Sram code rsc, sticky pistons!!! Arrrghhhh

Silicone piston grease like you'd use on a car? Also, get a piston extender block - magic for troubleshooting issues like this. You can probably make one from a few lego tiles.

I have to do mine about once a month-6 weeks, using silicone grease (plumbers grease) the stuff Hope recommend.

It's a pain in the arse but quite quick with one of the little bleed blocks with a side removed so you can do 1 piston at a time, and everyone says "oh **** your codes feel nice" when they've been done so ...

Castrol red rubber grease is what we use on motorbike pistons.

I very very rarely/never do my Codes/RSCs.

Well, they are brand new, they were from the CRC sale a  little while ago. Have been sticky from the start and are about 5 rides in, I thought they might just free up after a few rides, but clearly there is something going on with them. Don't know whether to just send them back or not.

Thanks for the replies. Interesting that one you needs to do this and one doesn't ever! Ill have a look at the silicone grease.

Cleaning pistons with dot compatible grease is the thing that keeps my codes feeling good. I tend to do it every couple of months or when it feels like lever throw is getting too much.

A 4mm Allen key inserted down the middle of the caliper is wide enough that you can push out all 4 pistons at once with the pads out whilst ensuring they won't pop out. The R3Pro piston tool is good for doing them one by one. Useful if you've not done them for a while.

When you're done and the pads are back in you can use a flat bladed screwdriver behind the pads to ensure good alignment with the disc.

Once you've done it a couple of times it's a pretty quick process and 100% worth keeping on top of.

Did my guides at the weekend, had same problem, but couldn't sort.

Just seen this on the Sram site so will give this a go. They say not to lube your pistons

https://support.sram.com/hc/en-us/articles/5927508751259-How-do-I-fix-stuck-sticky-pistons-in-my-SRAM-DOT-brake-caliper-

https://www.sram.com/globalassets/document-hierarchy/service-manuals/sram-mtb/brakes/g2-ultimate-and-rsc-service-manual.pdf#page=7

Never done my Guide RS's ! 7 years going strong

My front ones have always been like that, not codes but guide's.

It does take a good 30-45 mins of pushing in, pushing out, cleaning and lubing, pushing in, pushing out, cleaning and lubing etc which is a painful and mindnumbing task but one thing I have found which massively helped how they feel and contact with the rotor is to pry apart that metal pad clip until the prong ends are almost 1cm apart before re-fitting, it really helps with lever feel and even bite from both sides of the piston, that is if of course your pistons are like mine and they both move very slightly but one side ends up moving over all more than the other, after all they only need to move a small amount to make contact with the pads and rotor.

I try to balance the pistons regularly, once a month I guess when I pull out the pads to have a proper clean. I have modified (cut in half) a set of pads which allows me to pump out each piston to clean one at a time. I don't bother applying grease or dot fluid.

Using old pads over using a bleed block allows me to get a large flat bladed screwdriver between the pads to push the pistons right back flat against the caliper housing which gives me a nice modulated feeling on the lever. Plus I add more spring to the clip before fitting new pads.

Yeah initially it's a pain to do, but I have found after the first time, the following services are less time consuming and if you keep on top of it less problematic.

I suspect there's some tolerance issues with these (and pretty much all other) brakes. I've had Codes that don't need it as often as others, but in my experience they all benefit from a good clean now and again to some degree.

Once you get good at it its a 10-15 minute job.

Whilst SRAM may advise against cleaning the pistons I have seen brand new Codes with stuck pistons. So they can bugger off.

Thanks everyone for the useful replies, tips and innovations!

I'm glad I am not the only one who has had these issues. Just a bit frustrating on a set of new brakes, but at least it gives me the chance to really understand what they need early doors.

I'll try some of the above strategies and will make a contribution to what works (hopefully) on future threads.

Have a great weekend and happy shredding!

@ehrob

When you’re done and the pads are back in you can use a flat bladed screwdriver behind the pads to ensure good alignment with the disc.

can you explain what you mean here?

Hmm, after a fruitless afternoon this week trying to sort out the sticky pistons on my sister's front Magura brake (which she hadn't even noticed; I was supposed to be fixing the 'broken' front mudguard - which wasn't, just a bolt loosened off) I have now bought the appropriate R3Pro tool. Fingers crossed.

You couldn't pay me enough to be a shop mechanic fixing people's neglected bikes.

When you've done all your piston cleaning and pushed them all back in, reinstall the pads, and the wheel. Line up the centre of the caliper with the rotor (where the two halves of the caliper are joined is your centre line) and tighten the caliper down. Then pump the lever so that the pads move into the rotor. What I usually find is that the pistons on one side of the caliper probably will come out faster than the other, so they'll engage with the rotor first. This will cause excess lever throw. If that happens, pull the lever and whilst you're doing that, use a flat bladed screwdriver behind the pads on the slower side to push the pad up against the rotor. This should cause the pad and pistons on the slower side to push out more, and whilst this happens, the faster side will push back in a little. If you go too far, you can push them back from the other side. Keep doing that until both sides are nice and symmetrical.

Make sense?