Author Topic: Caliper seizure? (Read 6041 times)

BanditDan · « **on:** April 23, 2005, 03:44:57 PM »

Are the 600 bandit calipers prone to seizing?

I`ve had my Bandit a few days and noticed the front calipers are not letting go fully, taking out the garage is hard work! The calipers retract when prized with a screwdriver no problem but as soon as i squeeze the brake they dont retract again.

Luckily i have some history, receipts etc and it appears that the calipers have been de-seized nearly every 6 months!

What do you experts recommend?

Get them freed or try and locate a new set?

Or is this something else? Master cylinder perhaps?

Red01 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2005, 04:01:09 PM »

First, I'd try cleaning them up. Rebuild them if necessary.

ray nielsen · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2005, 11:13:09 PM »

Don't neglect the master cylinder -- it may have some dirt in it that blocks the return of fluid from the caliper when the brakes are released.

It doesn't take much dirt to block the small passages in the master cylinder. Disassembly and cleanitng usually require a rebuild kit with new rubber components.

00Bandit Rider · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2005, 11:27:41 AM »

Ray & Paul are right. Also can be heat pump up from trash in the master cyl: I have had several ocurrances over the years car & bike. The culprit is usually a bunch of particles that look like sugar- not a chemist it is not from outside the system, prolly a precipatate(sp) from water in the fluid or maybe just age.
U got to disassemble & scrub out everything with a tooth brush & get new
fluid , one little piece in the master cyl vent/fill port will do it all over again.

B12Teuton · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2005, 11:47:28 AM »

Back when I was working at the bike shop, we got a lot of calls from people who wanted to take an old bike out of a shed and get it running again. Many of them had stuck calipers, some to the point of the wheel not turning at all. I always had a rubber mallet in the truck because a whack on the side of the caliper almost always freed it up. I have no idea why this works, but it does.
Obviously not the final solution, but very handy if it's stuck and you can't move the bike or remove the caliper.

tacoman · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2005, 01:33:49 PM »

Has this bike been sitting outside? You probably have gotten condensation in the brake fluid and its causing corrosion on the caliper piston. Flush the system. I've gotten by with past bikes by working the piston back and forth and shooting a little WD40 on it until it worked smooth. Just make sure you clean things up before reassembly so you dont get junk on the pads.

BanditDan · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2005, 04:52:40 PM »

Thanks for all the suggestions guys....i`ll try them. I can move the piston by hand even when mounted but it just doesn`t want to do it by itself, it is not bad enough to effect riding so i`m wondering if it frees of when the calipers heat up?

chevsuz12 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2005, 05:13:19 PM »

And..........you could always look on ebay for used ones! I found a set of six piston calipers from a 2001 gsxr 1000 for $25.00!!! They worked perfectly!!

Red01 · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2005, 07:10:53 PM »

Quote from: "BanditDan"

I can move the piston by hand even when mounted but it just doesn`t want to do it by itself, it is not bad enough to effect riding

FYI - There is nothing in a motorcycle/automotive disc brake system that pulls the pistons/pads away from the discs. Light contact with the disc is completely normal.

Steve · « **Reply #9 on:** April 26, 2005, 12:05:17 AM »

Yeah Paul, I thought of posting that too, but he says that getting it out of the garage is hard work.

BD, Is the rotor discolored? I had the caliper hang on my Buell and there was no doubt, the brake got hot enough to rainbow the rotor.

You could also try taking a short ride and use only the rear brake, then stop and check to see if you front rotor burns hell out of your hand. If the brakes are binding and dragging the rotor will be HOT (like, ouch - dammit - hot hot - ouch dammit Steve).

If either condition exists you are back to getting it repaired ASAP. If they are binding, and if you have moisture in the system, you could get things hot enough to vaporize the moisture which would increase the pressure in your brake lines and clamp the front up completely. You see folks post about bad handling, ya aint seen nothing till that wheel stops turning unexpectedly!

Steve

BanditDan · « **Reply #10 on:** June 11, 2005, 07:14:24 AM »

Followed the advice guys and drained the system and removed the calipers, i found one of the right hand side pistons stuck. I freed off and put all back withe new dot 4 and it worked great. Only used about once a week since and the bloody thing is stuck again! Considering the previous only had this calipers freed every 6 months i`ve decided to get a new set. Other than standard ones is there any other bike/model that would do the trick?

Cheers

PeteSC · « **Reply #11 on:** June 11, 2005, 08:06:20 AM »

Dan, I'm just throwing this question out for the experts...
Can you get caliper rebuild kits, and is that an option?

Bob Holland · « **Reply #12 on:** June 11, 2005, 11:20:21 AM »

Air in the brake line can cause the pads to stay in contact with the rotor. When you apply the brake, the air compresses and when tou release the brake, the compressed air holds pressure on the brake cylinder causing the pads to rub the rotor. Try bleeding your brakes.

Red01 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 13, 2005, 12:19:49 AM »

Don't know about a rebuild kit per se, but 59300-33830 is the part number for the piston set with O-rings & dust seals (per caliper) and 59300-33840 is the part number for just the O-rings & dust seals (also per caliper) - the bad news is these parts are listed as discontinued in the US - as are the part numbers for the whole calipers. OTOH, since the B6 is more popular and still sold in 650 form in the UK, these parts may still be available there.

Red01 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 13, 2005, 12:23:12 AM »

Quote from: "BHolland"

Air in the brake line can cause the pads to stay in contact with the rotor. When you apply the brake, the air compresses and when tou release the brake, the compressed air holds pressure on the brake cylinder causing the pads to rub the rotor. Try bleeding your brakes.

I've never heard this before. Can you explain how the air stays compressed when the lever is released. I'm failing to understand the physics of how this is possible.