My 650's brake calipers as I wrote in a previous posting were basically scrap. But, with a bit of home cooking I manage to salvage them. I bought a brake kit from dave silver with new pins and seals, bleed nipples etc and set about the re-build. No problems - everything went ok. The only thing I had to ponder on was the fact that I had to somehow reverse my intentional vandalism. I confess i had to drill both calipers to get the pins out - as they had welded themselves in. Its not that bad really. Provided the holes are the right size you can get away with it. There isn't any pin "rattle" with mine anyway and the clips do a good job of keeping them snug in the caliper where they belong. Well...that's the case if you don't have a caliper with the inspection plate bolt sheared off inside it. I had not noticed before I started this job - but my calipers were missing the inspection plate/cover. The reason? The small bolt which secures the plate in place had been sheared off...on both of them! That explained why the pins were as stuck as they were. They had been hammered in to keep them from slipping out. The circli that keeps the pins in place was just for show as it actually did nothing. In fact, on one side, the square shaped circlip had been replaced by two small split pins! They weren't actually doing anything mechanical at all! I think they were there to satisfy the MOT inspector or something. So I had to get both holes re-drilled and a new thread cut. Because, without the pressure fit of the guide pins into the caliper to keep them still - the pins can move freely. To stop them you need the square circlip in place - but the clip is only any good if you have the inspection plate in place to keep it from moving! Once the calipers had been drilled and a couple of caliper covers found - I was on the way!
or so I thought!
My stainless hoses were letting in air. I was getting no pressure from the master cylinder, not even when I replaced it with a second master cylinder from a Suzuki that I KNEW worked! Replacing the brake line was the only option left - as I began the job - that's when I noticed a spot of weeping from the line where it goes into the resevoir. I found the old rubber ones from the donor - cleaned them usp as best I could and tried again. This is where I had a cry. Not a weep - but a manly tear - as I discovered that I would have to take the handlebars off. Yes...the chuffing handlebars!!! Mine aren't originals. The rubber brake hose is shorter than its stainless counterpart and as such demands to be closer to the headstock than it has been when the stainless ones were fitted. So now I'm swapping bars and cursing the day the thread sheared on the left caliper. Because that's what started all this in the first place! When the new bars are on, I'll be able to start again and se what happens! I'll keep you posted! By the way - I'm loving every minute of it!!!
), but maybe it is possible to reactivate it again.
