Front brake overhaul

[Benjins]

So I felt like my front brake wasn't giving me the stopping power I needed. With the dual lever setup I have on the SV (2 levers on the right as I have short fingers on my left hand) my brake lever is very short - wide enough for 2 fingers. I read a bunch of how-to's and watched a few vids and finally started the project this evening.

Pins came out ok and managed to get the pistons out with little fuss. Came to separating the (forgive my lack of correct terminology) sliding plate thingy, the one that has the 2 rubber seals, and on one side it was stuck fast. Took a very long lever to get it off.

So does this mean my brakes have been worse than they should have been? I thought there was a grinding noise when I pushed the bike along, so maybe it was this making the noise. There's no noise now when I push the bike along.

Anyway I've gone overboard with the refurb - all pins and bolts will be replaced with titanium. Nice new brake pads and a lick of paint to make the 12 year old callipers look the part. Will post pics when I'm finished.

[Blapper]

There are very detailed threads on caliper and master cylinder overhaul on this site, in fact there are a couple on this page as I write. Most things have been addressed.

The feeling amongst the members here seems to be that overhaul of the brake hydraulics should be an annual service item. I personally don't ride a lot in the wet or do high mileage so I will stretch that to two years. It sounds like yours do need looking at, particularly the sliding caliper action, but most likely you will find that your pistons are seized and that is the cause of your problems.

Maybe you could alter the ratio of the master/slave cylinders to give more effective braking with your shorter lever?

[Benjins]

Thanks Blapper. The pistons eased out and the main seal was fine. The dust seal was a bit grimy and I'll have to spend some time cleaning the pots, but otherwise that all looks shiny. New seals are going in anyway. I think the problem was that the rubber seal things on the callipers (the concertina looking things) had become solid, so guessing whoever last did the brakes used the wrong grease or something.

Hoping to crack on with this tonight now that my new Goodridge brake lines have arrived. Will keep you informed of how things go.

[Jayneflakes]

That all sounds fun.

My partner and I made a you tube video on SV brake servicing. One tip I have for you is that when you do the job, make sure that you dress appropriately for what is potentially a dirty job. For example, wear a nice dinner jacket and polish your tools first!


I also made a less child friendly version, which is twenty minutes longer and in which my partner left all of my swearing! That is right, it is twenty minutes longer just because of the swearing...

By the way, I am sure that you know this already, but prep your titanium parts well. I had real issues with titanium bolts that had not been prepped right, that had been used in a part I bought to modify my bike with. The extra work was a real pain.

[ophic]

A lot of us use shorty levers on the brake and clutch anyway. 2 fingers should give enough stopping power.

I have a bigger problem with my clutch. Hurts my poor wee hand after a while.

[Benjins]

Thanks Jayne, I'll be sure to check out the vid when I'm back from work. Nothing quite like a bit of therapeutic bad language to get through an otherwise grim task.

Originally Posted by Jayneflakes

By the way, I am sure that you know this already, but prep your titanium parts well.

How exactly would I need to prep the titanium parts? I'm assuming I need to use copper grease on the mounting bolts and retaining pins but do I need to put any on the banjo bolts? I don't want to risk getting some in the brake lines I'm guessing... Would silicone grease work as well as copper grease for this purpose?

Originally Posted by ophic

A lot of us use shorty levers on the brake and clutch anyway.

This is my lever setup. Definitely an one or two finger job - https://i.imgur.com/oWBRUsg.jpg

[Blapper]

Very nice work been done on that conversion! When I read you had done it I expected to see the brake lever full size, but below the clutch by about 45% round the bar. I'd be worried about my fingers slipping off the brake like it is. Still, it obviously suits you and well done for keeping riding mate. Have you tired the semi-auto box on the newest Honda NC750's? Just the ticket for you I'd have thought.

Always put copper grease on any ali threads to avoid 'galling' or 'pick-up' which destroys the threads in short order.

[tom_e]

Do not grease the banjo bolts though.

Sent from my XT1580 using Tapatalk

[Benjins]

Thanks Blapper. It's taken a fair old amount of time to get this on the road but it all works nicely.

Cheers tom_e

[Jayneflakes]

Originally Posted by Benjins

How exactly would I need to prep the titanium parts? I'm assuming I need to use copper grease on the mounting bolts and retaining pins but do I need to put any on the banjo bolts? I don't want to risk getting some in the brake lines I'm guessing... Would silicone grease work as well as copper grease for this purpose?

For Titanium bolts you want to use a good quality copper grease or Ti-Prep. There are complex reasons as to why it works, something to do with the crystalline structure of Titanium and how it reacts with aluminium. Anyway, always use anti sieze on ti bolts, or you will need to pay some one with a good workshop a lot of cash to drill them out.

Banjo bolts should be a dry assembly, but do anneal your old copper washers first if you are planning on reusing them.

For rebuilding your calipers, use red rubber grease to fit your seals and pistons. This stuff does not react with brake fluid and will keep your seals healthy for longer.

Have fun and keep the updates coming.