riffer
6th March 2004, 20:45
Jim2 and others -you will be pleased to know that my brakes are now rebuilt.
Following the Kiwibiker Sunday run a couple weeks back where I discovered my brakes were not up to scratch I went home and discovered that the front brake master cylinder was not very full of fluid. I added more and it seemed to make the brakes a bit better but I've not been too happy since. The fizzer has big front brakes and should work much better than they do. The feel is a bit mushy and you can't lock up the front wheel or do stoppies.
So it was time for a rebuild as part of the grand plan to make this bike work as good as it can for as little $$$ as possible.
So I got some Galfer sintered street pads off trademe ($10 off Takanini Motorcycles - bargain!) and my friend Zain and I started work on the brakes.
First thing, take out the pads - which were hardly worn, but quite pitted. Oh well, got new pads, so put those aside "just in case" I ever need them again.
Then took the lines off the calipers and took the calipers off the bike.
Then discovered the bad bit - when I drained the fluid from the lines I discovered that the old brake fluid had gone yuck and looked a bit like bits of hard jelly in the master cylinder.
So I had to try and clean out the sucker using a rag and isopropyl alcohol and eventually resorted to a screwdriver to pick some of the harder bits off the sides (real careful-like).
Pulled apart the calipers and cleaned them up, and drained all the fluid from them - checked the pistons and pushed them back in.
As there was gunk all through the cylinder we decided not to take any chances and used an air compressor gun and cleaned out all the lines with compressed air - you wouldn't believe all the shit that came out of them. Decided to do the same to the calipers as well, which meant pushing the pistons back in again. And of course, cleaned out all the banjo bolts, etc. So ended up with brakes full of air but nice and clean. I even got the shit out of the view glass in the master cylinder.
Put it all together and went through the laborious process of bleeding all the air of out them - actually it wasn't too bad - took about 20 minutes all up to get all the air out - then emery cloth the discs and on to testing the brakes.
First impressions - wasn't too happy with level feel but brakes feel a bit stronger - driveway tests in front of wife and kids confirm this with stoppies every time - kids VERY impressed with results - much laughter all round. But they COULD be better. I wanted them nasty.
So bled them again and this time much better - brakes engage with a sharp bite and stop HARD now - got the back tyre up nearly two foot on Melrose St at about 60km/h, and stoppies are easy now - I guess I will have to take my time getting used to the new brakes.
So a good day. I feel much better about my brakes now.
Following the Kiwibiker Sunday run a couple weeks back where I discovered my brakes were not up to scratch I went home and discovered that the front brake master cylinder was not very full of fluid. I added more and it seemed to make the brakes a bit better but I've not been too happy since. The fizzer has big front brakes and should work much better than they do. The feel is a bit mushy and you can't lock up the front wheel or do stoppies.
So it was time for a rebuild as part of the grand plan to make this bike work as good as it can for as little $$$ as possible.
So I got some Galfer sintered street pads off trademe ($10 off Takanini Motorcycles - bargain!) and my friend Zain and I started work on the brakes.
First thing, take out the pads - which were hardly worn, but quite pitted. Oh well, got new pads, so put those aside "just in case" I ever need them again.
Then took the lines off the calipers and took the calipers off the bike.
Then discovered the bad bit - when I drained the fluid from the lines I discovered that the old brake fluid had gone yuck and looked a bit like bits of hard jelly in the master cylinder.
So I had to try and clean out the sucker using a rag and isopropyl alcohol and eventually resorted to a screwdriver to pick some of the harder bits off the sides (real careful-like).
Pulled apart the calipers and cleaned them up, and drained all the fluid from them - checked the pistons and pushed them back in.
As there was gunk all through the cylinder we decided not to take any chances and used an air compressor gun and cleaned out all the lines with compressed air - you wouldn't believe all the shit that came out of them. Decided to do the same to the calipers as well, which meant pushing the pistons back in again. And of course, cleaned out all the banjo bolts, etc. So ended up with brakes full of air but nice and clean. I even got the shit out of the view glass in the master cylinder.
Put it all together and went through the laborious process of bleeding all the air of out them - actually it wasn't too bad - took about 20 minutes all up to get all the air out - then emery cloth the discs and on to testing the brakes.
First impressions - wasn't too happy with level feel but brakes feel a bit stronger - driveway tests in front of wife and kids confirm this with stoppies every time - kids VERY impressed with results - much laughter all round. But they COULD be better. I wanted them nasty.
So bled them again and this time much better - brakes engage with a sharp bite and stop HARD now - got the back tyre up nearly two foot on Melrose St at about 60km/h, and stoppies are easy now - I guess I will have to take my time getting used to the new brakes.
So a good day. I feel much better about my brakes now.