car377@drutx.UUCP (RogersCA) (10/22/86)
> Speaking of brakes, my front brake on my Honda CB550F is > stuck. .... > 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. > > -John Carey Is the brake operated from the handlebar lever, or from the brake pedal? Is there a proportioning valve in the brake line? (My Yamaha has dual discs on the front wheel, with one operated by the pedal through a proportioning valve, and the other by the handlebar lever). Is the brake continuously stuck? Is it stuck hard enough that the bike won't move, or does it just drag? If the brake is stuck hard, just getting the caliper off the rotor should be fun. You can find out if the piston is stuck by "bleeding" the hydraulic fluid for a second or two (assuming your brakes are hydraulic). Make sure the fluid reservoir is full, then crack open the bleeder nipple on the caliper until fluid comes out (this is messy unless you put a tube over the nipple to catch the fluid. Releasing a small amount of fluid will relieve any hydraulic pressure on the piston. If the brakes are still stuck, then mechanical interference is probably the problem. This might be due to any number of causes, e.g., contamination due to failed seals, corrosion, or jammed O-rings. (If you try this procedure, be careful not to get any fluid on the rotor or pad faces, keep enough fluid in the reservoir so that no air is pulled into the line, and be sure to top off the reservoir before replacing the cover.) If you don't have a fair mechanical background, attempting to repair this could be a risky business. At some point in the rebuild, you have to decide whether the cylinder needs honing and whether or not the amount of wear present is sufficient to warrant replacement of the caliper. If your repair fails on the road, you lose 70% of your stopping power. I watched my neighbor try to rebuild his own front wheel brake caliper. The piston was stuck, and he figured he could free it by banging on it with a ball peen hammer. He didn't free the piston, but he did turn the caliper into an interesting metallic object d'art with absolutely no circular shapes. Sounds like this might be one for a reputable shop to fix. Chuck Rogers @ ATT-ISL, Denver