Small front brake lever issues

[Mplant]

Hi all,

Since a few days I started noticing that my brake lever doesn't swing all the way back, so the brake switch is still activated and my brake lights are always on.. I have to push the lever back in order to deactivate the switch. Can I fix this by just lubrication or is it just wear and tear on the lever and has it to be replaced? My service manual doesn't tell me any thing about fixing this problem. If it can be solved with just lube what would you suggest?
The second thing i noticed is that my lever tends to catch on something. It doesn't get stuck or any thing you can just feel it's not smooth and going in little stages and it only occures when the brakes are applied firmly.
I checked my brake fluid and it was filled to the top and had a brown murky color? I dont know if it has any thing to with my brake fluid or not.

Your knowledge is welcome!

[Ragingrob]

Hi all,

Since a few days I started noticing that my brake lever doesn't swing all the way back, so the brake switch is still activated and my brake lights are always on.. I have to push the lever back in order to deactivate the switch. Can I fix this by just lubrication or is it just wear and tear on the lever and has it to be replaced? My service manual doesn't tell me any thing about fixing this problem. If it can be solved with just lube what would you suggest?
The second thing i noticed is that my lever tends to catch on something. It doesn't get stuck or any thing you can just feel it's not smooth and going in little stages and it only occures when the brakes are applied firmly.
I checked my brake fluid and it was filled to the top and had a brown murky color? I dont know if it has any thing to with my brake fluid or not.

Your knowledge is welcome!

When you have to push the brake lever back is it stiff or loose and floppy? If it's stiff see if some WD40 along with a lot of movement loosens it up, if it's floppy check all around the brake level to see if there are any little bits that look snapped off.

Brown murky brake fluid and sticky brakes... I'd go ahead and 1) Change your brake pads if they're worn down. 2) Give your brake calipers/pistons a really good clean. 3) Change your brake fluid completely. Here's a great video to do 1 and 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHtxBI8NEMg

[HenryDorsetCase]

time for a brake service. change the fluid. pads if they need it.

if that doesnt fix it, buy a master cylinder and caliper recondition kit, some of that red grease, and prepare for some quality shed time. if the pads arent retracting properly it could mean drag on your disc(s) and cause warping, premature disc wear, and worst case scenario a nasty accident.

[Mplant]

When you have to push the brake lever back is it stiff or loose and floppy? If it's stiff see if some WD40 along with a lot of movement loosens it up, if it's floppy check all around the brake level to see if there are any little bits that look snapped off.

Brown murky brake fluid and sticky brakes... I'd go ahead and 1) Change your brake pads if they're worn down. 2) Give your brake calipers/pistons a really good clean. 3) Change your brake fluid completely. Here's a great video to do 1 and 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHtxBI8NEMg

It doesn't flop around so i'll try some wd-40

The brakes dont stick it's just the lever that doesnt fully returns to his normal position. Just enough to keep the switch compressed. But the brake fluid may benefit a change. The pads seem to be in good shape.

[Ragingrob]

It doesn't flop around so i'll try some wd-40

The brakes dont stick it's just the lever that doesnt fully returns to his normal position. Just enough to keep the switch compressed. But the brake fluid may benefit a change. The pads seem to be in good shape.

The brake lever going in stages under heavy braking could be the pistons moving at different times... only takes 20min to give them a good clean and get smoother braking anyway.

[MSTRS:Me]

All those symptoms are a sign that a brake service is required. Do it sooner, rather than later.

[ducatilover]

Drop the brake fluid
Pull the caliper off
Pull the pistons out
clean/polish, put new seals in, assemble with rubber grease.
Check the brake line
Pull the master cyl/reservoir off
Check the action while it's empty, if it's hanging up, pull the switch off, try again
If it's still sticking, lube the lever
If it's still sticking, rebuild the master cylinder
If it's still sticking, you're fucked.

Never be cheap, or lazy with your brakes, they're more important than tits

[Akzle]

...if that doesnt fix it, buy a master cylinder and caliper recondition kit, some of that red grease,...

i do wonder at this red grease. i've seen it used a few times. heard reference to it much. but what advantage does it offer over say, blue grease (wheel brg?), green grease(chassis lube?) or black grease(heavy marine grade shit?)?

FWIW i use blue. heaps.

but yes.. if your brake fluid is any color other than the one it comes out the bottle, replace it. it's full of shit, and shit degrades braking performance. water and air are especially shit, and brake fluid likes both.

