Front Brake Caliper

[MotorPlow]

Replaced the Front Pads, Rotor, Brake Fluid and removed the PJ1 Tire Balance Plus out of the front tire.  Now that is done, I seem to have excessive drag on the rotor from the brake pads.  The free play adjustment screw helped a little, but not enough (still won't free spin enven one rotation - wheel bearings are in good shape).  In addition, the bike will slow down, but not have enough brake to stop the bike.

So, my guess is it's time to rebuild the brake caliper.  Any thing special I will need or should know before I start?  I was just going to disassemble, clean with brake fluid and put it back together.

[MotorPlow]

Thanx Lucky,
Rebuilt my brake caliper and all is working as good as an '82 front brake can.? Unfortunately, I had to reuse the piston seals as I did this job on Memorial Day and everything was closed.? They weren't in new condition, but not too bad.? The final result is that the brakes are better than they have been, but still have the '82 Vision spongy brake feel.? So, looking for a deal on braided steel brake lines...

Additional Information on my web site.

Thanx,
Chris F.

[jasonm.]

A deal? Heck, you should be able to get the line and fittings for about $50. It made my '82 excellent. The lever never got near the grip.

[Superfly]

I am using the steel braded brake line also... A must have!!? There is no comparison.? I would say that was one of the best upgrades I made.  I have no problem with the front brake anymore.

[MotorPlow]

Okay, this is all great news.  Now, where did you guys get your braided, steel brake lines?  Are they something you would be able to get from Dennis Kirk or DGY or similar sites?

[h2olawyer]

Chris -

You can get the lines & fittings from Dennis Kirk.  Also, if you have a Harley dealer nearby, they often carry the hoses & banjo fittings.  Because we're talking about metric bikes here, the banjo bolts must be sourced elsewhere.  The banjo fittings will work just fine, however.  The prices at the H-D dealer near me were very close to any I found on the internet.

I bought all my parts from the Harley dealer, an independent cycle parts store (now closed  :'( ) and my local Yamaha dealer.  Found out about the Harley availability after I had already ordered all the other parts.  One double banjo bolt was on backorder so I needed a "T" fitting.  Found it @ H-D, along with all sizes of hose & the correct banjo fittings.  Replaced the "T" after the correct bolt came in - needed it for last fall's CROV rally. 

Russell, Goodridge & Spiegler all make the parts needed for the conversion.  The set-up I put together for the 83 front end on my 82 is Goodridge hoses & Russell fittings.  Wish I could give you the length of hose for the 82, but I've never done one.  Now, I need to replace the upper hose since I've installed the 83 handlebar risers.  The hose I got is now about 2 ~ 3 inches too long.

Basically you need the hose, 2 20 - 35 degree banjo fittings, 2 banjo bolts & 4 crush washers for your 82 system.  Yamaha's brake lines use a narrower banjo fitting than the Russell or Goodridge parts & the holes in the stock banjo bolts don't quite line up with the grooves inside the banjo fittings.  For the 82, figure on about $50 ~ $60.

Since I did both the dual disc & braided line conversions at the same time, I don't know which made the biggest difference.  Needless to say, the brakes are much improved over the original single disc & rubber hose.  Very firm brake lever & 2 finger operation.

Don't forget the SpeedBleeders - if you haven't already done those.  They make the bleeding process much easier.

H2O