paint your caliper

Before you start to take the calliper off the bike make sure you hav plenty of 'DOT4 Break Fluid'

Tools

Small Flat Head Screwdriver
5mm Allen Key
10&11mm Spanner
(tools for the Aprilia RS front caliper 99-05 models)


Other Bits

Nitromors - or any other paint stripper
Small container
paint brush
Rubber Gloves
Paint colour of your choice
Clear Laquer

with the break line now bled the caliper can now be removed from the bike, along with the break cable, some find it easier to losen the 4 allen key bolts and Break Line before the calliper is removed.

now the calliper has been removed from the bike with the Break Line


With the 10mm spanner remove the bleed nipple, becareful when removing the bleed nipple as there is a small ball bearing DONT LOSE IT. With the Bleed Nipple Cover i placed the small ball bearing init and push'd it on over the end of teh bleed nipple show bellow.



Removing Font Break Pads

Now the Pads hav been removed we can remove the 4 Allen Key Bolts, If you did not loosen them before the calliper was removed from the forks you will need to hold it in a vice as these bolts may be seized in due to them being steel and calliper being alloy.

With them all lose remove the 4 bolts, when taking the calliper apart becareful not to lose the small o-ring washer(this will need replacing when putting back together)


Now comes the fun part stripping the paint off the calliper.

I have gone for nitormors.


With some nitromors in a small pot using the paintbrush dab the nitromors onto the calliper after a few minutes the paint should start to bubble.

The paint on the image bellow did not bubble as it was fresh paint yesterday and has'nt hardened yet.


Keep dabbing nitromors onto the caliper untill all the paint looks loose, you can either use a old rag or a compressor to wipe/blow the lose parts of paint off. TRY NOT TO GET NITROMORS ON YOUR SKIN IT BURNS.

Now the caliper is nice clean of all the old paint, let to dry for 5mins and wipe over again.



The caliper is ready for painting.

Choose your paint, i hav gone for a gloss black you can get small cans from halfords. you can either use an undercoat(best option) or spray a very light coat of paint. let it dry untill touch dry or place infront of a heater for 20mins or so.

1st coat(undercoat)


Now the 1st coat/undercoat has been done and dried you can goahead with the second coat of paint, leave around 30-40mins before doing thurther coats

2nd Coat


I left the paint to dry with its 2nd coat of paint, a thurther 2 coats of paint were applied and 3 coats of clear laquer. to speed up the drying process the caliper was places infront of a heater.

This is what they looked like after a couple of coats of laquer


Now the caliper can be put back together. as the paint only has a hard outta shell and will take a few weeks to harden fully its a good idea to lay a soft cloth under it for the next section of work


now its time to put the caliper back as one piece, remember that o-ring well here is were the replacment comes in, its recomended its replaced each time. place the o-ring into the small indent shown below


Put both parts of the caliper together trying not to nock the o-ring out of place, its also a good idea to put copper grease on the bolts so they dont seize in.


with the bolts back in and the breaks put back it its tim to put the bleed nipple back in and attach the caliper back to the bike. remember to put the small ball bearing back in before putting the bleed nipple on.




now the caliper is back on the bike its time to put the break fluid back in .....

if anyone isnt sure about painting they're own caliper... give me a call on 07876508877

bleed the system and send/bring it to me.... i will do it for you, this will also work for the rear, i will not charge

Tempted, very tempted...

mmmm red calipers are going on my rs125 when i have some spare cash now