Okay so Im cleaning up my brakes and would like to know what people recommend for greasing. Some people say just brake fluid on the piston seals and then rubber grease on the boots. Others have said copper compound on the piston and seals and rubber grease on the boots, but then I've heard copper compound eats the seals. Basically I've heard many different combinations. Currently the the caliper I have, the pistons have seized with the seals. So I have new seals, everything else is in good condition (including the pistons), and my previous caliper had decent seals but the pistons had corroded into nothing.

So what would you recommend using on the pistons and rubber boots?

I have both rubber grease and copper compound. I tried looking for something specific to caliper grease but no where here had.

Any advice appreciated.

Rubber grease.

Brake fluid on the piston seals if it is going straight into use; they are immersed in it anyhow.
Rubber grease on the piston /seals if the refurbed caliper is going into storage for a length of time; the brake fluid
would eventually dry out/crystalize.

Rubber grease on the dust seal ; in theory no fluid should reach here. (If no rubber grease; fluid is better than nothing)

Backs of pads to stop squeal and pins and bleed nipple threads; Copper grease. (not strictly a grease but an anti seize compound that does not melt and contaminate pads)

Try not to smother everything with grease/fluid ; it only attracts grit/dust and turns to grinding paste.
A dry caliper gets a layer of dust/crust on it but heat/vibration and use dislodges much of it.

When the caliper is bled I blow out the remaining fluid from the bleed nipples and cap them with the rubber bung.
A bit grease down them will not hurt; goes a long way to prevent seizure /corrosion in salty winters.

The old days of smothering the pistons in red rubber grease was more to stop rust when the dust seal was of the diaphragm type that enclosed the outer end of the piston.

Yep.copper grease for nipples.back of pads.pins.threads.brake fluid soak the seals.rubber grease pistons.will keep them smooth and squeak free..

Red grease for the rubber bits, copper grease on the back of pads

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Some good advice, thanks, will be putting it in use tomorrow.

Today I tried pumping the pistons out with brake fluid, I used a piece of wood to prevent it from shooting out. Okay so it came out up to the wood. I then took the caliper off and tried to get the piston out but it won't move. I then connected it back up, filled it with fluid and continued to try pump it out with a thinner piece of wood between the pistons, but now the pistons won't move, they are about 7mm from being completely out.

Any ideas on getting the pistons out? I don't have a compressor.

Hi, if your careful you should be able to walk them out with a adjustable spanner, if not you can get a proper tool to remove them. Maybe try pushing them in a bit to make sure there coming out straight, putting a bit of angle iron inbetween the pistons works quite well or an old disc, just pump them out it may take a while but well worth doing, clean the seal groves out very well and put plenty of rubber grease in the grooves and on the seals when you rebuild them.
Cheers
Ian

Thanks! Got them out with some patience haha