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Front brakes locked up

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9.4K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Madhatterab63  
H
#1 ·
85 Shadow VT700.
Drove it for the first time in two years of sitting. (I bought a month or so ago)
Front brakes locked up after initial ride.
To get it home, I loosened the bleeder valve and took pressure off brake to put in garage.
I pulled off both calipers and drained all the old brake fluid into glass jar by pumping brake lever.
Since the brakes compressed while driving, I am guessing the pistons are good but old brake fluid looked bad. I was going to replace the pistons but think I can loosen them up. Manual suggests opening pistons by shooting air from compressor but I don't have one.
SO (finally) here is the question.
To open the calipers, I hooked them back up to the hoses and want to refill with fluid. Not working. Fluid not going back in. I know how to bleed car brakes, but not working here for some reason. Pumping worked to get fluid out... but not going back in.
Open bleeder, pull lever, close bleeder, release lever... repeat till fluid comes out bleeder. Top is on the master cylinder.
Basically, I just want to open the pistons to see how freely they move...(if they do move). Pads are in excellent condition.
May have to replace... thoughts would be appreciated.
 
9
#3 ·
First the front brakes work exactly like those on a car. Just no ABS or booster. IF they frooze the problem is the piston 100% of the time, could be the one in the mater cylinder or the caliper or BOTH. OLD gunky fluid I'm going to say both. vacuum beeders are your friend. Only real difference between bike brakes and car is that you have to bleed at ALL hose joints and the caliper.
 
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#4 ·
+1 on the vacuum bleeder. My '86 had the same problem. I had to pull the caliper and rebuild it. Also did the master cylinder at the same time.

I was not able to get fluid back in by pumping, but the vacuum bleeder worked immediately.

Now the front brake works perfectly.
 
M
#5 · (Edited)
I just went thru the same ordeal, ordered a new master cylinder and still no success until I opened the reservoir and removed the little chrome clip at the bottom of the resevoir,
(it covers the return hole ) and dug out the little piss hole with a diaper pin.
The return was plugged so the oil was just loading up.
After that it was 100%
As far as the oil not going back into the calipers, sounds like you may have air in the brake line from removing the caliper, try to draw out the oil with 2 fingers on the banjo clamp at the bottom of the line.
pump the brake , run the fluid thru, then after release reattach to caliper.
 
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