:( new problem.... i think my buell hates me..... BRAKES!!!!!

[KILLER]

Let me first start off by thanking everyone that takes time to read this.. i'm so new to this stuff... you all have been a BIG help so far with the other posts i've made...


now for the bad news... after taking those pics last night of the working signals.. i parked the bike in the garage...

but today when i went to ride a little.. i noticed the bike had a hard time moving... heck, i even was stalling out cause when i would let off the clutch it would take a lot of gas to get me rolling.... so, i looked at my brakes.. front was fine...

but my rear brake is "locked"/"ceased" up.... the caliper/pads are squeezing the rotor for sure...

i've got a buell service manual.. and i see where it shows how to bleed the brakes.. and i'm gonna try that in the morning...

but basically no matter what i do to the brake pedal nothing happens.. it doesn't tighten or loosen up on the rotor....

any suggestions on this? should bleeding the lines fix it??? i bought some dot 4 fluid tonight... and i've got all the tools i need... ( i think.. standard socket sets/pliers/wrenches and what not) i've already unhooked the pedal from the break lines...

i just don't want to screw anything up...



thanks again everyone!!!

 

[06xb9r]

If it's "ceased" up then I don't think bleeding the system will help. Sounds like it could be a bad hose or master cylinder, or even caliper. I would ask you to check the wheel bearings but if the break pedal does nothing then....that has nothing to do with the bearings,so...

 

[LeFox]

is your bike new or used?

can you get movement in de brakepads when pushing a screwdriver or something between them?

if you haven't done anything to the fluid between working and now, there's nothing wrong with the fluid.
maybe the line got pinched?

 

[FIDOSOL]

...Call the Service Department maybe? But it does sound like a kinked line, only thing is, it would have to have kinked before you parked it, would have to build up some sort of pressure to seize up like that. Did you notice anything at all different about your ride before you parked it?

 

[GatorBuell]

I would try bleeding the break, that would tell you if you have a kinked line or not. At least letting the pressure off will will tell you if its in the caliper or the line/ cylinder.

 

[KILLER]

lefox, the blast is used.. but only has 6600 miles on it... and it's an 02.... and yeah i haven't touched it.. except for once i realized something was wrong... and i haven't tried prying at it with a screw driver yet... as you could see this happened last night and i didn't want to fool with it...

on top of that i'm getting ready to rip apart my car and do a headgasket/timing belt/water pump/thermostat job on it..... and was hoping to use the buell to go get some parts so that my engine was cold....... but that didn't quite work out


fidosol... that's just it.. i haven't really driven it... i took one lap around the parking lot when i fixed the signals... parked it... later that night i just backed it out of the garage for some pictures... and no, i didn't notice anything then...

gator, yeah, i'm gonna atleast try it... it can't hurt to atleast try...


now i'm gonna be wrong on my terminology here guys, but bear with me ... (or is it bare with me)??

When i was detaching the pedal from the cylinder i noticed that the bolt that connects the pedal to the cylinder and appears to be what pushes the fluid was just loose... like i could wiggle it around in the cylinder and push it back and forth with like no resistance.... is it supposed to be like that??? from the manual i have it looks like there is some sort of spring inside the cylinder... i would think it should be connected to that spring inside... (but i know nothing about this so i could easily be wrong) what are your thoughts on this??? are cylinders expensive?
it looks rather easy to replace if it being broke is the case... should i go that route or with a rebuild if it comes to it???


again thanks for your time everyone!!!

 

[LeFox]

hard for me to give advise, since we don't have the blast here and i don't know how it's fabricated.

but i would also think that a return-spring is broken or loose inside.

 

[KILLER]

that sounds about right to me...


i did take the bleeder cap off and was able to pry open the brakes (obviously)... so atleast now i can drive back across my complex and put it back in the garage!!!

 

[KILLER]

ok so a quick update...

i purchased a new master cylinder (well a used one in working order...) i could tell before even putting it on the bike that it worked better than the one that was broken... BUT when i put it on the bike my brake pedal is now sticking up kinda high... and it seems like it has a lot of play in it!!!


AND STILL THE BRAKE WON'T RE OPEN!!!! they new cylinder will close the brakes but i have to bleed them and pry them apart or else they don't re open!!!!

any more suggestions??? if i had a way to take it to a shop i would.. but i don't really!!!

 

[mrdozer2you]

pinched cable? follow the brake cable, could be pinched, bent, corroded etc.

 

[Buellysses]

I really hate to point out something obvious, so don't take this as an insult if you already knew this.
But on a disc brake you shouldn't see much of a gap in between the caliper/pad/disk. It may still look like it is still pressing on the disk.

Once you pry the pad away from the rotor does the bike move as it should?

Are you able to pry the pad back without opening the bleeder?

 

[ezblast]

Good question.

 

[KILLER]

once i pry, the bike does move as it should... but the brake is still a little weird.. from what i can tell, it's not closing all the way until i press on the pedal a few times...

i did try prying it without opening the bleeder.. and it seemed to NOT move/open at all...


in the past my pedal moved maybe 1/2 to 1 inch.. if that... now it's more than an inch.. maybe two... and like i said the pedal itself is sticking up way farther...

 

[Buellysses]

diagram of a caliper

Well killer, I do want to point out one thing. Once you pry back the pads it will always take a little bit of pedal pumping to get the pad back in contact with the rotor. A disk brake caliper is only designed to move a couple of millimeters at a time, so to get it to move a quarter inch will take a couple of full strokes of the brake.

As far as the pedal moving further, that sounds like an air pocket in the system. Get yourself a vacuum pump bleeder and pull at least half a reservoir of fluid thru the system. If you didn't bleed it well after you replaced the master cylinder there may still be air in there.

For the brakes not opening up, now that is a good one. If you cant move the caliper without the bleeder open, that tells me that there is something in the system acting as a check valve. I would try breaking the banjo bolt holding the brake line on the caliper loose and try to pry it the pad back. If you are able to move the pads then tighten it back up, re-bleed them, then try the same process on the pedal side of the line. Hopefully that will lead you to where the blockage is.

 

[KILLER]

thanks!!! i'll try that out!!!

 

[LeFox]

we all have to start somewhere

 

[Buellysses]

Hey, we are here to help. Glad your off and riding again.

 

[gixthis]

After installing new signal lights on mine I put her back together, went for a ride & parked her & now my brakes are frozen on my rotors too!
I inspected both lines, but I don't exactly know how to bleed the system since this bike is still fairly new to me..
My question for my fellow Buell brothers- Any ideas where to start or how to otherwise fix this issue if the brakes don't need to bled?

 

[LeFox]

Any ideas where to start or how to otherwise fix this issue if the brakes don't need to bled?

how do you guys change turnsignals?
is there some dirt between the brakes?

if you can't pry them open with or without the bleeder open, bleeding the system is a must.
i would invest in a service manual...ask santa

 

[gixthis]

I took the rear plastics off to ensure all rear wiring for the new signals weren't moving around & insure they were secure for future riding.

At the same time I decided to take off the front plastics to check the air filter & other things out of curiousity at the time.

After confirming everything was all good for a test run- we went out

I do now remember leaving my house there were no issues
But as I went riding I do now recall the problem occured when what I thought was a mistake of clutch use- But in reality was the brakes freezing up causing a improper start-off.

But heres my couple questions-
How could the brakes get air in them all of a sudden?
Where is the bleeder valve exactly?
How do you suggest to pry them open?- A simple flathead? How much force?

Appreciate the response brotha!