81 CB650 Brat/Cafe Build

[J-Rod10]

It's 40 year old lines/calipers.

Personally, I'd rebuild the calipers, rebuild/replace the master, and get new lines.

 

[canyoncarver]

It's 40 year old lines/calipers.

Personally, I'd rebuild the calipers, rebuild/replace the master, and get new lines.

Yep, pretty much the default on old bikes. Be pleasantly surprised when you don't have to.

 

[dmable44]

It's 40 year old lines/calipers.

Personally, I'd rebuild the calipers, rebuild/replace the master, and get new lines.

Or would it be better to buy some used ones in better shape? Or is that not worth it

 

[canyoncarver]

Check the service manual again. There is a good teardown and inspection bit in there worth re-reading. If the brake lines are original, replace them. Go braided steel. Brake parts are available, unless you inspect them and whatever reason they are too pitted etc..... If they are ok, just do the right service on your brakes. Unless you wanna go nuts and build adapters and fit newer brakes and all the cool stuff.

 

[DohcBikes]

stainless braided lines are very affordable these days and they will improve braking. Not just the feel as some will argue, but the actual performance will improve on almost any vintage bike.

 

[dmable44]

Are braided lines something I could do myself or is a professional recommended? I'd love to overhaul a lot on the bike, but that will be next winter. I want to get it running and stopping safely just for this season to make sure the motor and trans is good.

 

[hillsy]

Or would it be better to buy some used ones in better shape? Or is that not worth it

Problem is you wont know if used calipers are OK until you pop the pistons out.


Pistons get corroded and the seals get corrosion underneath them which pushes the seal hard against the piston and seizes them.


If the pistons are corroded / pitted you might be able to buy new ones (I think you can still get them OEM on some older Hondas).


If the seals have corrosion underneath them, then you can just scrape that out and you might be OK - otherwise they will leak and you need new seals.


It's not overly complicated to re-build calipers, but it's messy and most shops will charge you $$$ for the inconvenience / PITA factor alone.

 

[DohcBikes]

Any shop that bitches about the work you bring them or complains of the difficulty or mess should be immediately disregarded from consideration.

 

[hillsy]

Welcome to the real world.

 

[dmable44]

There definitely is a lot of corrosion all over the calipers. Theoretically speaking, once the calipers are torn down could you blast them with media like walnut shells to make them fresh again?

 

[DohcBikes]

Welcome to the real world.

You're an armchair mechanic at best and that's being generous so I dont know why you constantly argue with someone that does this every day for money.

Professional powersports mechanic that works on the #1 brand in the world 45 hours a week, not sure how much more real it gets.

Any shop that complains about any labor is a waste of your money.

 

[DohcBikes]

There definitely is a lot of corrosion all over the calipers. Theoretically speaking, once the calipers are torn down could you blast them with media like walnut shells to make them fresh again?

The caliper body is the least of your worries. The pistons and seals are the concern.

 

[DohcBikes]

Are braided lines something I could do myself or is a professional recommended? I'd love to overhaul a lot on the bike, but that will be next winter. I want to get it running and stopping safely just for this season to make sure the motor and trans is good.

Yes, measure, match your banjo fittings, and order.

Never be afraid to contact the people that sell these products. Galfer is a treat to work with.

 

[hillsy]

You're an armchair mechanic at best and that's being generous so I dont know why you constantly argue with someone that does this every day for money.

Professional powersports mechanic that works on the #1 brand in the world 45 hours a week, not sure how much more real it gets.

Any shop that complains about any labor is a waste of your money.

Aren't you the guy that said the seal doesn't do anything to help retract the caliper piston in another thread? Do you know how hydraulic brakes even work?

 

[DohcBikes]

Do you know how hydraulic brakes even work?

 

[dmable44]

Master link is in so the front sprocket and chain are going on and hopefully the motor can go in tonight. If I can handle it after my strongman training that is.

 

[dmable44]

Motors back in, slowly putting things back on. Bars will be here tomorrow along with new fork ears. Going to put the new plugs in, put the exhaust on, all the controls on the bars, wire everything up and hopefully fire her up this weekend.

 

[dmable44]

Pulled the plugs that were in the bike. They look brand new from the outside, and they don't look bad at all. I may run them and see how they do and keep my new ones if anything goes wrong with the existing ones. I ran into a problem with the exhaust though. I put the new exhaust on, new copper crush gaskets, original collars and clamps and tightened everything down but the exhaust still moves. I tried reversing the collars but still loose. The clamps is tight and bottomed out against the head. So I pulled the OEM exhaust out and they have a collar on them unlike the new exhaust. So I need to somehow do the same thing to the new exhaust. Any ideas?

 

[focusinprogress]

I probably should've checked here before responding to your PM. can you post a pic of your original mounting collar hardware, and measure the depth of the stock half-moon pieces? I'll see if I have longer ones. Either that or look for the spot welds on that fatter collar from your old exhaust and drill the spot welds out, cut the collars in half, and weld them back together on the new exhaust.

 

[dmable44]

I probably should've checked here before responding to your PM. can you post a pic of your original mounting collar hardware, and measure the depth of the stock half-moon pieces? I'll see if I have longer ones. Either that or look for the spot welds on that fatter collar from your old exhaust and drill the spot welds out, cut the collars in half, and weld them back together on the new exhaust.

That's probably what I am going to do. All my other hardware is just the stock stuff. I'll try getting these off and on to the new pipes and see how they fit.