Have I Purchased the Correct Calipers for Upgrade?

[agentpineapple]

I use brembo red pads, and i'm very happy with them, I bought my calipers from the usa as well, but mine came from a fairly dry state, and because of this they were in very good condition, it's worth considering when buying from the states.

[Pete.L]

They look identical to my SP calipers.
I've never had to split a caliper to fully service it. I wouldn't recommend emery cloth on your pistons either. Normally they will just polish off. I take the worst off with brake fluid and a cloth and then move onto some autosol for the bits which wont move, then I wash it all back off in more brake fluid. The only time I would consider emery cloth is if the metal has been attacked and then I would also be considering replacing the piston.
I like cotton buds and tooth picks to get the grunge out of the seal grooves but anything softer than alli will do so you don't make any scratches. I've found car wheel brake cleaner and a tooth brush very good at getting them back to a good finish. Just remember to not let it dry onto your caliper or it will take the finish off. If the anodizing has been attacked then maybe completely splitting and re-anodizing would be a good idea.
Personally, I'm getting on well with OEM pads. One finger braking and no fade, good mileage (12K ish from a set)

Pete.l

[VTRDark]

Maybe emery cloth is a bit much but if they are corroded bad looking like header pipes, then then that gets the worst off. How are you getting the pistons out without splitting them Pete. Mind you mine where virtually seized and would not slide and pop out at first and required pulling hard. Don't forget you have the channels that the fluid goes through to the opposite side, which you can get to with them split where the O rings go Mine where all gunged up like caramel when I first done them. It also makes cleaning the exterior easier on the inside and out. I put mine under a tap and scrubbed with a toothbrush and flushed through. I guess it comes down to whatever condition they are in.

(:-})

[Pete.L]

I guess it comes down to whatever condition they are in.

That's main factor. The worse they are the rougher you have to get

I don't have the advantage of an air compressor so I use the fluid from the system to push them out. If you have a small G clamp you can use an existing old pad to hold two of the pistons in place so they cant come out, and then, I normally find something like a piece of wood or a socket to hold the third piston in place. This lets you use the full pressure of the brake system on just one piston. As long as you keep the pistons straight I've never had one I couldn't move yet. The trick is, once you get the stuck piston moving, is to get it to the very edge before it brakes its seal and then hold it in place with a G clamp so the others pistons can catch up. Once they are all out to the dust cover you can normally get them out the rest of the way by hand.
Have a good look at the finish on the piston. Mine have a type of plating or chrome finish, that's why I was against just going in there with emery cloth. If the 954 one are the same it could wreck them.
Also, if I do most of the cleaning by the side of the bike in a bucket with the hoses attached and the pistons still in, i can just take the calipers off the legs and dip them in. I get far less grief from the Mrs that way

[MacV2]

To do the seals you will need to split the callipers & remove the pistons.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/sis.html?_kw= ... 1355406960
Make sure any kit you buy has the right size adapter for the pistons !

A piston puller set is what you really need. It can be done with an air line but you need to be very careful with it unless you want two large lumps of steel flying out at high velocity. There is another way, much more gentle but a bit messy...Use a grease gun ! Pump grease in through the bleed nipple...It will push the pistons out but then you have to thoroughly clean it all out hence the messy bit.

Get you self down to your local car parts store & buy a 5ltr can of brake cleaner, IMO much better than the stuff in an aerosol. It's a much better de-greaser than anything else I have tried & it evaporate away...

Give the callipers a good scrubbing with the brake cleaner then run them through a couple of cycles in an ultrasonic cleaner on a hot cycle 60* plain water with a touch of detergent...I used some Traffic Film Remover on a set I had & it's too strong & fades the anodising...

[thunderbolt]

I have been to see the local person that can anodise the caliper bodies for me. He has informed me that I need to find out if the bodies are cast or billet. If they are cast apparently they have magnesium and I think he said silicon in them to add strength and this comes to the surface when doing the anodising process and makes the bodies look crap.

So I guess my question is does anyone know if the caliper bodies are CAST or BILLET.

Kev, could you chime in and let me know how you went about having the anodising done on your calipers -- P.S. What is your name on here so I can PM you for some info.

Thanks

[agentpineapple]

Kev L
http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic ... 35#p363935
http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic ... ed#p359261

[thunderbolt]

I need to replace the eight Torx bolts for the CBR954 calipers. Mine are really bad looking and will not match the calipers when I get them looking good again. I need 4 8x35 and 4 8x40mm torx bolts.

Does anyone know where to get them in stainless. I cant find them on the web anywhere.

I might have to go with stainless allen cap screws instead. Or do they need to be Torx bolts for a reason.

Thanks

[agentpineapple]

no reason for them to be torx mate, I used probolt allen key head stainless, not cheap but probolt are quality and where brakes are concerned that's when you need quality.
http://www.pro-bolt.com/

[thunderbolt]

no reason for them to be torx mate, I used probolt allen key head stainless, not cheap but probolt are quality and where brakes are concerned that's when you need quality.
http://www.pro-bolt.com/

Thanks for your reply,

I had read somewhere that torx bolts supply more torque and are far less likely to loosen in service. That was the reason for my query.

If using stainless allen head bolts is there a particulary grade of stainless I should look for?

Thanks

[Kev L]

I don't know what the postage would be like mate but I used this firm for my overhaul kit and bolts -

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Powerhouse-Aut ... 1008591237

[agentpineapple]

probolt uses 316 stainless steel.......
torx bolts will be my torquey......
I've used allen key headed bolts for ages, and I've never once had an issue with them, just make sure you use some copper slip/brease and torque them to the required level.

[thunderbolt]

I can get 316 stainless allen head bolts for around $2.40 each so that looks to be a better option than the torx bolts. Not much dollars and strong enough to do the job. Thanks

On the cleaning vs getting the caliper bodies anodised - I decided to persevere with the cleaning option as I was not prepared to have the calipers wrecked during the anodising process.

Anyway I did a few trials with the four halves of the calipers. A different process for each. The most successful procedure was to soak one of the caliper halves in Yamaha Carburettor Dip for 24hrs. And then soak in engine degreaser for another hour and then gently scrub the outer surface with a brass brush gently in the degreaser solution and the dirtiness came away without too much trouble. They're not perfect but much better than before and the imperfections left behind are not very noticeable (on lower part of caliper which cannot be seen that well).

See results below:





I have ordered all the new seals and waiting on them to arrive. Need to clean the pistons, get the stainless bolts, obtain some EBC HH pads (BTW which pads are best in the wet, are EBC HH ok)? Then work out how to mill some material off the calipers to allow fitment to the forks.

Thanks for help offered by everyone.

[agentpineapple]

that's a great result on the cleaning....
I've never used ebc hh pads, I can recommend brembo pads tho.

[thunderbolt]

that's a great result on the cleaning....
I've never used ebc hh pads, I can recommend brembo pads tho.

Are they ok in the wet? What are the Part # for the VTR front? Are they expensive?