I AGREE WITH RIDZHARD PEOPLE, HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT....I KNOW, CAUSE I CHANGE BREAKS 2 TIMES A MONTH...(SAND RIDING)

 

this might be a somewhat silly question, but if you havent removed the parking brake, have you backed it down?

 

Do yourself a favor. Take the P-brake off temporarily, push the piston back, install pads. Put it all back together. Go Ride.

 

http://www.vtr.org/maintain/brake-bleeding.html

http://www.fastasknutz.com/ncdsm/tech/brakes.html

http://www.e-z.net/~ts/mascyl.htm
http://www.e-z.net/~ts/caliper.htm

Just some reading material for all you brake people. Might clear up some of the controversy

 

This is an excellent site. It correctly illustrates lots of things people should know about the hydraulic braking systems found on the vehicles they operate. Things such as the square cut seal in the caliper, "over stroking" the master cylinder, etc. This is a great reference site. If you do not already have this kind of knowledge/info on hand, print it out for future reference.

 

again, I fail to see how using a C clamp hurts the braking system. this is how I see it (feel free to correct me) when the braking system is at rest, there is a hole that is uncovered allowing fluid into the line..when the lever is squeezed, this fluid is compressed into the line, creating the movement of the piston in the caliper. so, when using a c clamp, you push the piston in the caliper back in, and since the braking system is at rest, the fluid flows back up into the resevoir through the uncovered hole. so how does this hurt your braking system?

 

You know, I responded her to try to help out a fellow rider and look at the can of worms I opened!
Brake lines wear from the inside out, so there is debris inside the sealed system of your brakes. Brake fluid is hydroscopic, which means that it readily absorbs water. It will suck water right out of the air, that is why you should never use brake fluid that isn't from a sealed container. All this water in the lines causes some corrosion, which adds to the debris in your sealed braking system.
Because of all this stuff in your brake fluid, and because it has absorbed water, the boiling point of the fluid is not as high as it was when fresh. This is why you need to flush and refill your brake fluid.
Now, instead of letting the fluid out the bleeder, we just push the piston back into the caliper. first of all, we run the risk of scratching the piston, which is not good and can cause leakage around the square cut seal, which is keeping the brake fluid inside the caliper. Second, we could damage the dust seal. If the dust seal is ripped, it is only a matter of time before dirt and grit gets to that square cut seal and tears it up. finally, all that debris inside your system has settled to the bottom in the caliper and now we force it up into the master cylinder where it goes to work on the o-rings and seals in the caliper, master cylinder, and resivour.
If you think about it, you will see that there is some logic to my method. Also, on cars and trucks with anti lock pumps, hold off valves, proportioning valves, etc, you are forcing fluid past seals and appling pressure in the wrong direction, which can cause failure.
Take a look at a grease seal, it is designed for holding grease in, and dirt out. Extra caution needs to be excersized when working on vehicles with some miles on them because seals and bores have worn together, and they are more suseptable to failure from foreign matter.
Most of what I have said in this post is approved methods from manufacturers, but some of it has relulted from years in the field and most importantly from people with experience far beyond mine.
If you chose to continue with your own method, fine, if you are careful you probably will not have a problem. But if you work on other people's vehicles and call yourself a professional, you are continually educating yourself to stay up to date with the latest processes, systems, and proceedures. I have been out of the business for a year now, but what we are talking about here is common hydraulic braking system procedures.
Did frappleman get his ride going? He probably did and never read any of this because he has been riding. Sounds like a good idea.
Good luck all!

 

HEY, MY DAD MAKES BRASS PADS FOR MY EX, AND HE MAKES THEM FOR MY BUDDIES 250R, THEY WORK JUST AS GOOD AS FIBER PADS, BUT DONT EAT YOUR DISCS UP...IF YOU WANT A SET EMAIL ME, I SALE THEM FOR 15$ A PAIR IF YOU PAY SHIPPING...YOU CAN BEAT THAT

 

the 300ex's brakes are fixed!! I received so much information that I'm ready to write a book and some of you did!! I'm sad to say that I took the easy way out because I was riding that day and I used a C-clamp, after loosing the parking brake! The last time I released the value I could not get pressure back. Its almost Winter here in Ohio so maybe I overhaul the brakes and treat them to some new fluid after my last ride!!