Help: 89 XJ Brake Pins

Hi:

I pulled the calipers off my 89 XJ this morning. I was surprised the brake pins - the pins that the calipers float on - were so gunked up! I recently installed new pins in both calipers about 1k kms/ 6 months ago. Today they were gunked up with black stuff and difficult to remove (unscrewed from the knuckle easily enough - but difficult to pull out of the caliper).

I used petroleum based brake grease on the new pins when I put them in and they made the calipers move easily and smoothly. Should I have used something other than brake grease or nothing at all?

If this is normal gunk after only 1000 km's of driving, it's no wonder the brakes on the XJ are so crappy.

A little grease is what you want.

Whatever grease you use must be rated for high temperature or the brake heat will cook it to black goo again. Brake grease ought to fit that requirement, but I suspect you got bad stuff last time.

Don't use much. If the pins and caliper bores are clean it requires very little.

I either use nothing or a thin layer of never-cease