TOPIC:

OK, so sometimes I do things bass ackwards. After getting my brakes looking great, on the outside...clean and painted. I finally got around to taking a good look at the master cylinder. I opened it up and the first thing I saw was a bunch of "crud" coating the inside. I scraped a lot of it out and put some break fluid in it. Pumped it a bunch of times hoping I could wash the rest of it out of the system. The only thing that happened when I pumped it was a tiny bubble stuck in one of the holes went up and down but no fluid went anywhere. Bike has been sitting for 11+ years. Is it possible to just tear it down and do a bit of cleaning and flushing :)or does it sound like the rubber parts have deteriorated and it will need a rebuild kit? Will I have to tear down the caliper, also, to clean out the "crud" there :(or if I get the M/C working will I be able to flush it clean?
Help!! Inquiring minds need to know
Thanks
Ron

80% of your stopping power is at stake here...id rebuild it...oh and do your calipers too....about 80 bucks very well spent....steve

I knew you were right before I even posted my questions I started to disassemble the caliper and didn't get very far before seeing the disaster that are my brakes. Piston boot is trashed, looks like it has expanded several times. And the piston is totally frozen...solid. Vice grips wouldn't budge it. Sprayed WD40 around the piston and in the caliper body. New questions...Any ideas on how to free the piston w/o damaging it? Is it any use to try to salvage it? Do I start looking for a good used caliper? AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

How about forcing the piston out with pressure from the master cylinder? Connect the line back onto the caliper and pump the brake handle. You might need to bleed the line first. Don't know if this will work, but I think it's worth a shot. Good luck.

ronjones wrote:

I knew you were right before I even posted my questions I started to disassemble the caliper and didn't get very far before seeing the disaster that are my brakes. Piston boot is trashed, looks like it has expanded several times. And the piston is totally frozen...solid. Vice grips wouldn't budge it. Sprayed WD40 around the piston and in the caliper body. New questions...Any ideas on how to free the piston w/o damaging it? Is it any use to try to salvage it? Do I start looking for a good used caliper? AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

vegasjetskier wrote:

How about forcing the piston out with pressure from the master cylinder? Connect the line back onto the caliper and pump the brake handle. You might need to bleed the line first. Don't know if this will work, but I think it's worth a shot. Good luck.

ronjones wrote:

I knew you were right before I even posted my questions I started to disassemble the caliper and didn't get very far before seeing the disaster that are my brakes. Piston boot is trashed, looks like it has expanded several times. And the piston is totally frozen...solid. Vice grips wouldn't budge it. Sprayed WD40 around the piston and in the caliper body. New questions...Any ideas on how to free the piston w/o damaging it? Is it any use to try to salvage it? Do I start looking for a good used caliper? AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, the master cylinder needs to be rebuilt also I don't have an air compressor either (suggested by Clymers).
Thanks for the suggestion

see if you can find a metric greae fitting that will fit into the bleeder hole or hose inlet then hit it with the grease gun. lacking air power this works pretty good...ive rebuilt a few of these that were pretty crappy inside and they usualy come right out with a bit of pressure...steve

That grease gun trick should work.
I once read, maybe here, that someone drilled a hole in the caliper side and punched out the piston. Then they threaded a pipe plug in the hole to seal it. Apparently the brakes work fine, but I don't know if I would go to that extreme.

Try the grease gun first.

That grease gun idea, sounds really good. I'll have to give that a try. Thanks Kent and fixer :)I'm going to have to buy one anyway to grease up the swing arm. Unfortunately, I may have some real problems w/the master cylinder rebuild. I'll post that question under a new topic.
Thanks again