My Brakes froze up while riding ??

[84VentureMatt]

hi guys n gals 

havent posted in a long while life things happened hopefully im posting int he right place 

so its been a hot minute since i posted last .... so i picked up an 84 VR with 10thousand on the clock ran great after about 800 miles the brakes seized while riding left front an rear almost caught fire like they were hung up after leaving a light so i managed to safely get off the road an not catch fire ...i removed the front calipers and managed to limp back home ..so since then shes been parked so can the stock calipers be rebuilt or is ther an availability to purchase them ? can i safely disengage the linked brake system ? 

Also is there any kind of replacement shock my rear shock refuses to hold air and i looke d around heard something about progressive shocks but they said discontinued .....

i really wanted to enjoy this bike but it keeps looking like if i cant find some solutions its gonna have to go an i really dont want that 

any help is more than greatly appreciated also sorry for my terrible typing skills was never my forte 

[saddlebum]

1 - You could have air or too much moisture in the system. Both tend to expand with heat and can cause binding. Moisture can build up in brake fluid which is why you want to change it every couple years.

2 - The master and proportioning valve get built up with gunk in them which also plugs any ports and holes in these parts, restricting fluid flow. Easier to replace than repair since they usually end up being badly pitted or cavitated internally.  

[luvmy40]

skydoc_17 sells a delinking kit. New SS hoses and and a manifold for the front.

Edited March 20 by luvmy40

[BlueSky]

The master cylinder has a hole in the reservoir that allows brake fluid to return to the MC when you release the brake.  That hole is not open when you brake, only when you release the brakes.  I would suspect that hole is plugged and that is your problem especially since both the left front and the rear would not release.  

Edited March 21 by BlueSky

[videoarizona]

Agree with BlueSky. Common problem. That teeny hole in the MC will plug up causing the pistons to not release. Both master cylinders need to be checked since the rear seems to be the problem this time. A "E" guitar string is small enough to poke through the hole without damaging it. This usually happens when the brake fluid isn't changed regularly. Gunk gets in there or brake lines get old and start to flake inside the line. Poke the hole. Flush the system. New fluid. Go ride!

[skydoc_17]

Hey Matt,

Sorry to hear about your braking trouble! The rear Master Cylinder is dangerously close to the exhaust manifold for the rear cylinder. If you fill the Master Cylinder to the top, the heat from the engine expands the brake fluid. With the Master Cylinder full, there is no place for the expanded fluid to go except to compress the brake pads. And since the left front and the rear brake caliper BOTH work off of the rear Master Cylinder, it locked up both calipers! Pull the plug off of the Rear Master Cylinder, Insert your index finger to the SECOND NUCKLE, if there is brake fluid on the end of your finger, the Master Cylinder is OVERFILLED!! Lower the level until it just touches the tip of your index finger with the inside of your second nuckle is touching the Master Cylinder. If this Master Cylinder is UNDERFILLED, you will get a light on the dash to inform you. Splash a little fluid in there, BUT do not overfill the Master.

Because of what happened, you may have overheated the brake pads. The issue with this is the friction medium is GLUED to the metal backing plate. Sometimes the heat is too great for the glue, and the friction medium detaches from the backing plates. 

I am a Vendor for EBC braking products, (brake pads, rotors, etc.) And as Richard kindly mentioned, (Thanks for the Props Rich!) I do offer a delink kit which connects BOTH front calipers to the right front brake lever, and connects ONLY the rear caliper to the foot pedal. If I can help you with either of the items, please feel free to contact me. 

If the pads didn't separate, lower the fluid in the Master, and go for a ride!

Good luck with this project Matt,

Earl.