Changing tires/brake pads/fluid myself

[Conrad]

I use the Motion Pro Hydraulic Brake Bleeder 08-0143. You have to move it from nipple to nipple but it works great. I even used it on my truck when I needed to do the brakes on it.

[mcclaskeyj]

I'm about to replace my brake pads (front and back) also and am wondering if you guys use any specific type of tool to re-compress the pistons in the caliper before inserting the new pads. Will my calipers need to be removed just to replace the pads? I know my dirt bike didn't have to but I haven't yet touched the brakes on the Connie.

[Fretka]

Hand tighten all the axle, axle pinch bolts etc while up in the air then set the bike down and pump the forks a couple times to seat everything before you final torque everything.
Be sure to center the rotors in the caliper housings as well. Do this while the brake pistons are still retracted.

Fretka

[VirginiaJim]

I'm about to replace my brake pads (front and back) also and am wondering if you guys use any specific type of tool to re-compress the pistons in the caliper before inserting the new pads. Will my calipers need to be removed just to replace the pads? I know my dirt bike didn't have to but I haven't yet touched the brakes on the Connie.

I take my calipers off (line still attached) the bike so that I can clean them better.  I compress the pistons with my fingers.  When compressing the pistons make sure you keep an eye on the master cylinder (if you've added brake fluid in the past) fluid level.

[VirginiaJim]

Hand tighten all the axle, axle pinch bolts etc while up in the air then set the bike down and pump the forks a couple times to seat everything before you final torque everything.
Be sure to center the rotors in the caliper housings as well. Do this while the brake pistons are still retracted.

Fretka

How do you center the rotors in the caliper housing?

[mcclaskeyj]

I take my calipers off (line still attached) the bike so that I can clean them better.  I compress the pistons with my fingers.  When compressing the pistons make sure you keep an eye on the master cylinder (if you've added brake fluid in the past) fluid level.

So they're not supposed to be freakishly hard to compress like my dirt bike calipers?

[VirginiaJim]

They weren't on mine.

[stevewfl]

So they're not supposed to be freakishly hard to compress like my dirt bike calipers?

They're easy to compress

[mcclaskeyj]

They're easy to compress

I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

[B.D.F.]

The pistons on a C-14 will easily move with thumb pressure. If they do not, then I would suggest removing the caliper, then removing the pistons and thoroughly cleaning them. I clean mine before trying to move them anyway as they do develop a ridge of grundge just in front of the dust seal and pushing the piston back without removing that crud just pushes it back into / under the seal.

Brian

So they're not supposed to be freakishly hard to compress like my dirt bike calipers?

[mcclaskeyj]

The pistons on a C-14 will easily move with thumb pressure. If they do not, then I would suggest removing the caliper, then removing the pistons and thoroughly cleaning them. I clean mine before trying to move them anyway as they do develop a ridge of grundge just in front of the dust seal and pushing the piston back without removing that crud just pushes it back into / under the seal.

Brian

Yeah I just watched one of Fred's DVDs (dug them out of storage) and it looked much easier than I was picturing in my head. I never removed the calipers when I changed my dirt bike pads but they were really hard to compress (had to use pliers) so I'm thinking Connie should be a piece of cake.

[Fretka]

How do you center the rotors in the caliper housing?

By clamping the bottom of the fork legs to the axle with the pinch bolts.

[Gsun]

The pistons on a C-14 will easily move with thumb pressure. If they do not, then I would suggest removing the caliper, then removing the pistons and thoroughly cleaning them. I clean mine before trying to move them anyway as they do develop a ridge of grundge just in front of the dust seal and pushing the piston back without removing that crud just pushes it back into / under the seal.

Brian

So, you don't have to remove the calipers to do the pads? Clean around the pistons while still attached?

[B.D.F.]

Nope, in fact the service manual shows how to pull the pads, and replace them without doing anything else. You only have to remove the small pad retaining bolt (the one with the flush head and the pin that goes through the 'eyes' of both pads) and then pull the pads up and out. Push back the pistons, install new pads and install the retaining pins.

You can clean around the pistons with the calipers still on the bike but not very well. I choose to remove the calipers and actually split the calipers (only takes 30 seconds) and thoroughly clean the calipers and pistons before pushing them back. In fact I usually pop the pistons out of the calipers to clean them. Just my opinion but I believe whenever a brake seal fails on a caliper it was because debris was forced under that seal when pads were changed. Similar thing with wheel bearings: the bearings don't fail, the seals fail and the dirt and water that then gets to the bearing destroys it.

Brian

So, you don't have to remove the calipers to do the pads? Clean around the pistons while still attached?