Binding Calipers... - SV650.org

19-11-06, 01:21 PM

Over the last week when its rained, its been near on impossible to push the bike back into the garage, and to push it forward takes an awful lot of effort as well.

So today i took the calipers off the front. Half of the seal around one of the pistons on the fronts have been pushed out in 2 places. Its making the piston movement very hard, so I had to pull it out. I checked the other side and again one of the seals is just starting to push its way out. I've pushed that back in as far as possible.

Now i use my bike every day for work so i need it. I can feel the difference its making, hard to pull away, front feels "tight" when turning into a corner and makes it feel unstable etc...

So my questions are..

CAn you jsut replace the seals on the SV (curvey) front brakes, or is it a real pain in the aris and its a better idea to just buy new calipers?

AS it coming into winter, it couldn't have happened at a worse time (they grit the roads stupidly down here, its like riding accross the salt planes...).

Any advice? Cheers

19-11-06, 01:38 PM

Hi Daimo

Don't buy new calipers, t will not only cost more but chances are they will suffer fomr the same problem (if 2nd hand)

Dust seals are usually about £3-4 each I think. I wouldn't bother with piston seals myself, I've yet to HAVE had to replace one of those, they don't wear out as quickly.

Removing the old seals and putting new ones in is relatively easy but best if you take the caliper off and 'split' it. Pump out the pistons as far as possible, all evenly, with something stopping them from going out any further. If you split the caliper and then try and pull the piston out when theres not muhc sticking out, chances are it'll be impossible to remove!

Anyways....can read up on it in the haynes manual. Presume you have a brake bleeding kit and brake fluid..?

I wouldn't ride it if they were binding the front ones anyway. Not if its noticeable. I tippled over my mates YZF when the front brakes were binding excessively. They started out okay but then got progressively worse. If you go on a slight corner with loose chipings on it you're coming off.

19-11-06, 02:01 PM

Thanks instigator. I've removed 1 of the "think" dust seals from one caliper (the other dust seal in still in) as it was impossible to feed back in. Its the first bit of rubber you can see around the 2 goldish coloured round bits

I've been for a quick ride round the block and its freed off (i had to ride yesterday and it was binding all the way to work and back). If the brakes have freed up, should i be concerned about the dust seals and be ok till next weekend when i can replace it?

19-11-06, 02:10 PM

Hmmm....I'd probably risk it if there was NO way of getting the parts and replacing them. But I would order up a spare piston seal for the piston that now doesnt have a dust seal. Just incase any crap gets in there and ruins the fluid seal.

I'd perhaps take the caliper off everyday after your commute and spray some brake cleaner on the pistons. To keep them clean.

northwind · 19-11-06, 02:52 PM

Just order seals and get them fitted as soon as you can, they're there for a reason. And use a bit of red rubber grease to help prevent it happening again, if you ride any bike with those calipers in winter they'll eat dust seals unless you do something along those lines. It's possible your pistons will be damaged too, but I've never found any yet that wouldn't clean up well enough to refit. Some sort of picky item is good for cleaning the muck out of the seal channel- this is definately a fluid-out, ideally calipers off job.

If you don't replace the dust seals, it's only a matter of time til the fluid seals get damaged, really.

RingDing · 20-11-06, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by northwind

And use a bit of red rubber grease to help prevent it happening again,

Red rubber grease? I've always used a high melting point grease and wiped off the excess when done. Is there a special grease for seals? I've heard it mentioned but have never seen anything in the shops.

northwind · 20-11-06, 02:04 PM

Red rubber grease, you know won't damage the seals. There's bound to be others that work but I don't know enough about greases to pick one out that'd definately be OK, so I use the only one I know works

It's hard to find, Frosts sell it though, and a tub's good for life...

RingDing · 20-11-06, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by northwind

Red rubber grease, you know won't damage the seals. There's bound to be others that work but I don't know enough about greases to pick one out that'd definately be OK, so I use the only one I know works

It's hard to find, Frosts sell it though, and a tub's good for life...

Ah-ha! You mean this stuff:
http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.a...rease%20(500g)

I thought you were being descriptive when you called it red rubber grease!

Never heard of Frost before...so many toys to buy!

Cheers, I think

northwind · 20-11-06, 05:06 PM

I like Frosts. it's the little details, like getting your stuff sent out in a hob nobs box, packed with crumpled up copies of the Daily Star

Don't get that with Demon Tweeks.

20-11-06, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by northwind

Red rubber grease, you know won't damage the seals. There's bound to be others that work but I don't know enough about greases to pick one out that'd definately be OK, so I use the only one I know works

It's hard to find, Frosts sell it though, and a tub's good for life...

