QuestionQUESTION: Got the bike from my son-in-law...his Dad's that was stored for some time. Put in clean fuel, got a new battery and it started right up. Took it out the drive way and all seemed well until it came to a slow down and found the front brakes were frozen...front wheel won't turn even to push it.
How do I free up the brakes?
ANSWER: Take the calipers off, pump the pistons out, remove the seal and clean the oxidation out behind it, and re-assemble followed by a bleeding of the brake circuit. Good luck, Jan
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: DUH...I wasn't thinking before I sent last question. OK, I cleaned up and reinsert the one piston, filled brake fluid, pumped out another, cleaned reinserted, blocked out, etc, etc.
Now I'm ready to reassemble and haven't found a website for proper reassembly. My owner's manual has the adjustment part.
AnswerAssembly is reverse of removal, in the sense that if the oil seal groove is all cleaned up and the dried oxidized junk has all been removed from behind the seal, you are ready to reassemble. First reinstall the seals after inspecting them for integrity; the edges should be perfect, make sure all of the oilways and channels are clean and the pistons do not have any pits or surface damage. When the seals are in place, the pistons should be able to be pushed in by hand. Make sure the bleed nipple is finger-tight and the hole in the center of the nipple is clear all the way through to below the threads in the angled section of the nipple: i.e. when you blow through it, it is clear. Once re-installed on the bike, attach the hydraulic hose and get ready to bleed the system to remove all the air bubbles. Also check the master brake cylinder as I described a few days ago. Good luck, Jan
