Cleaning all around the rear wheel / swingarm / rear brake caliper

[Camel]

Hi All,

Well, as I have found new mechanic skills (in the loosest sense of the term), I have got myself a Haynes manual from ebay (7 quid - result) and I am getting stuck in!

So the rear wheel is off - took me a while as the brake caliper is a little sticky, to say the least, and I didn't really know what I was doing.

So there are probably 8 years of neglect, and the swing arm was FILTHY!!

But I have more cleaning questions:

Should you clean the spindle, spacers etc? These seem to be covered in grease, not crud! Should I clean them, then re-grease?

Would you go as far as taking the blocks out of the swingarm, which the spindle goes through, and clean them? Do they need to be greased?

Is it bad to get brake cleaner on the brake pads?

Also, my rear brake pads look pretty shot - horrid infact. But the caliper is all dirty etc. If I get new pads, is there a good way of cleaning the caliper up, and getting some movement in the piston, without removing the piston?

Is it good practice to move the piston back in by just gettng a screwdriver between the pads and applying force? Will it damage the pad?

I will post a few pics later, when I find my camera cable!!
And thanks in advance!!

[petevtwin650]

I would clean everything you can get at. Then regrease where neccessary

Take the blocks out too, clean and grease up the threads on the long allen bolts.

I would take the pads out before applying the brake cleaner.

Guess your bike is a curvy, so you have two pistons in the rear brake. 1 each side. Don't push them in until you have cleaned all the crud off.

If you are going to get new pads using a screwdriver or similar on the old pads to push the pistons in is favourite.

Have fun. And get used to it. You'll be doing it often. :D

Doh! It's at least 8 years old. Of course it's a curvy.

[kwak zzr]

I'm not saying my way is right or wrong because i am mostly self taught but i do clean and re grease the spindle and i do use the screw driver method of pushing the pistons back in the caliper, as for cleaning the brakes just just a sufficient brake cleaner, everything else gets the wd40 treatment.

[Camel]

Cheers guys!

Here are a few pics of the work in progress!

Going to go buy some brake cleaner, and get a workshop light as my garage lighting is pretty crap. And probably get some rear pads too! :D

[kwak zzr]

your doing a good cleaning job there matey keep it up :)

[petevtwin650]

I see you have parafin there, are you gonna clean your chain and front sprocket too?

I personally would disconnect the caliper from the torque arm and hang it from the rear footpeg, with a zip tie or hanger made from wire, just in case you spray WD40 in that direction. Not a problem as you're gonna get new pads though.

[yorkie_chris]

Dependin on how long it's sat for I would be tempted to strip and grease the caliper properly. Just shoving the pistons back with brute force and ignorance will shaft the seals incredibly quickly. A healthy piston will move back with thumb pressure, even from my knackered thumb lol

[Camel]

your doing a good cleaning job there matey keep it up :)

Cheers fella - I'm feeling pretty proud, but I know I have a long way to go.

I see you have parafin there, are you gonna clean your chain and front sprocket too?

Yeah, thats the plan. The chain defo needs a god clean. So I may as well do the front sprocket, if doing the rear one & the cahin. I was using a combo of parafin & wd40 to clean the swingarm.

I personally would disconnect the caliper from the torque arm and hang it from the rear footpeg, with a zip tie or hanger made from wire, just in case you spray WD40 in that direction. Not a problem as you're gonna get new pads though.

I had the white dish cloth (exhaust) covering the pads, but the inner most one looks a little mashed. So I just got new pads this morning. Only ?15 from my local parts shop for Ferodo pads. Not too bad I thought.

Dependin on how long it's sat for I would be tempted to strip and grease the caliper properly. Just shoving the pistons back with brute force and ignorance will shaft the seals incredibly quickly. A healthy piston will move back with thumb pressure, even from my knackered thumb lol

I would like to strip and grease the caliper properly, but there are a couple of things putting me off.

1) Never done it before! I like having my hand held!! Although it's not a crucial as c0cking up the front brakes!

2) The Haynes manual makes the caliper assembly look extra complicated!!!

3) I assume it would mean the bleeding of the caliper, or rather emptying of the caliper. The front brakes seemed tricky to bleed, and the back seems to have a tiny reservoir etc.

I will grab the Haynes manual, and start reading!

Oh, BTW, is there anything special to be done in the cush drive, while I have the wheel off? It looks pretty clean in there, but as I will be doing the wheel and sprocket, is there anything I should know?

[TheStudent]

Wooooo!? You guys do a damn site more cleaning than me!? :(

Normally i just clean it from the outside if you know what i mean, wash, polish, pressure wash where necessary, grease the chain etc. How often do you folks strip everything down like that? Feel bad, my poor curvy!?

[Camel]

Wooooo!? You guys do a damn site more cleaning than me!? :(

Normally i just clean it from the outside if you know what i mean, wash, polish, pressure wash where necessary, grease the chain etc. How often do you folks strip everything down like that? Feel bad, my poor curvy!?

That is normally what I would do, but I bought the bike as a bit of a project. I go it pretty cheap, but I also wanted to get to grips with maintenance etc.

Plus it was "proper minging"!! I dare say yours has never been that bad! I should have taken some before pictures too!

[TheStudent]

That is normally what I would do, but I bought the bike as a bit of a project. I go it pretty cheap, but I also wanted to get to grips with maintenance etc.

Plus it was "proper minging"!! I dare say yours has never been that bad! I should have taken some before pictures too!

Yeah mine isn't too bad to be honest, but i've never really gone round it in that much detail either to check it all over properly, which i should, good for learning too like you say! I think some quality time in the garage is in order...

[beaniebikerbabe]

Wooooo!? You guys do a damn site more cleaning than me!? :(

Normally i just clean it from the outside if you know what i mean, wash, polish, pressure wash where necessary, grease the chain etc. How often do you folks strip everything down like that? Feel bad, my poor curvy!?


ditto +1:-#

[Lozzo]

Just given mine the deep clean...again - the full 'wheels off, all bodywork off' type clean.

If you're worried about the condition of the rear brake pistons, leave one old brake pad in and pump them out a little way before removing the pad and scrubbing them with a toothbrush and WD40. If you see nasty rust pits on the pistons then it might be time to replace the pistons and seals. If not, clean the dirty WD40 off with brake cleaner, dry with a clean rag and regrease the inside of the caliper with a smear of red rubber grease before pushing the pistons back and fitting the new pads.