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Had my saint brakes for around 4 years now. They have been faultless until the last couple months when the pistons have been sticking out and needed constant adjustment. I’ve cleaned and lubed the pistons multiple times, one piston on the rear brake won’t push fully back into to the calliper. It’s stuck out by a couple mm. Also happens to be the laziest of all pistons.
Done a full bleed a couple times as well to see if that would help but it’s still playing up.
Short of buying a new brake have I missed anything?
Sounds like you’ve possibly got something in the calliper, maybe pushed in during a bleed.
I’d fully strip the calliper down and rebuild
Oh didn’t realise I could strip and rebuild them. Under the impression calliper issues were new brake time with shimano brakes.
I can find some search results for piston and seal listings on eBay. Are saint the same as all the other shimano brakes?
Or should I be hunting out genuine pistons and seals?
Do they have the ceramic pistons? I had an issue like that on 2 pot slx. Piton would not return because during maintenance I had hamfistedly levered in the wrong direction and shattered/crumbled the back of the piston. The crumbly bits were stopping the piston returning.
Fixed with an eBay piston and seal kit
Yeah they are ceramic pistons. Saw those eBay piston kits but was concerned they would be a gamble. If quality is sound then that looks to be the best plan. Don’t really want to buy new brakes so if there is a way around that amazing!
If they are goosed anyway its worth taking them apart to inspect before spending any money.
If they are goosed anyway its worth taking them apart to inspect before spending any money.
This, you might find a strip, clean and rebuild fixes it.
When you've rebuilt it and bled it, put the caliper in a clear plastic bag with a block inbetween the calipers and squeeze the brakes and leave on with a zip tie. Spray the caliper with brake cleaner and then clean and dry and leave for a while to see if its leaked mineral oil.
You might be lucky and they might not leak.
I cracked a ceramic one being a klutz when pushing them back in. Mate popped in some aliexpress ones (I think) and they've been fine since.