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My first day of wrenching at home (and not at the remote garage like usual) went great for the first bit and kind of went to shite at the end. In the 6 hours or so I worked on my bike I got the wheels off, brought them to the shop, and got new tires. I mounted the front wheel again but in the process I locked the front brake somehow. gently caress. The front wheel is on fine now, but the brake needs to be unlocked (Drained? Am I missing something obvious?. I then got my rear wheel half on, got it stuck half mounted, and now can't finish mounting it or take it off. Double gently caress. I really don't know what to do now. I'm pretty frustrated, so I knocked off for the night. I could use some help, what's my best course of action?  The brake, cylinder pushed out so I can't mount it to the disk.  The wheel/disk configuration with no front brake mounted.  Rear wheel, right side it's all caught up on something.  Rear wheel left side. I've tried taking the shocks on and off, it doesn't seem to unstick the wheel any better. I can't get the wheel lined up to put the pin through.  Rear left again. The assembly that gets bolted to the wheel seems off somehow. I want to remove the wheel tomorrow (somehow) and take it apart to see what the hell went wrong. I guess this seems like a good primer of wrenching on motorcycles: I get a decent amount done; but in the end my bike is more apart than it was to begin with. 
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Jun 21, 2012 04:04
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| # ? May 16, 2024 16:41 |
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I don't know what you have going on in the back but it's likely just a misplaced spacer or something not together right. The front caliper piston can be pushed back in with a c-clamp and a piece of wood or a brake piston tool, which is essentially the same thing. Good luck.
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Jun 21, 2012 04:17
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So I was riding my motorcycle to work. And this guy in a harley flashed an upside down V sign at me. Am I officially in a gang now?
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Jun 21, 2012 04:36
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dogpower posted:So I was riding my motorcycle to work. And this guy in a harley flashed an upside down V sign at me. Am I officially in a gang now? Only the coolest gang on the planet  (wave back next time)
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Jun 21, 2012 04:39
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Boru posted:Rear left again. The assembly that gets bolted to the wheel seems off somehow. I want to remove the wheel tomorrow (somehow) and take it apart to see what the hell went wrong.
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Jun 21, 2012 05:04
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kenny powerzzz posted:The front caliper piston can be pushed back in with a c-clamp and a piece of wood or a brake piston tool, which is essentially the same thing. Good luck.
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Jun 21, 2012 05:22
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`Nemesis posted:Only the coolest gang on the planet I like to throw the horns or a shaka brah depending on how I'm feeling.
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Jun 21, 2012 05:46
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Personally, I do the Ocelot hands. 
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Jun 21, 2012 05:52
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CombatMedic posted:No answer in the bike gear thread so I'll ask here: How about a cement block under the kickstand?
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Jun 21, 2012 06:53
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My F4i radiator started leaking because the horn has been rubbing on the front of it when the bike is at full lock :grr: I don't really read any other motorcycle forums, where's the best place to find a used F4i radiator?
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Jun 21, 2012 06:54
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I prefer semaphore, none of this hand bullshit. CombatMedic posted:No answer in the bike gear thread so I'll ask here: Given the size and weight of those things and that apparently the exhaust may get in the way, I'd use an Abba stand, which handily will permit front or rear wheel removal and is easy to use by yourself. http://www.abbastands.co.uk/ If the Superbike stand fits the Vrod, that's what I'd use as you can pretty much do anything on the bike with one fitted.
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Jun 21, 2012 07:01
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n8r posted:How about a cement block under the kickstand? This. Just don't go on and do the same thing to work on your car.
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Jun 21, 2012 07:28
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^^^^ Might scratch the paint.  You may not have realised this, but scratching the paint under the frame is worth 200 demerits, recorded on the demeritometer (this is usually inset into the speedometer). If the demeritometer reaches four-figures the bike will spontaneously oxidize and crumble into a heap of rust. Your HOG membership will also be automatically revoked! 
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Jun 21, 2012 08:08
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Yes, the almighty kickstand underside which needs to be kept debris free forever otherwise the resell value will tank like the valdez.
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Jun 21, 2012 08:12
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KARMA! posted:Yes, the almighty kickstand underside which needs to be kept debris free forever otherwise the resell value will tank like the valdez. Yes young jedi, you begin to understand the mysteries of Milwaukee! Already you have understood why the exhaust should remain free from the dreaded blue, now you understand the importance of responsible kickstand use. One day, who knows, you may be ready for your very own Ford F150 Harley Davidson Edition!
