Tokico AJP Caliper rebuild. With photos.

[marc]

This is the TOKICO / AJP repair procedure. It is for the GS500E year 96 and newer.
Yes my bike is a '91 GS500. I replaced the caliper with a newer one: it bolted in the same place as the old one (the one with a big and a small piston). The old one had a piston damaged.

Step 1: See the condition: Dust seals are damaged because I cleaned the caliper with diesel last year.
NEVER CLEAN BRAKE RUBBER PARTS WITH DIESEL.
Water got inside the pistons and the caliper was not working as it is expected. I like to brake the bike with a single finger.

Use WD40 to ease the piston removal.



Press the brake lever and the pistons will came out. If one is stuck, you'll need to lock the other one to get it out.
Once the pistons became loose you may remove it by hand. If they are still difficult to remove, use a wrench with some protection to prevent scratching the surface of the pistons.



Use a piece of blue scouring pad (the one that does not scratch the surface, ask your wife) to clean the pistons.
Use your finger to feel any roughness on the piston and try to sand it.



Just in case rust made nasty things, you may try to use some 1000-grade sandpaper and water, but this will ruin the finishing of the piston and make more easy to rust. Replace the piston if available.



Remove Caliper Dust Seal and Caliper Oil Seal. Clean the seatings with a piece of wood. Use spanish "pincho" or a toothpick.
It needs to be "mechanically clean", not "optically clean". You are not going to eat there. Some may think about getting there with a Dremel and and a steel brush. This will cause damage to the caliper and getting the seats out of specs.



The required parts for the TOKICO - AJP rebuild:
- Some brake rubber red grease (ebay is your friend). Quite expensive but you don't need a lot. I rebuid 3 calipers with this small bag.
-  Suzuki kit 59300-33841 that should include 2x dust seals + 2x oil seals.



Clean everything, several times, prefer a cloth rag rather than paper.
Insert the oil seals and the dust seals in their seats. I like to place some red grease in the seals too to prevent any rusting there.
Place some red grease in the gap between both seals.



Apply a very light coating of red grease to the pistons.



Ease the pistons in. Caliper rebuilt.
Remember to apply some lithium grease to the moving parts.



Replace oil with a good quality one, and bleed the circuit. Feel the difference!

Happy bike again.

[sledge]

I have always used Powerhouse overhaul kits.
OEM quality but a fraction of the OEM price with the bonus of a new bleed nipple, a cap, bellows for the sliders and a couple of new copper sealing washers all included in the kit.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Powerhouse-Automotive-Ltd/Caliper-Seal-Kits-Suzuki-/_i.html?_nkw=gs500e&submit=Search&_fsub=2707951017&_sid=1008591237

'91? Not the original noses are they 

[marc]

I have always used Powerhouse overhaul kits.
OEM quality but a fraction of the OEM price with the bonus of a new bleed nipple, a cap, bellows for the sliders and a couple of new copper sealing washers all included in the kit.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Powerhouse-Automotive-Ltd/Caliper-Seal-Kits-Suzuki-/_i.html?_nkw=gs500e&submit=Search&_fsub=2707951017&_sid=1008591237

Wow I didn't know about this. Looks very very good. Thanks!