Welcome to our Buell forum and performance parts shop!

Posted:  12 Jul 2008 06:14	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: May 2008	Posts:  31 Reputation:  1 [?] User Rank: Second Lieutenant
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!!!

Posted:  12 Jul 2008 07:16	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: Apr 2007	Posts:  164 Reputation: Unranked [?] User Rank: Captain
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...

Posted:  12 Jul 2008 11:02	[?]
Moderator Currently Offline Join Date: Jun 2007	Posts:  2511 Reputation:  38 [?] User Rank: Five-Star General
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?

Posted:  12 Jul 2008 15:18	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: Apr 2008	Posts:  750 Reputation:  26 [?] User Rank: Major General
...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?

Posted:  12 Jul 2008 15:40	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: Apr 2008	Posts:  258 Reputation:  7 [?] User Rank: Major
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.

Posted:  12 Jul 2008 17:26   Last Edited By: KILLER	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: May 2008	Posts:  31 Reputation:  1 [?] User Rank: Second Lieutenant
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!!!

Posted:  12 Jul 2008 18:33	[?]
Moderator Currently Offline Join Date: Jun 2007	Posts:  2511 Reputation:  38 [?] User Rank: Five-Star General
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.

Posted:  12 Jul 2008 19:51	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: May 2008	Posts:  31 Reputation:  1 [?] User Rank: Second Lieutenant
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!!!

Posted:  06 Aug 2008 15:15	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: May 2008	Posts:  31 Reputation:  1 [?] User Rank: Second Lieutenant
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!!!

Posted:  06 Aug 2008 16:00	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: Feb 2007	Posts:  990 Reputation:  8 [?] User Rank: Lieutenant General
pinched cable? follow the brake cable, could be pinched, bent, corroded etc.

Posted:  06 Aug 2008 16:31	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: Jul 2008	Posts:  130 Reputation:  4 [?] User Rank: Captain
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?

Posted:  06 Aug 2008 16:43	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: Jan 2007	Posts:  134 Reputation:  8 [?] User Rank: Captain
Good question.

Posted:  06 Aug 2008 17:15	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: May 2008	Posts:  31 Reputation:  1 [?] User Rank: Second Lieutenant
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...

Posted:  06 Aug 2008 17:44	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: Jul 2008	Posts:  130 Reputation:  4 [?] User Rank: Captain
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.

Posted:  06 Aug 2008 18:41	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: May 2008	Posts:  31 Reputation:  1 [?] User Rank: Second Lieutenant
thanks!!! i'll try that out!!!

Posted:  07 Aug 2008 15:33	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: May 2008	Posts:  31 Reputation:  1 [?] User Rank: Second Lieutenant
brake is working fine!!! i feel a bit embarrassed... i thought the caliper would open a bit more... thanks for your time guys!!! and for helping out a retard!!!!! lol

Posted:  07 Aug 2008 15:55	[?]
Moderator Currently Offline Join Date: Jun 2007	Posts:  2511 Reputation:  38 [?] User Rank: Five-Star General
we all have to start somewhere

Posted:  08 Aug 2008 02:51	[?]
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: Jul 2008	Posts:  130 Reputation:  4 [?] User Rank: Captain
Hey, we are here to help.  Glad your off and riding again.

Professional Web Design and eCommerce Optimization by Slingshot SEO 1.04, RSS 2.0 Atom 1.0

Buell Forum Home           Buell Specs           Buell Links           Firebolt Buell Parts           Lightning Buell Parts           1125R Buell Parts          
Blast Buell Parts           Buell Parts Shop           Contact Us