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    #1

    Front brake overhaul

    Hey everyone. So now that I have my charging system operational, I need to tackle my front brakes. The master cylinder is the original from 1980 and its toast. So I need to find a replacement for that. The fluid was gross when I had removed everything. So I plan to overhaul the calipers. I have read the guide on bikecliff's site a couple times. I have a coup!e question that I am Hoping to get some help with.

    1. Does anyone know of a master cylinder I can get on Amazon ? If notg, how about eBay...funds are limited and I have a Amazon card.

    2. My calipers are already off the bike. CanI still get the pistons out?

    3. What about a hydraulic stop switch? Easy enough to install one? I assume the new MC won't have a spot for the electric one.

    Thanks in advance for any help!

    PS. Excuses my typos, I am on my tablet.
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    #2
    The Chinese master cylinders you can buy on eBay (not sure about Amazon) will work fine sometimes but their quality is such that they may not be perfect. I have used four of them over the past couple years and one didn't have the surfaces machined well where the banjo bolt goes and cranking on the crush washers didn't fix the leak i had.... I had to file the thing flat. Other than that the others worked fine. They have a brake light switch with two contacts. Easy to hook up.

    To get the pistons out, you obviously can't do it while they are on the bike. Remove the bleed valve, find a compressor with an air gun with a rubber nozzle and stick it in the hole where the bleed valve was. Best to put a towel in the caliper as the piston will come out violently. I don't know of another way to remove a piston.

    Comment

      #3
      Replace the brake lines too.
      http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...tatesMap-1.jpg

      Life is too short to ride an L.

      Comment

        #4
        3. What about a hydraulic stop switch? Easy enough to install one? I assume the new MC won't have a spot for the electric one.
        actually, cheapo ebay one I bought did have a stop switch- very similar to the OEM on the Honda I used it for...
        but otherwise, the ebay cheapo hydraulic switch will work ok with two cautions:
        -some MCs have finer-threaded banjos than others (example:My round reservoir on the 400TX won't take the ebay Hydr-switch's coarser thread)
        -cosmetically,the wires may come out of the switch in a weird ugly way- but no big deal.

        Comment

          #5
          [QUOTE=GSinNH;2296553 CanI still get the pistons out?.[/QUOTE]

          If you cannot get the Pistons out with an air line find a grease nipple that fits the bleed screw hole and pump them out with a grease gun.
          The big guy up there rides a Suzuki (this I know)
          1981 gs850gx

          1999 RF900
          past bikes. RF900
          TL1000s
          Hayabusa
          gsx 750f x2
          197cc Francis Barnett
          various British nails

          Comment

            #6
            Originally posted by fastbysuzuki View Post
            If you cannot get the Pistons out with an air line find a grease nipple that fits the bleed screw hole and pump them out with a grease gun.
            Never would have thought of that. I'm planning to change the fluid in the rear brake as well even though everything is working fine. I may just hitch the calipers up to that line to pump out the pistons while flushing the old fluid out. I'm going to be working right there anyway.

            I have some front lines off my parts bike that were put on it, then they couldn't get the bike to run so they are nearly new. I should be able to flush some fluid through them and make sure there's no gunk or water in there.
            Last edited by Guest; 05-31-2016, 12:47 PM.

            Comment

              #7
              When using air to remove the pistons from a brake caliper there are 2 tips I can offer that may be useful --
              1) use 2 paint stir sticks to stop the piston from coming all the way out (especially useful when there are 2 pistons or more)
              2) mind where your fingers are at all times. The air can pop those things out with considerable force and it will hurt a bunch !

              Comment

                #8
                I put on my oem 2004 SV650N front MC and it works great! It also retains the mirror mount. Search eBay for one of those. I'd do it again if I had too.

                Where in NH are you? Maybe you could check out mine before buying if youre not convinced.
                1979 GS850G
                2004 SV650N track bike
                2005 TT-R125 pit bike
                LRRS #246 / Northeast Cycles / Woodcraft / Armour Bodies / Hindle Exhaust / Central Mass Powersport

                http://s327.photobucket.com/albums/k443/tas850g/

                Comment

                  #9
                  Originally posted by tas850g View Post
                  I put on my oem 2004 SV650N front MC and it works great! It also retains the mirror mount. Search eBay for one of those. I'd do it again if I had too.

                  Where in NH are you? Maybe you could check out mine before buying if youre not convinced.
                  I'll have to check those out. I'm in Littleton, so a bit of a drive from Jaffrey.

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