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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Locked Front Caliper/Brake
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Message started by USCG Cremeans on 02/24/06 at 18:44:04

Title: Locked Front Caliper/Brake
Post by USCG Cremeans on 02/24/06 at 18:44:04

Ok when i received my savage last fall, the front brake didn't work at all, and i didn't fiddle with it since i didnt have the bike on the road yet and such. Now as im getting it all fixed up to put ont he road this spring, the front brake is locked and will not release. When i squeeze the lever it barely moves and there is a lot of pressure on the lever. Im thinking my caliper is sticking open and shut? any ideas on how to cure this or diagnose it?

thanks guys

and girls

Title: Re: Locked Front Caliper/Brake
Post by Reelthing on 02/24/06 at 19:16:14

sounds to me like the master cylinder at the lever has bit the dust, perhaps from water in the fluid - can you see through the site glass or is it real dark?

Title: Re: Locked Front Caliper/Brake
Post by USCG Cremeans on 02/24/06 at 20:05:45

ehh you can barely see through it not dark but definatly not very clear.. opaque is a good word for it.. golden dirty opaque

Title: Re: Locked Front Caliper/Brake
Post by diesel on 02/24/06 at 21:32:18

remove brake line at caliper, if lever is now opreable and you can pump fluid out of the line, caliper piston is selzed, if it is seized really tight, I have made up a fitting with a grease fitting and using a hand grease gun, pump the piston out. now clean up parts, fine emery paper pision and caliper bore, reassemble with new boot and pistron seal. good time to clean up master cylinder now too, bleed with new fluid. I know, whole lot easier said than done. I have performed that same procedure more than once and it will work. try to find a procedure in any manual for removing a frozen in caliper pision.

Title: Re: Locked Front Caliper/Brake
Post by Kropatchek on 02/25/06 at 05:30:45

diesel wrote:

try to find a procedure in any manual for removing a frozen in caliper pision.

Soak in WD40 or any other penetrating agent. Seals are f%cked anyway.
BTW pumping the piston out with a greasegun is the BEST solution I've ever heard. Thanks diesel

Greetz
Kropatchek ;D

Title: Re: Locked Front Caliper/Brake
Post by Roadie on 02/25/06 at 05:51:22

Brake flushing ---

You can also do a flush with a soda bottle, and a 5 or so inch tube of airline from a fish tank (the flexible rubber kind). Just loosen the fitting a little and push the hose on. then open up. put the bottle on the ground, pump away.. You don't need a friend now to flush the brakes.

I'm sure someone's thought of this or there's some kind of gizmo. But my brother told me this trick (ASE certified mechnic, no figure!?). Hope it's useful.

Mechanically challenged.

- Roadie

Title: Re: Locked Front Caliper/Brake
Post by Steve530 on 02/25/06 at 06:11:16

Diesel, do you scer that Zerk fitting into the bleed screw hole?

Title: Re: Locked Front Caliper/Brake
Post by diesel on 02/25/06 at 12:30:14

on some you can use the banjo bolt and silver solder a zerk fitting to the piece of brake line, some others, it might be easer to adapt a zerk to the bleed hole and just plug the banjo bolt with a bolt of the same thread pitch. I can't take credit for that idea, it was a hand-me-down a long time ago from a real old timer. the reason it works so well is a that a hand pumped grease gun can deliver from 5k to 10k PSI, depending on how much muscle you got. I have seen perfectly good calipers go in the trash 'cause the piston could'nt be removed. on the other hand, I NEVER seen a piston that would not respond to the hand grease gun treatment.

Title: Re: Locked Front Caliper/Brake
Post by Steve530 on 02/25/06 at 15:54:58

It's a good idea. Thanks.