Brake Problems

Hey everyone. I have used this site for quite a while now to find answers to a lot of the questions I have. I figured it was probably time to become a member. You guys seem to really know what you're talking about, and I really appreciate these forums as a resource.
Anyway...
I have an '82 KZ550 that did something weird today. I was riding around in the city and it started to feel like I was putting on the brakes when I wasn't. They weren't locking up, but they were definitely slowing it down. I started to head home and on my way it snapped out of it. But after that the brake lever felt very spongy and I was able to pull it back further than it went before. After reading some of the forums, I'm going to drain and replace the brake fluid tomorrow, and see what happens. It's been storming like mad here in KC, and today was a hot one, so I'm thinking some moisture got in there and expanded. In the other forums I read, the person fixed it immediately after they locked up. I'm wondering, since I rode it through the problems instead of immediately stopping and fixing it, if there is anything else that I should now check that I may have screwed up. Thanks guys.

Pull apart the caliper and check the bore and piston carefully, if ok clean and install new seals. Make sure where it bolts to the fork leg that the sliders are free/ lube with water proof grease or SilGlide. I recommend the same for your master, as with age the seals will be fubar.

tim80 wrote:

...'82 KZ550...started to feel like I was putting on the brakes when I wasn't. They weren't locking up, but they were definitely slowing it down. I started to head home and on my way it snapped out of it. But after that the brake lever felt very spongy and I was able to pull it back further than it went before. After reading some of the forums, I'm going to drain and replace the brake fluid tomorrow, and see what happens....

I'm going to drain and replace the brake fluid tomorrow, and see what happens.

If there's no apparent leak in the brake system ---

Instead of draining and refilling, which requires sometimes troublesome bleeding efforts, might try a routine flush, which re-news the fluid without introducing any air into the system.

During the flush process, it's important to always keep enough fluid in the master cylinder to cover the holes at bottom of the reservoir so air won't be sucked into the bore. Observe the fluid level inside the reservoir constantly during the flushing process.

---

Remove the reservoir cap.

Soak or suck out some old fluid down to almost exposing the holes.

Add new fluid.

Begin the typical "bleeding" process, pushing old fluid out the bleeder.

When the reservoir level gets low again, add more new fluid, and resume bleeding.

Repeat this procedure, adding new fluid and bleeding, until new fluid emerges from the bleeder.

At this point, all old fluid in the system has been replaced with new fluid.

Repeat for the other front caliper.

On models equipped with a rear disc brake, repeat from beginning for the rear brake system.

Good Fortune!

Awesome! Thanks for the quick replies fellas!

Motor Head wrote:

Make sure where it bolts to the fork leg that the sliders are free/ lube with water proof grease or SilGlide.

I would use a loc tite on the caliper to forkleg bolts instead of a grease. Trianglelaguna had the bolts fall out and the caliper was hanging on the disk. Scared the shit out of him when that happened. That is a recipe for disaster IMO

On a brake related note.... If the age of the rear brake shoes cannot be identified, replace them. The glue that binds the lining to the shoe can fail over time. When it does, the lining comes off the shoe and gets jammed between the shoe & drum, locking the rear wheel. It happened to me.

The grease is for the SLIDER NOT THE THREADS

Kawickrice wrote:

Motor Head wrote:

Make sure where it bolts to the fork leg that the sliders are free/ lube with water proof grease or SilGlide.

I would use a loc tite on the caliper to forkleg bolts instead of a grease. Trianglelaguna had the bolts fall out and the caliper was hanging on the disk. Scared the shit out of him when that happened. That is a recipe for disaster IMO

clean up the slider part of the bolts ,these are not the caliper mounting bolts they are usually painted black and run through caliper body