I am in the process of doing an entire brake overhaul and want to make sure that I cover all my bases the on first go round.

The original master cylinder leaked brake fluid all around the metal box that it mounts to. I am going to wire brush the rust, sand it down a bit, and paint it over with a few coats of Permatex Rust Treatment ( I couldn't find the POR15 stuff locally). Hopefully that will do the trick and prevent further damage. The problem is that I can't figure out the best way to go about moving the steering shaft out of the way so I can get better access to the rusty metal under the the shaft. Shannon gave me a few ideas, but I got stuck last night trying to get it out of the way.

Should I pull the wheel off, disconnect at the steering shaft coupler, and just move it out of the way?

Also, what's the standard operating procedure for taking care of calipers that have been sitting for an unknown period of time? I see that Skandix and Swedish Treasures sell the rebuild kits with new pistons, but is it necessary or should I just replace the seals? Maybe its wishful thinking on my part that they aren't going to need some attention after that long a period of inactivity. I read a bit about how to remove the pistons by connecting the master cylinder directly to the caliper, but any other ideas on how to proceed are much appreciated.

Many thanks,

Tyler