I bought some from here:

http://www.mgocaccessories.co.uk/aca...rease_176.html

19-11-06, 01:21 PM	#1
Daimo Guest Posts: n/a	Binding Calipers... Over the last week when its rained, its been near on impossible to push the bike back into the garage, and to push it forward takes an awful lot of effort as well. So today i took the calipers off the front. Half of the seal around one of the pistons on the fronts have been pushed out in 2 places. Its making the piston movement very hard, so I had to pull it out. I checked the other side and again one of the seals is just starting to push its way out. I've pushed that back in as far as possible. Now i use my bike every day for work so i need it. I can feel the difference its making, hard to pull away, front feels "tight" when turning into a corner and makes it feel unstable etc... So my questions are.. CAn you jsut replace the seals on the SV (curvey) front brakes, or is it a real pain in the aris and its a better idea to just buy new calipers? AS it coming into winter, it couldn't have happened at a worse time (they grit the roads stupidly down here, its like riding accross the salt planes...). Any advice? Cheers

19-11-06, 02:52 PM	#5
northwind Moderator Mega Poster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In the garage where I belong Posts: 17,083	Just order seals and get them fitted as soon as you can, they're there for a reason. And use a bit of red rubber grease to help prevent it happening again, if you ride any bike with those calipers in winter they'll eat dust seals unless you do something along those lines. It's possible your pistons will be damaged too, but I've never found any yet that wouldn't clean up well enough to refit. Some sort of picky item is good for cleaning the muck out of the seal channel- this is definately a fluid-out, ideally calipers off job. If you don't replace the dust seals, it's only a matter of time til the fluid seals get damaged, really. __________________ "We are the angry mob, we read the papers every day We like what we like, we hate what we hate But we're oh so easily swayed"

20-11-06, 02:04 PM	#7
northwind Moderator Mega Poster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In the garage where I belong Posts: 17,083	Red rubber grease, you know won't damage the seals. There's bound to be others that work but I don't know enough about greases to pick one out that'd definately be OK, so I use the only one I know works It's hard to find, Frosts sell it though, and a tub's good for life... __________________ "We are the angry mob, we read the papers every day We like what we like, we hate what we hate But we're oh so easily swayed"

20-11-06, 05:06 PM	#9
northwind Moderator Mega Poster Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: In the garage where I belong Posts: 17,083	I like Frosts. it's the little details, like getting your stuff sent out in a hob nobs box, packed with crumpled up copies of the Daily Star Don't get that with Demon Tweeks. __________________ "We are the angry mob, we read the papers every day We like what we like, we hate what we hate But we're oh so easily swayed"

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19-11-06, 01:38 PM	#2
instigator Guest Posts: n/a	Hi Daimo Don't buy new calipers, t will not only cost more but chances are they will suffer fomr the same problem (if 2nd hand) Dust seals are usually about £3-4 each I think. I wouldn't bother with piston seals myself, I've yet to HAVE had to replace one of those, they don't wear out as quickly. Removing the old seals and putting new ones in is relatively easy but best if you take the caliper off and 'split' it. Pump out the pistons as far as possible, all evenly, with something stopping them from going out any further. If you split the caliper and then try and pull the piston out when theres not muhc sticking out, chances are it'll be impossible to remove! Anyways....can read up on it in the haynes manual. Presume you have a brake bleeding kit and brake fluid..? I wouldn't ride it if they were binding the front ones anyway. Not if its noticeable. I tippled over my mates YZF when the front brakes were binding excessively. They started out okay but then got progressively worse. If you go on a slight corner with loose chipings on it you're coming off.

19-11-06, 02:01 PM	#3
Daimo Guest Posts: n/a	Thanks instigator. I've removed 1 of the "think" dust seals from one caliper (the other dust seal in still in) as it was impossible to feed back in. Its the first bit of rubber you can see around the 2 goldish coloured round bits I've been for a quick ride round the block and its freed off (i had to ride yesterday and it was binding all the way to work and back). If the brakes have freed up, should i be concerned about the dust seals and be ok till next weekend when i can replace it?

19-11-06, 02:10 PM	#4
instigator Guest Posts: n/a	Hmmm....I'd probably risk it if there was NO way of getting the parts and replacing them. But I would order up a spare piston seal for the piston that now doesnt have a dust seal. Just incase any crap gets in there and ruins the fluid seal. I'd perhaps take the caliper off everyday after your commute and spray some brake cleaner on the pistons. To keep them clean.