hedden@atux01.UUCP (D. Hedden) (10/23/86)
In article <8800042@uiucdcs>, carey@uiucdcs.cs.uiuc.edu writes: > > > One book I was reading said that you should clean the disks, > sometimes there is a residue left on them from the pads. > ... > I have no idea if this has any basis in reality. > Speaking of brakes, my front brake on my Honda CB550F is > stuck. .. > front brake and we tried lots of things to try and fix it. > I wonder if the problem is "inside" the brakes -- perhaps > some corrosion (rust) on the pistons that close the pads? > (I don't know the correct terminology) > Has anyone else had a similar problem? If so, what was the > solution? If the problem is where I think it might be, can > the brake be dissasembled to that point, cleaned and reassembled? > How difficult is it to do? Or does the brake need to be replaced? > Any help would be greatly appreciated. > Although I am a do-it-yourselfer, I highly recommend leaving repair of such a vital system as brakes to someone who knows what they are doing. This is not to say "take it to the shop", maybe you can find a knowledgeable friend to help and even teach you how to work on brakes. But please consider the consequences of making just a small error. That being said, get yourself a copy of the shop manual for your particular bike (they can be ordered/purchased from the parts counter of your local shop). For most bikes, these are very good with clear directions, diagrams, photos, and info as to special tools needed to perform any task. Well worth the investment. "The moving hand writes ..." Don
donch@tekirl.UUCP (10/27/86)
Something I've been doing for several years is to "exercise" the brake pistons on my front disc brake. My brakes are by Brembo, of the dual piston type. Whenever I remove the pads, I find a suitable tool and fork the pistons back into the brake housing; then I carefully squeeze the brake lever to work them out again. Doing this several times causes a noticeable improvement in the free-movement of the pistons. I began this treatment when I noticed one of the brake pads was wearing much more than the other. On a dual piston (opposing pistons, that is) system, that means only one piston is moving and the disc is being pushed from one side more than the other. So a quick investigation revealed a stuck piston, which freed up using the above-mentioned technique. Mechanics tell me that corrosion is likely in both the master cylinder and brake piston parts where close tolerances are the rule. Water entrained in the brake fluid (which is hygroscopic, hence the source of the water with any significant exposure to the atmosphere or from leaky seals) won't get flushed very efficiently out of the close-tolerance spaces and will collect there and corrode the parts. I switched to a DOT-5 silicone brake fluid to eliminate the hygroscopic fluid, only to find that it doesn't lubricate as well as the old stuff, and I get sluggish return on my master cylinder piston after brake actuation. Oh, well. At least the corrosion should be eliminated. Hope this is helpful. Don Chitwood Tektronix, Inc.