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Jun 21, 2012 08:18
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aventari posted:Where's the best place to find a used F4i radiator? The radiator you've already got and a good radiator repair shop.
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Jun 21, 2012 11:55
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Make sure the brake drum is all the way into the wheel like it's supposed to be. And it looks like that's a shaft drive? If so, what's probably keeping the wheel from going all the way on is that the splines on the final drive aren't engaged with the wheel properly. Put the transmission in gear and then rotate the wheel back and forth while installing it, this should get the splines mated properly. But first, if you haven't done it already, get that wheel back off and clean and lube the splines on the wheel and the final drive. This is often missed by previous owners and damages those drivetrain teeth. Alright I'll give it a try. Is there a particular grease I should use on the splines?
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Jun 21, 2012 12:09
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CombatMedic posted:No answer in the bike gear thread so I'll ask here: http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-stand-wheel-chock-97841.html or if you have a place to permanently bolt something down these are cheaper http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-chock-97145.html http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-chock-96349.html
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Jun 21, 2012 13:12
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STILL trying to get my f'n rear wheel back on. I had to take the entire final drive out to remove it this time. I'm ready to remount it, but I'm concerned about this: In the lower part of the circle, what's that piece of plastic?   Here's the drum laying on the wheel, with the plastic bit standing up. Is it just a spacer? Should I just leave it where the drum meets the wheel? Oh and the front brake is still frozen out. I cranked a c-clamp on it (with a cardboard spacer) until my arm gave out and it went down by like 1mm. I seriously feel like a loser because everyone says this is like a hour job, and I've managed to stretch it through both of my days off. 
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Jun 21, 2012 15:50
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Uh. That's one of your brake linings. Time for a new pair of shoes, buddy.
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Jun 21, 2012 16:07
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Saga posted:Yes young jedi, you begin to understand the mysteries of Milwaukee! Already you have understood why the exhaust should remain free from the dreaded blue, now you understand the importance of responsible kickstand use. One day, who knows, you may be ready for your very own Ford F150 Harley Davidson Edition! Sarcasm aside, what causes blue on the exhaust, and what can be done to remove it?
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Jun 21, 2012 16:18
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Boru posted:Oh and the front brake is still frozen out. I cranked a c-clamp on it (with a cardboard spacer) until my arm gave out and it went down by like 1mm. I seriously feel like a loser because everyone says this is like a hour job, and I've managed to stretch it through both of my days off. I'm not sure I understand what's going on with your front, but if you haven't already try this: 1. Clean the whole caliper and especially the exposed part of the piston with a toothbrush and warm soapy water, just so you don't maybe make things worse than they already are when you try to push the piston back. 2. If you couldn't push it back with a c-clamp, I don't know what's going on, but if you haven't already, you could at least try flushing the brake fluid. At some point while you're bleeding, you can push the piston back while you have the bleeder valve open. It should go back really easily with just your fingers if the valve is open. Of course, you'll have a hose connected to some sort of waste bottle or vacuum pump or whatnot on the valve when you open it. I'd read the procedure in your service manual / watch some youtubes to get the general idea of how to bleed and what not to do.
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Jun 21, 2012 16:33
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Boru posted:STILL trying to get my f'n rear wheel back on. I had to take the entire final drive out to remove it this time. I'm ready to remount it, but I'm concerned about this: Like Splizwarf said, that's one of the linings. Riding with your half your brake's friction material gone and the shoes asymmetrical is a Very Bad Thing so it's a good thing you caught it. Luckily, new shoes are only going to be like 50 bucks. I hope you're using a respirator while you do this, because brake linings used to have a significant asbestos component and the dust inside is just chock full of that stuff. Mesothelioma is a nasty cancer. Also, might want to check out the condition of the drum surface, given that you've had that lining rattling around inside for however long, and if the brakes were applied like that you'd probably just be smashing the shoes into the drums themselves. Look for scoring, scratches, rust.
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Jun 21, 2012 16:42
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Sagebrush posted:Like Splizwarf said, that's one of the linings. Riding with your half your brake's friction material gone and the shoes asymmetrical is a Very Bad Thing so it's a good thing you caught it. Luckily, new shoes are only going to be like 50 bucks. I hope you're using a respirator while you do this, because brake linings used to have a significant asbestos component and the dust inside is just chock full of that stuff. Mesothelioma is a nasty cancer. Cool, thanks guys. Yikes, wish I knew about the asbestos earlier!
