[bcflyer]

imported post

Hey Guys,

I'm kind of stumped on this one. My GL1200's right (like you're sitting on the bike) front brake caliper appears to be leaking on the bottom side/piston. The fluid for certain isn't coming from the fork or bleeder screw. It's only been about 300 miles since I rebuilt/resealed the front and rear calipers. That was in the spring. Could warped rotors cause a caliper to leak? I knew the rotors were warped, but I was hoping to hold off a while until I got time to replace the rotors with a used rotor set I got off Ebay. I believe the pistons were in good condition and not rusty when I rebuild the calipers. Another question: Do you think it's okay to replace just the piston seals and not the dust seals? Thanks.

 

[Bike...and Dennis]

imported post

Did you get the right size of seal? They are different sizes.

Why would you go to the trouble of taking the caliper apart and not replace the dust seal?

 

[Aspengold]

imported post

Did you remove all the debris from the 2 recessed areas near the open end of the caliper piston cylinder? Both of these areas need to be clean for the seals to fit properly.

 

[beertap tom]

imported post

The dust seals are important, without them the inner seals won't last long.

 

[SidecarMike]

imported post

Did you hone the cylinders, or just clean them up? If the cylinder has deep scratches or pitting, I've had very good luck with these guys. http://www.whitepost.com/brake.html
Though I have never paid extra for faster service, each time I have used them the part comes back postmarked the same day they received it.

 

[bcflyer]

imported post

Dennis, yes I got the right size seals. I had to send the first set back to the Ebay vendor because he'd made a mistake and sent me the larger, left caliper seals. Just trying to save a few bucks on the seals. I'm a big tightwad, plus I'm on a tight budget right now. Need to get the bike back on the road to save on work commuting gas $ if you know what I mean! I'll go ahead and buy the whole seal set again though.

Aspengold, I'm pretty sure I thoroughly cleaned out the seal grooves, if that is what you are referring to. I'll check when I have it apart again though. Excellent suggestion.

Beertap Tom, You're right. It makes sense the dust seals need to be in good shape. I was just figuring they might be in decent condition being they only have about 300 miles on them. But, I guess the warped rotors and my somewhat aggressive riding/stopping style could produce a good deal of shimmy-type friction on both the dust and piston seals, very possibly causing seal failure.

SidecarMike, thanks for the caliper rebuilding company info. I might use them if the reseal job doesn't fix it this time, or if the pistons have bad scratches. I really don't recall what kind of condition the right caliper pistons were in. I remember I had to get a replacement Ebay caliper (I rebuilt all 3 calipers) because of piston rust/pitting issues, but I'm not sure which caliper's pistons were bad. Per another post on this forum I lightly sanded all the pistons with 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper and trans fluid to "buff" the pistons out. I'm pretty sure I got all or most of the fine scratches out this way, but I could be wrong.

Thanks everyone for your good advice. I really appreciate your help. ...once again!

 

[Bike...and Dennis]

imported post

DING, DING, DING! We have a winner.

When looking for reasons, always look first at the part. Stuff from e-bay and Saber and such are just a handful of...well...let's say, tears. Go to www.westernhonda.com and get some good stuff. Really. And the price will surprize you.

 

[Ken Bergen]

imported post

Bike...and Dennis wrote:

Go to http://www.westernhonda.com and get some good stuff. Really. And the price will surprize you.

His local Honda dealer if honest may come in at about the same price and he will pay the shipping. It always pays to check.

 

[Bike...and Dennis]

imported post

Ken Bergen wrote:

Bike...and Dennis wrote:

Go to http://www.westernhonda.com and get some good stuff. Really. And the price will surprize you.

His local Honda dealer if honest may come in at about the same price and he will pay the shipping. It always pays to check.

That's true, especially on the small-ticket items. They often cost more to ship than to buy. It's also good to get to know your local shop. To be seen often as a paying customer. That way, if some dayyou need a favor, or just some friendly advice, they will be there.

But if your local dealer is one of the new breed. Western is a good choice for parts. Fair, fast and friendly.

 

[bcflyer]

imported post

Dennis and Ken,

Good point on buying genuine Honda parts. That very well could be the source of my caliper leaking problem/troubles. I'm glad I checked back on this tread to see if anyone else posted again. I was just about to order another Fleebay caliper seal kit to save a few measly dollars over genuine Honda. Glad I didn't.

Dennis, since I was already in the process of ordering some other bike parts off the Direct Line website, I went with them. I compared prices between Direct Line and Western on one part and they were nearly identical. Don't know how shipping compares between the two companies though.

Smart idea of ordering through local dealer too. You do never know when relationships you build up over time with the counter guy can pay you back dividends down the road.

Thanks for the additional advice and info guys!

Doug, Bcflyer

 

[bcflyer]

imported post

Just in case anyone is reading this old post and has had a similar front brake caliper leaking/pulsating problem... I found a nick in one of the caliper piston seals when re-building the right side (like you're sitting on the bike) for the second time. Not sure how it got there. Maybe being a little too rough when pushing the piston back into the caliper? I went ahead and bought genuine Honda piston seals this time around. First time I used genuine generic Ebay seals. Since brakes are nothing to play around with, it's probably a good idea to go with the higher quality seals. Probably if nothing else for one's personal peace of mind.

BTW, replacing the seals in that one caliper cleared up the pulsating problem I was having. ...OR could it be because I put the pistons in the RIGHT WAY (open end out) this time?!!! Ha

...Cheers!

 

[BobbydSp]

imported post

It's all in the details, bcflyer. Amazing that the brake worked at all with the piston reversed. Although we have all made mistakes like that, it's not as common to publically admit it. Bravo!
Bobby