brake service

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Richard Simpson Mark II
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Re: brake service

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

Top tip: Many people have an unconscious 'thing' about shaking a bottle of liquid when they pick it up.
Don't do this before pouring the brake fluid: it puts microbubbles into the fluid and means you spend a lot longer and waste more fluid bleeding through.
When I install new lines, I leave the banjo slack for the initial pour and pump (with some cloth in place to absorb the fluid that will run out.. It gets rid of the major air bubbles quicker than squeezing them out through the caliper bleed nipple. Once the fluid starts coming out, pinch the banjo up.
If you can't get suitable new copper washers, you can reuse the old ones. Just anneal them (heat to cherry red and allow to cool). I've never had a problem reusing them after doing this.
daveuprite
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Re: brake service

Post by daveuprite »

Richard Simpson Mark II wrote: Sat Aug 07, 2021 7:03 pm
If you can't get suitable new copper washers, you can reuse the old ones. Just anneal them (heat to cherry red and allow to cool). I've never had a problem reusing them after doing this.
Well I never knew that. Love learning new tips. Thanks Richard. :)
Richard Simpson Mark II
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Re: brake service

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

Amazing what you learn when you are poor!
Cherry red all around is enough...no hotter/brighter. I used to hold them on a wire coathanger over a gas ring.
Agent Orange
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Re: brake service

Post by Agent Orange »

Yep it's called 'Anneal' pair of long nose pliers, always do my oil sump plug that way too. Love the tip aon the banjo bolt :mrgreen:
Richard Simpson Mark II
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Re: brake service

Post by Richard Simpson Mark II »

Worth pointing out that this doesn't work for aluminium 'crush' washers
Sanqhar
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Re: brake service

Post by Sanqhar »

Dull cherry red hot and drop into cold water also works. This way the copper finishes up cleaner, the cold water knocks off surface scale.
Do not overheat the copper so don't do in bright sunshine

tom
... and today was a good day in the life of...
garyboy
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Re: brake service

Post by garyboy »

I used to have a crush on Ali(son) Washer, but she turned hard on me, and there was no going back.
A bent copper arrested the local washer woman, an old flame, and hung her out to dry after a fiery exchange, so I went to o'neals hot place but they lost their temper.

..........................................................

half-update.

when i checked the front brake fluid hoses ... doh ... they wuz not wot i thawt .... not a single hose, but 2 short hoses joined mid way at the modulator gubbins, which had braidedhose-to-tube fittings. A sensible person would sent the s/s braided hose back, which means i will probably keep it, doh.

Getting the caliper off was much easier than I had anticipated, as was the caliper reassembly.

It was the cleaning that took the time, and the seizure cause was immediately apparent when i tried to get the old pistons out ( I had forgotten to pump them out with the brake lever). One, just the one, was stuck firm and had to be pulled out with a pliers. Both pistons were in much better condition than i had anticipated, with just some corrosion at the out ends, and could probably have been used again, if you waz a sloppy worker. However, being cursed withe disability of `perfectionism` I replaced both with shiny new S/S ones. Even the old seals looked pretty good, with little apparent wear or damage, but i used the new ones with red grease.

So what had caused the near seizure? ... One of the dust seals had corrosion underneath, in the groove ... and also, possibly not so important, the brake holding pin was slightly corroded and glukky enough to stop the pads from sliding freely ..... that's all it was... but enough to cause a performance failure.

All cleaned and ready to install ... when i can stir up the enthusiasm to do it, and weather permitting.

Even the pads were good enough to use again .. which means that the new ones will be put away, never to be seen again lol .
daveuprite
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Re: brake service

Post by daveuprite »

A wonderfully 'Garyboy' post , that. A great mixture of bizarre madness and a splendid mini voyage of discovery. Love it. :lol:
garyboy
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Re: brake service

Post by garyboy »

er .. thanks, Dave .. I think .. :? ;) :lol:
garyboy
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Re: brake service

Post by garyboy »

update ... I know everyone is waiting with bated breath wot i dun next ... did the brakes work? did i do a stoppie in front of 1000 eager spectators? did i blob me pants? ........

well ....completely ignoring good advice from here, I just tweeked up the original ali washers .. and there was air in there i still could not get out .... doh ... but it was good enough to pass the MOT,.. [but Baz didnt want to bleed em for me ... huh!!!! , juss coz i dun it myself. I expect? lol ] ...

so today, I re-did the brakes, by inserting 4 copper crush washers ... lol ... the second pair cost me £19 as they were out of the new but unused brake line packet .. doh. 2 washers went on the top banjo which i had undone. Couldn't find the brake fluid :roll: so used some old stuff and recycled that a few times through the hoses lol . Eventually got some hard ... oo er ....... and that would have to do, as i wanted to see how the slightly higher scree would work with my new 40mm bar risers wot i put on today.

weight off the hands and neck, better handling, more precise road positioning, more confidence inspiring, less hardness from the front forks, as weight now further back on the bike ...... truly great ... 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)



verdict??? .... fabulous :D :D :D :D :D
Brakes worked well too 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)

looks better too, I think ..
Image20210817_164526 (2) by gary boy, on Flickr



Image20210817_174828 (2) by gary boy, on Flickr


feels more like the NC750X now ... wind higher up the chest, laid back seating position, better handling, more relaxed.

almost like a ... dare i say it? ... a ... adventure bike :P :P 8-)
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