Andy J Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 After having all the seals etc sitting on my workbench since before xmas i decided yesterday it really was time to give my calipers and master cylinder the once over. Well having rebuilt calipers several times over the years i knew what to expect and apart from having a bugger of a job removing the circlip from the master cylinder and one piston having a sulk and not wanting to come out it was a very straightforward job. The big difference this time was having a nice garage to work in with a proper bench,lighting and tools. First time ive used red rubber grease too,it make re assembly very easy. It was so relaxing to be sitting at a proper bench with all the tools to hand or in drawers with the radio playing. I almost felt like a real mechanic! Even when it started to rain with thunder and lightning i could just carry on and watch the rain from the warm and dry. It was also the first time i had used a Mityvac to bleed brakes. Wow! I couldnt believe how easy it was. What used to take hours of pumping by hand took me just 15mins and then a few mins on each bleed nipple the old fashioned way to get the lever firm. Due to the monsoon outside i couldnt take out the for a test yesterday so this morn i was out just for a few miles to do a roadtest. Its amazing how much difference it makes to the brakes. Now as my slabby is 23yrs old i dont expect the brakes to be up to modern standards but at least i know now that they are as good as they can be. Its very satisfying to do a job like that rather than pay a bikeshop to do it for you and it only took me a couple of hours. All i need to do now is get the bodywork back on and ride the bloody thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxerthou Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 Does the Mityvac pull the fluid through from top to bottom or push it from bottom to top? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastfreddybikes Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 red rubber grease, no theres a thing. have some on my work bench shelf but by the time I have pissed around cleaning up my brakes have lost the will to put any on. I am in awe of someone with enough patience to do the job right. nice one fella Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Pigdog Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 Good onya!!also reassuring to know you've been thorough with them I had a bike in the other day that the customer was complaining of a brake fluid leak from the calipers(he had just had them rebuilt at a dealers)i stripped them down and found they had used the wrong seals AND replaced the o-rings that seal the caliper halves with plastic fairing washers nice!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
originalracingsnake Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 stripped them down and found they had used the wrong seals AND replaced the o-rings that seal the caliper halves with plastic fairing washers nice!!! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! People always cringe when I tell them I do my own work on the brakes, but that information above tells me I am doing the right thing. Bloody hell. So, what is the grease used for, and where does it go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy J Posted June 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 So, what is the grease used for, and where does it go? Its a grease thats specifically made for use on rubber seals and it wont cause the seals to swell and distort. I used it to lube the brake seals and also put some on the pistons themselves. Once the pistons are square in the bore they slide in sooooo easy. It also cuts down on friction between the seal and the caliper when in use. I got a tub from Ebay for about £5 i think. It will last me forever! I just used what little was stuck to the inside of the lid. It is satisflying to squirt away with brake cleaner and see all the crap coming off. I laid a old towel on the bench and it was black by the end of doing all 4 caliper halves. (so were my hands and tee shirt!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy J Posted June 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 Pulls from top to bottom. Good bit of kit but you do need to bleed off any small bubbles the old fashioned way if you want the best feel at the lever. +1 just pump the lever a few times to build up a vacuum then crack the bleed nipple. Do this a few times then bleed in the normal way just to get the last bubbles out. Last time i bled a dry system it took hours to get anywhere and its always put me off doing complete overhauls. Now with a Mityvac it takes less than half an hour from a dry system to fully bled brakes. Brilliant piece of kit and a must for anyone who likes to do their own maintenance. I should have got one years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammerw Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 i just use a syringe,maybe not as quick but only cost 50p from the local vets....did get some funny looks mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxerthou Posted June 16, 2009 Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 +1 just pump the lever a few times to build up a vacuum then crack the bleed nipple. Do this a few times then bleed in the normal way just to get the last bubbles out. Last time i bled a dry system it took hours to get anywhere and its always put me off doing complete overhauls. Now with a Mityvac it takes less than half an hour from a dry system to fully bled brakes. Brilliant piece of kit and a must for anyone who likes to do their own maintenance. I should have got one years ago. think I'll be investing in one of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy J Posted June 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2009 i just use a syringe,maybe not as quick but only cost 50p from the local vets....did get some funny looks mind. I have tried a large 50ml syringe before but its nowhere near as effective as a Mityvac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ascalon Posted June 17, 2009 Report Share Posted June 17, 2009 After rebuilding the brakes on four old ZZR/ZX-Rs, and with the prospect looming again with my 750J1, I can attest to the near miracle qualities of red rubber grease! No rebuild should ever take place without the stuff. I bought one tub for ten yoyos and still have 90% of it! Also, before the winter really sets in, clean the callipers, grease the exposed piston areas, shove them home and then mount them all up again and see the difference it makes come spring. Give them a good clean and do the job again, 100% brake performance again with no horrible sticking. Wonder stuff! A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rc30sp1 Posted June 18, 2009 Report Share Posted June 18, 2009 my brakes seem to be binding on my sp1, even after iv cleaned my calipers, replaced the seals ,and fitted new pads. when you lift the front of the bike and spin the wheel it might only turn once. any help greatly appreciated. many cheers stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorenzo Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 Another big plus with the mityvac is that you can do much bigger things than you ever could with a syringe, back brakes on a car for example, where you'd have to keep on taking the syringe off. The final mityvac bonus is that when your fuckwit nextdoor neighbour runs it over, and squishes the bottle part completely, you can buy them on their own and get it working again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RealityRSV Posted June 19, 2009 Report Share Posted June 19, 2009 my brakes seem to be binding on my sp1, even after iv cleaned my calipers, replaced the seals ,and fitted new pads. when you lift the front of the bike and spin the wheel it might only turn once. any help greatly appreciated. many cheers stephen you've not mentioned using rubber grease on them, it really does make a big difference preventing pistons from sticking. does the wheel turn ok when the calipers are removed? if so also check disks are within service thickness and are not warped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cibbersicks Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 you've not mentioned using rubber grease on them, it really does make a big difference preventing pistons from sticking. does the wheel turn ok when the calipers are removed? if so also check disks are within service thickness and are not warped. See RC30SP1, i told ya so in your other thread!! Thats also a very good point which i overlooked, if the discs are slightly warped, the wheel will turn then stop fairly abruptly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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