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Jun 21, 2012 17:02
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frunksock posted:2. If you couldn't push it back with a c-clamp, I don't know what's going on The most likely reason is that the piston's been pushed out so far that it's either off or half off of the seal (not the dust boot but the square-section inner O-ring seal) and he's fighting that now. It really looks like it's pushed too far out in the photo but I'm new to bikes so maybe that's still okay? Boru, did you squeeze the brake lever at all during or after disassembly?
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Jun 21, 2012 17:17
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Splizwarf posted:The most likely reason is that the piston's been pushed out so far that it's either off or half off of the seal (not the dust boot but the square-section inner O-ring seal) and he's fighting that now. Yeah I steadied the bike at one point and hit the front brake lever. I'm figuring that's what did it, but I'm unclear on the mechanics of *why* it did it. Bah. At this rate I'm going to have to order up some new brakes for the rear, and I'm kind of steamed about the whole bike situation in general; I guess I'm going to have a nice tarp-covered lawn ornament for awhile.  I guess it's what I get for buying a running $650 bike and actually expecting to ride it within a week.
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Jun 21, 2012 17:30
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Boru posted:I guess it's what I get for buying a running $650 bike and actually expecting to ride it within a week. Hey, it's not so bad. I bought a non-running bike for $600, and with zero motorcycle experience, it only took me about 3 months to get it cleaned up and refurbished enough to pass a modern safety inspection. And that's including a whole new paint job and a LOT of de-rusting. New brake friction material (pads, shoes) are something you should consider doing anyway on any older bike. 50 bucks for new, more effective, asbestos-free highly critical safety parts? No brainer.
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Jun 21, 2012 18:15
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Znyp posted:Going to look at a 2010 Suzuki GSX 600 F next week for my first bike. Just came back after bringing this beauty home, it's a great ride and I think I'll be very happy with it. Thanks all for answering my questions! 
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Jun 21, 2012 18:25
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Sagebrush posted:Hey, it's not so bad. I bought a non-running bike for $600, and with zero motorcycle experience, it only took me about 3 months to get it cleaned up and refurbished enough to pass a modern safety inspection. And that's including a whole new paint job and a LOT of de-rusting. How much of a pain-in-the-rear end are brakes? I REALLY don't want to gently caress that up as it's my rear end (and every other body part, really) on the line if I mess up installation.
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Jun 21, 2012 19:58
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Brakes are easy-- several bolts and a few clips and you're golden. If you've never done it before, I'd recommend having a friend show you since everyone knows how to change brakes and once you see it done you'll have a full understanding of it.
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Jun 21, 2012 20:05
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Boru posted:Yeah I steadied the bike at one point and hit the front brake lever. I'm figuring that's what did it, but I'm unclear on the mechanics of *why* it did it. Chalk it up to a learning experience.  The more embarrassing a mistake is, the less likely you are to make it again!Here's why it did it:  Looking at this diagram, you see the bit marked "O-ring"? That is usually either a square ring (with 90-degree corners) or a quad ring with exaggerated bump corners like this:  It's slightly flexible. When the piston is pushed outward, the seal tries to go with it, flexing outward, and when the pressure of the brake lever is gone, the seal returns to its resting shape and thus retracts the piston just slightly so your brakes don't drag. As the brake pads wear down, your piston travels ever so slightly further outward than it comes back (ie slipping outward a tiny bit against the seal every time), until your pads are changed, it's pushed all the way back in, and it starts again. If the piston moves out too far (and I bet this is what happened to you), it will pop free of the O-ring seal, sometimes only part of the way. If it's cockeyed at all (at any angle other than the piston bore), it's definitely popped partway free. Because the seal has corners, it's a bit of a bastard to get the piston in there with a fresh seal on the bench; trying to do it blind (as in, with the dust boot on) on an old seal is probably going to be very difficult. I would not trust the seal at all after blind-fitting (jamming) it: as with most flexible seals, it's easy to damage by forcing a metal edge (corner) past it. The easy way to put back the piston on a rebuild is to freeze the piston first.  A couple of tips related to this: 1) Because the brake system is closed, low fluid can only ever mean two things: a leak, or worn pads. After a couple pad changes you'll probably know just by checking the sight glass when it's time to replace the pads. 2) Safety third: if your fingers are in between the pads and someone squeezes the brake, you're gonna get hurt, maybe really badly. The piston will move, hard and fast, until 3) If the dust boot around the piston is wet, the seal is leaking. If the paint on the inside of your front rim has weird acid-looking damage, it's probably from a dripping leaky seal. It's easy to check by rubbing your finger on the rubber of the bottom of the boot and seeing if your finger comes away wet with oil (because fluids usually move downward from the source). Wash your hands if you can, brake fluid's nasty. For obvious reasons, don't ride on a leaking piston seal. Splizwarf fucked around with this message at 21:24 on Jun 21, 2012 |
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Jun 21, 2012 20:19
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Splizwarf posted:Front brake  That was actually remarkably helpful! I assume the parts to rebuild the caliper are roughly the same amount for the rear drum? Like $50?
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Jun 21, 2012 21:21
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Here's the fiche for an '81 CX500C front brake (from here): If you do need to replace the dust boot and the O-ring, they're #11 (Boot, Piston - $18.80) and #2 (Seal, Piston - $8.71) respectively. If I recall correctly, CA doesn't like BikeBandit? That was just the first fiche I found. That's not a rebuild kit, it's all the parts of the whole caliper. If anyone sells a packaged "rebuild kit", it will probably just be all the rubber parts (#11, #2, #17) and maybe a new bleeder screw, and probably won't come with pads. If the boot's not damaged and doesn't look too crispy, and if the seal's not all stiff and brittle, you should be able to carefully remove the boot and carefully re-insert the piston. On the other hand, even if you don't need it now, having a rebuild kit on hand will save you 2 weeks of mail-order can't-ride time down the road one day. v vSanity check: the bleeder screw (#4 in the fiche) is getting opened before you fight with the piston, right?
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Jun 21, 2012 21:45
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BB is fine unless you need the parts in a reasonable amount of time.
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Jun 21, 2012 23:25
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I've had really fast experience with bike bandit... doesn't mean everyone will but I ordered a carb boot for my DRZ and it came super fast and didn't cost a million dollars. That along with their fiche catalog makes me love going to them for OEM stuff over dealers.
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Jun 21, 2012 23:27
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BB is fine but I prefer CheapCycleParts. Last time they shipped out of Louisville so I got my stuff in 5 days. (4 of it was processing) Also they tend to be cheaper than BB by either a lot or at least a dollar on most parts. Not much but it adds up.
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Jun 22, 2012 00:00
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I've ordered from Bikebandit once. It took a few days for one of the parts to get in stock, but once it shipped it took 36 hours from "despatched" on the US west coast until my doorbell rang. I took a screenshot of the tracking, but no longer have it. I guess that credit is due the shipping company, but I want to tell my 36 hour anecdote dammit.
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Jun 22, 2012 00:20
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Sagebrush posted:I hope you're using a respirator while you do this, because brake linings used to have a significant asbestos component and the dust inside is just chock full of that stuff. Mesothelioma is a nasty cancer. A thousand times yes. I see Comstars here so you may be safe in this case, but get into the habit of treating them all like they're solid blocks of asbestos, especially if you're going to be playing with vintage bikes long term. Buy a box of surgical gloves for handling these. Front pads contained it as well--Ferodo in particular used it in just about everything prior to 1980. This is also true of many earlier engine and fuel system gaskets--anything with white fibers on the edge, no matter what's on the mating surfaces, is asbestos. This is why Steve McQueen's last days were spent in a lovely hospital room in Mexico throwing cash at a bunch of quacks.
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Jun 22, 2012 02:09
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Brake dust is really bad for your respiratory system even if there's no asbetos in it. Wear a protective mask. And no, asbestos is not absorbed through the skin, so merely touching isn't dangerous to your health. However, if you get it on your skin or clothing, the fibers may become airborne later and get in your lungs. There's a very good reason that poo poo is banned in civilized countries.
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Jun 22, 2012 02:25
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| # ? May 16, 2024 16:41 |
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Splizwarf posted:Here's the fiche for an '81 CX500C front brake (from here): Wow thanks man! Yeah I'm going to check the bleed screw when I have time to dick around with my bike next. I have the boots (organic: now asbestos free!) coming in, so in the meantime I'll play with the front brake to see what I can do. Speaking of asbestos . . . that's some pretty scary poo poo! I mean I seriously didn't think I was in any hazard (besides gas fumes, the bike falling on me, pinching my hand,  ) when I was dicking around with a bike: it all seemed so wholesome and safe! I'm a bit freaked out by it now, hah. I have the drum assembly in my backroom and, after reading your posts, I ran in the back and tucked it into a sealed bag while I wait for the new shoes to come in. And then I went about sanitizing any surfaces my work gloves may have touched. 
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Jun 22, 2012 02:53
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