I am attempting to rebuild the front brake calipers on my 1960 MK2 and have a question regarding the fit of the retractor pin relative to the retractor bush. When I disassembled the unit, it took quite a bit of effort to remove the piston. As I try to put the rebuilt piston back into the cylinder block, I am unable to get it to go in and I would like to know if the piston must be pressed in so the the retractor pin gets forced into the retractor bush. I don't want to force the parts together until I know that the fit is supposed to be very tight.Thanks for any information or advice.

Ted

 

When I did mine, I lubricated the parts with brake fluid and pushed the piston in with both hands and even pressure.
They are tight.
You can use a vice, but use a socket on the pad locating pin so you don't distort it.
A piece of wood on the caliper body will keep the vice from making a mess of the casting.
It should go in very easy with the vice and require little force due to the mechanical advantage of the vice.

If you've had them sleeved and it was done incorrectly, the piston may be binding on the edge of the cylinder.

 

I recently refurbished mine! They needed a vice to get them back in! I also used brake fluid as a lubricant and a socket to give me a iniform squeeze.