Re: Cleaning and Bleeding Brakes

[usnavyvet72]

i have a 2000 Royal Star Venture, and it was in the shop to get the rear air shock replaced 'which i found a great low mileage one for 150.00, and a new rear rotor put on..first issue i notice when riding home was it felt there was a drag...so i pulled over and rear rotor was SUPER HOT to the touch....pistons looked extended and not floating back , so i let it cool down and proceeded a short distance home and returned bike back to the shop...he suggested there was crud in master cylinder...so i got lucky and dealer has a rebuild kit in stock, so i ran and got it and the shop my bike was in rebuilt and pneumatical bled the rear system....he said the was gunk in the Cylinder and seems ok....i rode it home and for a little bit it seemed ok...so i took it for a ride and whammy caliper was sticking / causing heat and drag again....so should i be safe to bet, after i looked under dust cover and discovered the slide pins and contact pints for pads were dry / no lube!! and the pistons look a bit dirty....shall i emery cloth the pistons when i extend them and give caliper bad area a good brake cleaning , lightly sand pad contact areas as well and apply a little lube to contact pints and slide pins???? is that safe to say??? i leave for surges on saturday....and rather not have this issue on the road.....btw....the dealer doesn't stock the caliper service kit.....so this i feel is the choice to do to see if that does the trick.......and help on this would be appreciate ...thanks in advance....

[Freebird]

I moved this to the second gen tech talk forum for you.

[gggGary]

A full Caliper R&R is the safest bet, but get out the C-clamp and retract, pump out, the pistons a few times in addition to what you listed. If they are moving smooth and easy you probably have it. Haven't been in the rear on this bike yet but often a BIT of brake fluid on a q-tip wiping around the piston when it's extended helps ensure the seals aren't dry. Gunk (a mix of brake fluid, pad dust, and moisture) always builds up in the grove behind the piston seal over time, the full monte is the only real cure.

[gggGary]

No to "emory cloth" on the pistons" if the caliper is torn down I will sometimes hit them LIGHTLY with 1000 or 1500 grit. or a quick spiff up on the buffing wheel. Generally no parts are needed for a caliper R&R.... considering the sticking and general condition you report, a tear down, clean up would be advisable, especially before a long trip into the hinterlands.

[Flyinfool]

Do 2nd gens have the same rear brake issues as 1st gens where if the brake fluid in the master is overfilled there is no room for expansion which causes the rear to tighten up as heat builds?

 

The easy test for this is when you feel the drag, stop and crack the bleeder to relieve the pressure. If brakes return to normal then it is not a sticking piston but an over filled rear master.

[Marcarl]

A good cleaning of the master is in order. Gunk will get into the return hole and block fluid from coming back from the caliper. I would disassemble both the master and the caliper, clean and then re-install. No sandpaper needed or wanted, use only products designed for brakes. Don't use any lube on the pins or slide areas, lube will attract dust and gravel and will cause things to bind.

[gggGary]

Do 2nd gens have the same rear brake issues as 1st gens where if the brake fluid in the master is overfilled there is no room for expansion which causes the rear to tighten up as heat builds?

 

The easy test for this is when you feel the drag, stop and crack the bleeder to relieve the pressure. If brakes return to normal then it is not a sticking piston but an over filled rear master.

 

Or as marcarl sez a blocked MC equalizing port. just had that issue with the clutch master cylinder on my 99

 

Download the RSV service manual if you haven't, it has full brake rebuild info.

[usnavyvet72]

ahhh sorry....thx

[djh3]

I use brake Kleen and a tooth brush around the pistons when changing pads. You dont want to nick up the pistons as they may not seal right. Just looked up a listing on e-bay for another fellow for a seal kit and it was like $27.

[Trader]

Wasn't there a issue that if the master was too full, when the fluid heated up it would expand and press the cyl.???

I could be barking up the wrong tree but my leaky memory seems to have an inkling about something like that:think::think:

[Marcarl]

Wasn't there a issue that if the master was too full, when the fluid heated up it would expand and press the cyl.???

I could be barking up the wrong tree but my leaky memory seems to have an inkling about something like that:think::think:

In reality that should not be an issue, seeing as the rear reservoir has a bellows in it that take up almost half the resevoir, but if for some reason the bellows has a hole in it, then it can fill with fluid and present that problem.

[bongobobny]

Steve and Carl, the reservoir for a 2nd gen is different than 1st gen, but yes the rubber "bellows" does take up some of the slack. On the 2nd gen you can see the level through a sight glass type affair, and Yes, ANY master can be overfilled causing expansion with heat and locking up brakes..