Unanswered Replacing a brake caliper

[Grant Allan]

Hi guys,
I stuffed up and damaged the pistons in my br-mt520 shimano caliper while replacing my pads.
Replacement calipers are almost impossible in New Zealand at the moment.
So what can I use instead? Maybe from sram or another model shimano.
On a side note I've had a new pair of pistons made from mild steel though I'm a little unsure about trying them incase the metal heats up expands and seizes in the caliper or the heat cooks the fluid.

 

[Grant Allan]

Pick another caliper that uses the same fluid.

no clue what you’re saying about the pistons. If they’re for the caliper it should be fine. If they’re solid mild steel made in your garage then lol but maybe they’ll hold until you get something legit in. I wouldn’t run any ghetto stuff for front brakefor sure.

This is what I had made up. Just wish shimano would sell a rebuild kit.

 

[RustyIron]

The coefficient of expansion for steel is half of that for aluminum. Your caliper heats up, too. The big question is how much clearance you allowed between the pistons and the caliper. Assuming they work ok, the bigger problem will be corrosion of the pistons. I don't think steel is the best choice of materials.

 

[fenwick458]

Replacement calipers are almost impossible in New Zealand at the moment.

all shimano impossible, or just MT-520?
if you can get any Deore, SLX, XT, XTR, Zee, Saint they will work. Deore BR-M6120 looks exactly the same....
a friend told me recently he was struggling to find a lever for his and was told any shimano lever is interchangeable, so by that logic then all the callipers are interchangeable...

 

[steve_sordy]

...................
a friend told me recently he was struggling to find a lever for his and was told any shimano lever is interchangeable, ................

A Shimano XT M8000 lever will not fit into an XT M8100 lever body; it is too thick (15 vs 14mm approx).

 

[fenwick458]

A Shimano XT M8000 lever will not fit into an XT M8100 lever body; it is too thick (15 vs 14mm approx).

I was referring to changing the entire lever body. as in, unscrew the hydraulic hose, remove the old lever fit the hose into a new lever

 

[flash]

Any Shimano straight mount hose type will be directly swappable. Basically Deore and below. Look for a 6120 or similar.

SLX and above will require a hose change but you can use the same levers.

Gordon