How to Rebuild Honda CBR 600RR Front Brake Calipers

If the front brakes on your Honda motorcycle feel spongy, the brake pistons could be locking up and wearing down the pads. Also if brake fluid is leaking around the calipers, the seals inside the calipers might be worn, so it might be time to rebuild the front brake calipers. 

Watch the video above and follow the steps below to learn how to rebuild the front brake calipers on a Honda CBR 600.

Tools and Parts – Honda CBR 600 Front Brake Caliper Rebuild

• Torque wrench
• 12mm, 14mm sockets
• 5mm Allen
• 3/8th ratchet
• 8mm open wrench
• Right-angle Phillips screwdriver

• Pick tool
• Pliers
• Flange bolts (x4)
• Top piston seal set (x2)
• Bottom piston seal set (x2)
• DOT 4 brake fluid

NOTE: You need to order two separate sets of top seals and bottom seals (they look almost identical but the part numbers are different) if you’re rebuilding both the right and left front calipers on your machine, plus four flange bolts.

Before taking the caliper apart, you need to get the fluid out of the braking system. Watch the video below to see how to bleed the brakes on a Honda CBR 600. 

Removing Honda CBR600 Front Brake Caliper

Step 1. Loosen the two 5mm pins that hold the brake pads without removing them. 

Step 2. Remove the brake line using a 12mm socket. 

NOTE: Don’t lose either of the two crush washers on the bolt. Also, have a rag handy to clean up any brake fluid leaks. 

Step 3. Loosen and remove the two 14mm brake flange bolts holding the caliper on the bracket. The caliper will lift right off the rotor. 

NOTE: Honda says the flange bolts are for one-time use only, so replace them with new ones.

Removing Honda CBR600 Brake Seals

Step 4. Remove the two 5mm pins holding the brake pads in place, then lift the pads out of the caliper.

Step 5. Use brake cleaner and some compressed air to clean up the caliper and get rid of dust and other contaminants. 

Step 6. Use compressed air to drive the pistons (two inside and outside on the top; two inside and outside on the bottom) out from the back of the caliper. Remove the outside pistons, then apply more compressed air to remove the inside pistons.

PRO TIP: It should only take a couple of small bursts of pressure. Keep your fingers away from the pistons, as the compressed air drives them out with a force that can cause injuries. 

Step 7. Use brake cleaner and a rag to clean the pistons once they’re removed. 

NOTE: Arrange the pistons so you can remember where they go, as the top and bottom pistons are of slightly different sizes.

Step 8. Use a pick tool to remove the old seals. Reach back into the bore, hook the old seals on the end of the pick tool and remove them for each of the four bores. 

Replacing the Brake Seals from a Honda CBR 600

Step 9. Install the new seals (two on top, two on the bottom) for each side of the caliper, totaling eight seals.  

PRO TIP: Replace the top brake seals first, as they’re slightly larger than the bottom seals. Use your fingers to position them at the back of each bore: two on the inside, two on the outside.

Step 10. Repeat step 9 for the smaller bottom seals. 

Step 11. Coat the pistons and the inside of the bores with DOT 4 brake fluid, then reinsert the pistons one at a time in the bores from which they were removed.

Step 12. Clean off the caliper with brake cleaner.

Step 13. Slide the brake pads into place, pushing in on the pads so that all of the holes line up with the holes on the caliper. Next, slide the 5mm pins back in and hand-tighten them.

Step 14. Replace the caliper over the rotor, making sure the pads are pushed open.

Step 15. Insert and tighten the new brake flange bolts to connect the caliper to the carrier, and torque them to 33 foot-pounds. 

Step 16. Connect and tighten the brake line to 25 foot-pounds. 

NOTE: Don’t forget the two washers on the bolt. 

Step 17. Tighten the two 5mm Allen pins holding the brake pads in place to 11 foot-pounds and you’re done. 

After connecting the caliper, refill the brake system with DOT 4 brake fluid. Refer back to our Honda CBR 600 brake bleed video above to finish the job. Watch the video below if you also need to rebuild the rear brake caliper on a CBR600 motorcycle.