a mallet/hammer at both sides but it didn't seem to do much. The boot seems like it's compressed too much for me to release it from the carrier end (or maybe I'm not trying hard enough?), so I couldn't get any lubricant or penetrating fluid into the pin properly.

I wasn't sure of correct piston orientation at the time I looked at, so that might be wrong too. There is uneven wear on the discs and lots of corrosion... everywhere.

 

If the inner pad has bevelled wear, and the inner face of the rotor is about 50% rusty, that'd point to misaligned piston.

When were the brakes last serviced, pins lubed?

 

I only got the car last April (service schedule is 10k miles/1 year over here), and although it has a dealer service history there is no mention of any work on brakes besides inspections and cleaning. So I will assume the pins have never been lubed.

I must take a better look at the pads again - it was my first time doing anything with brakes, so I didn't really do much besides try to lubricate the pins.

 

Inspection/cleaning should have included pin lube, but I think you're right, that it's never been done. The pins can take a lot of neglect.

Sorry I didn't read closely enough, the pin is actually seized? It has a 17mm head: could you get it to rotate slightly with a wrench? Maybe also cautious heating of the caliper at the pin would expand it enough, and liquify whatever lube is left.

 

For the pin to be that stuck, I might guess there was already some damage to the boot, allowing water in. Therefore, I wouldn't shy away from destructive techniques to get the boot out of your way, as you'll be wanting to replace it (and maybe also the pin) anyway. With the boot removed, you might have better luck loosening the pin.

-Chap

 

Yes I was thinking of trying that. Anyone know what the part numbers are for the boots and pins?

 

My notes are for a 2010, non-plugin, US model:

rubber kit 04479-12230 (all rubber and fiddly bits to redo two calipers, includes little packets of the correct grease)

pin 47835-12150 (each)

but you'd probably be well advised to visit some local dealer web site and make sure they are the same for a 2012 PiP in Ireland.

-Chap

 

Yeah, the dealership parts department should be able to sort it out, if you just give them description, and maybe your VIN. Sil-Glyde Brake Lubricant is a lube that'll work too. I would use the supplied lube, but for future.

 

Well I got the pin out anyway, after tearing off the boot and much twisting and hammering. There was some grease at the end (wiped it off before taking the picture) but not much. I think I'll need a new one anyway

The piston was also mis-aligned. I bought a cheap universal piston block thing, and of course it was for a 3/8" socket wrench that I didn't have but I worked out something with a screwdriver. I eventually got the pads out (very stiff, everything around them caked in dirt), and unsurprisingly they're worn more on the stuck slide pin side.

I put the rusty pin back in with a load of lube and half a boot (will try and get replacement pin tomorrow) and it seems to be behaving - it seems quieter than before at least.

Still got the left side to do, but hopefully it won't be as bad (the disc looks a lot less crappy anyway).

Thanks for the help.

Your local dealers have parts listings on their websites? My local one doesn't even acknowledge they have a parts shop...

@Mendel Leisk: Not sure that brand is available here. Mintex Cera Tec seems to be the only brake-related thing I've found so far that isn't copper grease - anyone know what this is like?

 

I searched a bit on uk sites; nothing really conclusive. If you can: hold off on reassemble until you have new pin and boot, and according to @ChapmanF the pins come with lube. And while there ask what they use? I know there's a Toyota product on North America, name escapes me.

 

Here's some of my Prius notes, fwiw. Again, think what the Service Department is using over there is safest:

Possible brake component lubricant (for pins):

Permatex Ultra Disc Brake Caliper Lube
An environmentally-friendly, green, nonmelting, synthetic lubricant. It is formulated to lubricate under the most adverse brake conditions, assuring that critical caliper pins, sleeves, bushings and pistons remain lubricated throughout pad life.
Suggested Applications: Caliper pins, sleeves, bushings and pistons

Sunday, October 14, 2012 Priuschat suggestions:
*3M #08946 or Motorcraft XG-3-A
*Kleen-Flo silicon synthetic brake lubircant
(or Permatex Syntetic lube)
*also a tip: "I cannot stress how important it is to perfectly line-up the caliper piston to be at a 90 deg angle or else the brakes will drag."
*Read more: http://priuschat.com/threads/brake-work-diy.116018/page-2#ixzz29I2EaX8J

3M Silicone Paste or Motorcraft XG-3 <the latter's described as a dielectric grease

Raybestos Silicone Brake Lubricant, Part # DBL-2

Saturday, June 08, 2013 on prius chat, at:
http://priuschat.com/threads/brake-caliper-slide-pin-cleaning-and-lubrication.127656/#post-1819570
AGS Sil-Glyde Brake lubricant
----
Toyota brake lubricant:
caliper pin grease:
lithium soap base glycol (rubber) grease
p/n: 08887-01206)
pads, shim plates and calipers:
p/n: 08887-80609 disc brake grease

For calipers:
Rubber Grease
Toyota p/n: 08887-01206
About $8 / 100g tube.

