do my brake calipers need restored too??

[made2care]

again, I am working on a terribly neglected 87 interstate and while replacing the brake pads noticed the following:
- somewhat difficult to push in the pistons, had to use a c-clamp
- when I pulled the lever, only one piston moved. is this normal?
- what are the signs that the caliper needs some tlc, besides the fact that a pistons seizes?

again , thank you for your help.

[virgilmobile]

When I finished mine,with the bleeder open and no fluid,I could push each piston to the bottom using both hands and thumbs.
I did clean and polish the bore,piston and the crud from under the piston seal ring(in the groove).
I also tested the piston in the bore before I put the seal ring back in to be sure it would go all the way in without binding.Prelube with brake fluid only,then flush ALL the old fluid out of the bike and replace it with new dot4.

[made2care]

Okay, great! Thanks for the tips.

[Ed Z]

It’s a surprisingly small amount of corrosion in the seal groove that makes the piston difficult to move... The trick for getting both pistons out is to use a block of plywood (start with 3/4") and use pressurized air via the inlet hose hole or ya can just pump em out using the lever... The second method tends to be messy though... Then ya just keep stepping down in the wood thickness till both pistons are just about completely out... I then clean the grooves out very thoroughly and then put some caliper grease in there... I always use new seals... Make sure you clean the pistons very well and inspect for wear and scratches... once you put the pistons back in the caliper you will notice they move rather easily... If they don't then you still have crud that needs to come out of the groove area...