Anyone in Wellington have a G-clamp I can borrow?

[vindy500]

just doing my brake pads and need to open the calipers, closer to churton park would be preferred, thanks :)

[koba]

Use a screwdriver and a bit of wood to lever them apart, CAREFULLY!

[Hitcher]

My G-clamps are designed to squeeze things together, not to prise them apart?

[koba]

If the piston is squeezed into the caliper by wraping the clamp around half of the caliper it opens them in relation to each other.
Manuals say but the correct special tool and never use a screwdriver.
I use a screwdriver and it works, you just need to be sensible with it.

[crazefox]

yip i do in whitby

[vindy500]

perhaps my writing isnt so clear.. like to make the gap bigger so i can put the new pads in, im pretty sure i used a g clamp last time with my car, never done it on a bike though, not sure how i would do it with a screwdriver...

[imdying]

You should be opening the bleeder and pushing the old crap out that, not back up the line where the shite can destroy the master cylinder seals. Once the bleeder is open, the piston will go back with your thumbs; if it doesn't, then you need to strip and clean the caliper internals, yet another job that isn't done often enough.

[vindy500]

right o, so will i have to top up the brake fluid after?

[imdying]

What are the chances that it's been 12 months since the last fluid change? :msn-wink:

If the fluid level in the reservoir is low, then yes you'll have to top it up. You should be bleeding fresh fluid through it in any case, both front and rear. It helps to stop the system from corroding internally, which gets expensive quickly.

Make sure you use a line clamp on the hose, so that the old fluid and crap that's in it, goes out the bleeder, and not back up the hose to the master. Seen more than one previously happy master cylinder killed in this fashion.

[vindy500]

What are the chances that it's been 12 months since the last fluid change? :msn-wink:

If the fluid level in the reservoir is low, then yes you'll have to top it up. You should be bleeding fresh fluid through it in any case, both front and rear. It helps to stop the system from corroding internally, which gets expensive quickly.

Make sure you use a line clamp on the hose, so that the old fluid and crap that's in it, goes out the bleeder, and not back up the hose to the master. Seen more than one previously happy master cylinder killed in this fashion.

0! did it about 8 months ago :)

[imdying]

Heh, you'll be sweet then :)

Go to BNT, and get yourself a brake hose clamp, don't butcher your poor hoses with vice grips! The cheap plastic/rubber ones are fine, no need for the expensive metal ones if you're not doing them on a regular basis (i.e. a mechanic). Then it's as simple as clamp the hose, small hose on bleeder, open the bleeder, push the piston back (no pressure in the system restricting its movement now), fit the pads, bleed it, job done :yes: