My RC24 resurrection

The Hydraulic Brake section of the Honda Service Manual I'm looking at now has a picture of the backside of the footpeg bracket assembled. Think I was fairly spot on with my description and I bet the upper master cyl bolt needs a washer / spacer.

 

Cheers mate. That makes sense. I’ve got the bracket and one bolt on the switch still attached. Just couldn’t get my head around where it should go. I’ll have a play tomorrow, but I think youve given me what I need to know!

 

Thanks, found the picture. Don’t know why, I was looking in completely the wrong place. Thanks for the steer.

 

A few more hours, tinkering on the VFR today. Firstly, I got the rear brake cylinder all attached. I took the foo peg bracket off and gave that a quick clean and lube, which made it easier to get everything connected back up. Managed to get it mostly assembled, before realising the clevis connector was down and I couldn’t get it upright to connect to the piston as it was fouling on the exhaust. Doh!

Anyway, another 10 minutes and it was all back together.

The rear wheel is back with my local motorcycle garage, who are going to press in the new bearings and source a new tyre, which is all very exciting.

Then another hour or so dismantling the front brakes. Yes, they are awful. Looks like the left caliper has been leaking. I’ve started to apply penetrating oil.


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More dismantling. Firstly, tackled the brake lever assembly, which came apart quite easily. Starting the process of cleaning up and will then put in new piston, spring and seals.


Both front calipers off. Took a bit of time to get the pad pins out, but got there eventually. Pistons well and truly siezed and have already tried to use compressed air to move them. So far, no luck. Going to spend a few more days putting penetrating fluid into them to see if I can break down the gunk enough to get them moving.



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Dirty job but someone has to do it...

 

If there is any semblance of brake pressure, before undoing the lines, I will remove the pads and pump them out (adding fluid to the res as I go) to right before they want to release and make a mess where I don't want it. I use shims (or one brake pad) to keep the one that wants to extend farther first from going all the way out. At that point air will usually do if I can't just manipulate them out by hand. With the right shim you can get them JUST ready to fall out.

I fucking hate brake fluid.

 

faced with massively stuck pistons, i'd try a junkyard caliper replacement, usually in the $30 range.

 

Get them apart first, even if it means hooking them back up. I've had some calipers where I thought everything would be fucked for how seized they were. Pistons cleaned up with only some corrosion right next to the pad where it doesn't matter. Also depends on how worn the pads were and how far out the pistons were when it was left to rot. Pistons are not cheap and used calipers are still a gamble, but I've gotten pretty good about knowing which used ones have the best shot when needed from pictures.

Edit: Just noticed you already disassembled the front master. I guess finish rebuilding that while you soak the calipers. Then you can bleed the system to push the pistons out and just cap the lines to save your "bleed". The rebuilt calipers (whatever parts that ends up being) will then be a breeze to bleed.

 

Thanks both. I have been a bit stupid because the brake lever was probably able to generate pressure but I’ve gone and taken it all part now! Should have tried to get some hydraulic pressure first, but too late now. Thinking about it, it air pressure doesn’t work then maybe I can refurbish the lever, as I have to do that anyway, but when done, use it to try and get the pistons out?

At the moment, I’m religiously putting GT85 on both sides of the piston. I can concur that I really hate brake pistons.


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My trick is to remove caliper from rotor, leave pads in, then pump them out with no rotor.... pistons will be extended and won't fall out.... then remove a pad to thin up your "shim" pack, lol. I have done 3/8, then 1/4" plywood as shims in the past.

 

As you’ve just built the rear MC why not use that?

 

Excellent!

 

While I’ve still got loads to do to put the rear end back together and the front pistons are proving a right PITA, I need a bit more advice from all of you, if that’s ok?

I think the last big job to tackle will be the forks, but I’m struggling to understand what will be required. Changing the fork oil, but when people talk about the fork seals being replaced, which ones? Also, Will I need to Jack up the bike to do this, or should I be able to remove the front end which the bike on its centre stand?


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The fork stanchions will need to come out, unless they were rebuilt before storage, new top and bottom bushes, new seals and while you're there have the yokes off and regrease/replace to bearings ...part #s15,14 & 13

You'll have to support the front even when on the stand

Judging by the state of discs you may well need to sort some other stanchions, rechroming is about £140-180 a pair, probably cheaper to replace the front end

 

Ok Thumbs, cheers for that. The chrome is actually in pretty good nick, at least the bits that I can see. Cheers for the part number references. It’s quite a way off before I tackle them, but would like to get my head around wha5vi will actually have to replace and do.

 

You’ll probably need to replace the fork springs, where they have settled down if it’s been sat on the wheel, the wheel bearing could do with sorting as well …

 

A crap 6 weeks. Busy at work, ill and terrible weather have all conspired to make it hard to get anything done on the VFR. I was all excited about getting the rear wheel on and the rear brake all reassembled. I tried to get it all rebuilt a few weeks ago and I just couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t get the two spacers on the outside of the wheel to stay in place and there just didn’t seem to be enough clearance in the swingarm. Asked a few questions on the Facebook group and it seemed possible that the bearings had not been pressed in properly, but they looked absolutely flush and there was no movement in the spacer. Walked a way from it for a week and it was too cold to venture outside anyway. Someone else mentioned putting the axle in from the brake side, which would make it possible to keep the brake mount and the spacer which I couldn’t get into the gap. The spacer on the drive side has a thinner profile and would make it possible to keep in place more easily. And so it worked out and I had the rear wheel back in place in a couple of minutes. Easy when you know how! Then spent another 30 minutes getting the refurbished rear brake all back in place but I couldn’t bleed it before the rain came again. Good to have finally got this easy but again, frustrating little job sorted. Next job is to get both front callipers in the post to get them disassembled. I’ve tried in vain to get them out and I have admitted defeat. Hopefully by mid-January I should have them back and ready for me to install new pistons and seals.

 

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Schweet. Sorry about the delays. Life just keeps moving and the bikes go further and further down the "to do" list. Head up and one piece at a time.