[ducatilover]

i do wonder at this red grease. i've seen it used a few times. heard reference to it much. but what advantage does it offer over say, blue grease (wheel brg?), green grease(chassis lube?) or black grease(heavy marine grade shit?)?

It's quite a light grease, which helps as most modern calipers run fairly tight tolerances

[HenryDorsetCase]

Drop the brake fluid
Pull the caliper off
Pull the pistons out
clean/polish, put new seals in, assemble with rubber grease.
Check the brake line
Pull the master cyl/reservoir off
Check the action while it's empty, if it's hanging up, pull the switch off, try again
If it's still sticking, lube the lever
If it's still sticking, rebuild the master cylinder
If it's still sticking, you're fucked.

Never be cheap, or lazy with your brakes, they're more important than tits

"Brakes: more important than tits"

put that on a t shirt or bumper sticker and I will buy it.

[HenryDorsetCase]

i do wonder at this red grease. i've seen it used a few times. heard reference to it much. but what advantage does it offer over say, blue grease (wheel brg?), green grease(chassis lube?) or black grease(heavy marine grade shit?)?

FWIW i use blue. heaps.

but yes.. if your brake fluid is any color other than the one it comes out the bottle, replace it. it's full of shit, and shit degrades braking performance. water and air are especially shit, and brake fluid likes both.

It is special brake grease, rated for this application: I presume it is because it is unaffected by brake fluid, but I dont know.

Its ten bucks a tube which for a DIYer will last twenty years: dont cheap out on brake stuff.

[nzspokes]

I will take a look at it tonight.

But you can be in front of me........

[GrayWolf]

Hi all,

The second thing i noticed is that my lever tends to catch on something. It doesn't get stuck or any thing you can just feel it's not smooth and going in little stages and it only occures when the brakes are applied firmly.
I checked my brake fluid and it was filled to the top and had a brown murky color? I dont know if it has any thing to with my brake fluid or not.

Your knowledge is welcome!

The 'notchy' feel is not something I would leave, It could also indicate the piston in the master cylinder is either corroded by the 'gunk/water/crap' in the brown stuff, that should be either clear, or maybe a colour (red/blue etc) if a fully synthetic fluid was used.

another good indicator of 'sticking' pistons in the calipers is.. it seems as if you need to squeeze really hard for little braking effect...... you pull the lever once, and if you pull it again almost immediately after release for the same effort the bike almost seems to stand on its nose... (pistons are sticking and the first application a lot of 'effort' is used pushing stuck pistons against the disc, as they are sticking they are still against the disc 'full pressure' is applied second application.
Spinning the front wheel off the ground when cold to see if it spins freely, then apply the brakes... if they are working correctly very quickly the wheel will spin quite freely again, if it doesnt?? Caliper removal/piston cleaning time. Often on older bikes previous owners and some lazy arsed shops, simply push the pistons back through the dust seal with the ring of hard crud still on the piston. This is likely to also cause sticking/corrosion, and/or fuck the seals (dust and fluid).
If the piston in the master cylinder is 'notching' on operation... DO NOT leave this, SOONER and most likely when you need full brakes, the piston will either stick, leak, or can simply come out.... I know this from experience.. I bled my FJ1200 on purchase and the master cylinder piston started to stick, then 'fell out' (during pumping) and fluid simply emptied from the reservoir .. luckily this was on the clutch side.. the shitty fluid also 'saw to' the slave cylinder seals...

[Fast Eddie]

haha, I like that. more important than tits.. service them! your going to have to eventually, so now that its having some issues is as good a time as any.

brakes are the most important, why would you want to ride a bike where the brakes on it are not as good as the possibly can be?

if u have a compressor or access to it, u can disassemble the whole thing completely, blow the pistons out. clean everything up. check seals. put it back together. fresh fluid through out. check lever and master cyl like all mentioned above. and you should be sweet plus piece of mind that its all fresh and good.

why wouldn't you?

[ducatilover]

haha, I like that. more important than tits.. service them! your going to have to eventually, so now that its having some issues is as good a time as any.

brakes are the most important, why would you want to ride a bike where the brakes on it are not as good as the possibly can be?

if u have a compressor or access to it, u can disassemble the whole thing completely, blow the pistons out. clean everything up. check seals. put it back together. fresh fluid through out. check lever and master cyl like all mentioned above. and you should be sweet plus piece of mind that its all fresh and good.

why wouldn't you?

Being a sliding twin piston unit you can just pump them out with the lever if one is hanging up, put a G-clamp or something over the free piston and carry on pumping (giggity)
I actually managed to do that on my four piston units on the 600, worked better than our compressor.