For pads/shims:
Toyota p/n: 08887-80609

Toyota Disc Brake Caliper Grease p/n 08887-80609

Toyota Disk Brake Grease III, tube 100 gm, p/n 08887-02706

Kleen-Flo Eze Slide Brake Lubricant

For the slide Pins, we use 3M Silicone Paste #051135-08946. For the brake Hardware, this is technicians choice; Toyota Disc Brake Grease (08887-80609) or 3M Brake Lube and Anti-Seize Compound #051135-08945.
(toyota parts manufacturer)

 

I went to the dealer this morning and ordered a new pin and four new boots (I don't trust the other ones so will replace all the rears). Pin was only about €9 - should arrive tomorrow. I asked them about grease and they said they only do some "small tube" that costs over €30 so will try elsewhere. He said the pin does not come with any grease.

No shops over here seem to know what silicone grease is - maybe it's different terminology? Most grease I've seen here is lithium-based (I used some "multi-purpose" lithium grease temporarily on the dodgy pin for now, claims to be good for high temperatures). Apparently a lot of people just use copper grease on the pins, which doesn't sound like a good idea. I'll look around again for any brake-specific lube, but I'm not going to a Ford dealer

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/3M-08946-Clear-Silicone-Paste/dp/B005RNEH5O/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484578634&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=3M+8946+Silicone+Paste

I wanted to recommend 3M 08946 Silicone Paste, but for £67.46 it's almost cheaper to replace your pins every few years....
but they have some other stuff
http://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Car-Brakes/SILICONE-GREASE-LUBRICANT-ASSEMBLY-BLOCKS-GASKETS-Quality/B008HI0O6W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484579003&sr=8-1&keywords=100ml+SILICONE+55%25+PTFE+GREASE+LUBRICANT+FOR+ASSEMBLY

 

I wonder if the dealership could get the toyota lube, part number: 08887-01206?

Interesting discussion here:

Grease for calpier slide pins and contact points? | Grease | Bob Is The Oil Guy

See post #2646352. That could be Priuschat member @The Critic ?

Sil-Glyde Brake Lubricant seems to be the ubiquitous North American product, thankfully easy to find. Can you somehow order from UK?

 

@StarCaller: That 3M stuff is coming from a seller in California, so not surprising the price is ridiculous!

@Mendel Leisk: I'm in Ireland, not the UK, and would prefer to buy locally. I've seen a few good reviews of that Mintex stuff I mentioned earlier and can get 100ml for €4 next day delivery. The Comma Multipurpose grease I already have is probably pretty much the same as the "lithium soap grease" Toyota use, but my stuff is way over the 5 year suggested shelf life so I think I'll get something new anyway.

 

I never relubed caliper pins, in decades of DIY brake jobs, just left them alone. And I get the sense this is what a lot of people do. They usually survive the life of the car.

With our 2010 Prius it was the first time I thought I 'd do it, and thankfully in North America Sil-Glyde Brake Lubricant is available, widely recommended. The lubricant has to be long lasting, stable, in close tolerance conditions. And, it shouldn't swell rubber. The siliicone greases seem to fit the bill. I wonder about the ones called "dielectric" though. That seems more just for electrical sealing.

All in a all a frustrating wall of confusing and lack of product. For starters, Toyota should make the proper lube readily available, and world-wide. Maybe poor availability of proper lube led to your problem, someone used a rubber swelling lube, the boot started leaking, then a cascade of corrosion started.

An other link, a DIY'rs video with some good points:

 

I suspect the slide pin was never inspected or re-lubricated, and the boot probably got damaged (maybe from brake cleaner spray or something?) allowing contamination. They seem to salt the roads a lot wherever the previous owner kept this car (somewhere in Northern Ireland) - there is a surprising amount of rust underneath the car. Fortunately that's not so much of a problem down here (we haven't had snow in 6 years for example).

 

Yeah I was dismayed by the amount of rust on our 2010 underside. I don't think Toyota's coating/paint spec's on suspension components are up to snuff. Ditto for bolts: a lot of them happily rusting away, way too easily, compared to our previous years with Honda. I've applied a wax/oil protectorant to everything I could reach. I removed, oil soaked and re-installed any small bolts/screws. Some of them I nearly snapped the heads off, they were half seized.

 

Interesting it should be so hard to find ... I searched for 08887-01206 on eBay.ie and found it, but only from US dealers offering free shipment. Has the Ireland car-dealer lobby forbidden local dealers to sell online?

Here's a 100 gram tube for 18.81 €. A 100 gram tube will do your Prius, and all your friends' Prii, from now until entropy reshapes your calipers into lumps of bauxite.

Or, you do get small packets of it if you buy the rubber kit 04479-12230 (at least, that's the right kit for a non-plugin, US model 2010). The rubber kit includes all of the pin boots, piston boots, piston seals, bleeder covers, and piston boot retainers to restore both calipers, plus new gaskets for the hydraulic connection, and a packet of correct grease. It doesn't include pins, which are sold a la carte (with frequent enough inspections, the original pins should stay ok). You can also buy just the pin boots a la carte, but if you do, as you've seen, you don't get the little grease packet, which only comes in the rubber kit.

For my car, I simply picked up one rubber kit each for the fronts and rears, right after buying the car, just to have on hand. If you ever do have a brake issue, and you take it apart and see you need, say, a piston boot or a seal, whether you already have those on hand determines whether you just immediately put your car back together fixed, or sit on your hands waiting for an order to come in, or make a rush purchase of some lousy-quality reman caliper from the local generic parts store....

-Chap

 

Good find!!

Note part number on back: 08887-01206

Searching EBay.ca (for myself), it's invariably about $40~50 (US dollars) for 100 gram tube, with shipping. Better stick with Sil-Glyde.