Rear brake locked up?

[GS650E_81]

Picked up another caliper off a G model from a guy in Vegas. Gotta love Ebay!

Mounted the caliper. Installed the brake line with banjo bolt. Filled the reservoir with fresh brake fluid. Put her in neutral and started spinning the wheel with my hand while applying the rear brake. NOTHING.

I understand I need to replace the brake line and rebuild the MC and etc. but the rear brake worked fine before i replaced the Tires, sprockets and chain. So I am not sure what I am doing wrong.

Do I need to bleed the brakes? Because my last caliper was impossible to get the bleed nut loose, everything seem baked on, and this caliper does not look any better..... So I am not sure what to do.

[koolaid_kid]

You really should rebuild that caliper. New seals and o-rings. Take it apart and see what you discover. Don't trust anyone else's work.

[GS650E_81]

You really should rebuild that caliper. New seals and o-rings. Take it apart and see what you discover. Don't trust anyone else's work.

Yeah. I am going to end up doing that. Just hope I can get the allen head bolts out! Last time was no good!

[Big T]

Take the caliper with you over to Sears and get a socket drive allen head of the correct size

Then, use air or hydraulic pressure to force the piston out

Place the caliper, bolt side up on a surface and drip some penetrating oil around the bolts every few hours

Then, put the caliper in a vice (padded) and put a breaker bar with that socket to it

[GS650E_81]

So do I need to try and bleed the caliper, or would that be a waste of time? I want to try and get at least one more ride in before winter.

[Nessism]

Picked up another caliper off a G model from a guy in Vegas. Gotta love Ebay!

Mounted the caliper. Installed the brake line with banjo bolt. Filled the reservoir with fresh brake fluid. Put her in neutral and started spinning the wheel with my hand while applying the rear brake. NOTHING.

I understand I need to replace the brake line and rebuild the MC and etc. but the rear brake worked fine before i replaced the Tires, sprockets and chain. So I am not sure what I am doing wrong.

Do I need to bleed the brakes? Because my last caliper was impossible to get the bleed nut loose, everything seem baked on, and this caliper does not look any better..... So I am not sure what to do.

You bought some unknown, and crappy as it turned out, caliper off ebay and just threw it on with the hope that it might be okay? Geeze, if that's the way you approach maintenance you are better off in a fricken CAR, or at least a new bike.

I know this sounds harsh, but I'm saying this for your own good. We don't want you to get killed because your brakes failed.

BTW, of course the caliper needs to be bleed. How is the air going to get out if you don't?

[koolaid_kid]

Ed, please, don't beat around the bush. Say what you really mean.
But I agree completely, I was just trying to be a bit more subtle.
Those are your brakes. Those, and your tires, are all that keep you from meeting your maker prematurely when riding. Don't take chances with either one. Your last ride may indeed be, well, your last ride.

[GS650E_81]

Yeah you are right I think I am better off with a car...

I bought this bike November of last year. ALL I do is work on it. I got screwed and paid 1k for a 30 year old bike because I am 28 and no nothing about motorcycles. My buddy at work had a bike and I thought I needed one to.

Since the purchase of the bike I have replaced:

Gas tank
Head boots
O rings
Carb jets
Fuelcock
Fuel line
Tires F and R
Sprockets
Chain
Caliper
Grips

I have wrenched wayyyyyyyyyy more than ride. So pardon me for wanting something to working one time with no issues.

You love and learn. I guess I am not as passionate as some on this board.

I just want to ride with out doing 60 hours of maintenance first!

[Nessism]

I just want to ride with out doing 60 hours of maintenance first!

That's how it goes when you buy a cheap 30 year old bike.

[koolaid_kid]

Well, as BassCliff is fond of saying, you need to do 20 years of maintenance on a 30 year old bike. Then you ride it and say: I did it myself. I admit it does take a certain warped mindset to keep these babies on the road, but the knowledge that you did the work yourself should count for something. And I suspect you are a far better mechanic than when you first showed up here late last year.

[fast eddie 52]

Pry them open off the rotor and just pull them apart and clean the entire caliper and reassemble it. Take the seals out carefully and clean them. I use my fingernail to gently go around and scrape them clean from any stuck on gunk..then wash them with some hot soapy water and towel dry them. Then use a dremel and the little wire brush and clean the groove the seal goes into. The common problem is that scale builds up around and behind the seals in the grooves. This creates the need for something to be displaced and that would be the seal. This pressure causes the seals to gorilla grip the piston and your at the point you are now. If you simply disassemble it and clean the seals and grooves youll most likely have good brakes again..Its only a hr or so worth of work. Be sure tht you smear a bit of brake fluid on the seals and pistons before you slip them back in.

good advice, tho I would emphasize that you have to really clean the grooves down to bare metal, get all traces of scale(aluminum oxide???) out of the groove and off the square ring...I made a scraper tool out of a ground down wheel spoke that fits well into the groove and makes short work of scraping out the crud. I'd be wary of using the wire wheel with much pressure, you could possibly remove some aluminum in the process and damage the groove...the scraper could do that, too if yer not careful...

[GS650E_81]

That's how it goes when you buy a cheap 30 year old bike.

Good call.

I am just glad I like the bike enough to stick with it. Deep down it is a nice bike I feel.

[GS650E_81]

Well, as BassCliff is fond of saying, you need to do 20 years of maintenance on a 30 year old bike. Then you ride it and say: I did it myself. I admit it does take a certain warped mindset to keep these babies on the road, but the knowledge that you did the work yourself should count for something. And I suspect you are a far better mechanic than when you first showed up here late last year.

I am more experienced I feel. Not sure about better. However, thankfully you guys have been a great help. Which is hard to say in a day and age where everyone wants $$ for information.

[koolaid_kid]

I am more experienced I feel. Not sure about better. However, thankfully you guys have been a great help. Which is hard to say in a day and age where everyone wants $$ for information.

No money, but we do expect a beer when we pass through Cincinnati.

[GS650E_81]

No money, but we do expect a beer when we pass through Cincinnati.

Sure, anytime.