[1989] Front Caliper - can't get outer brake pad out

[Frank]

Hi All,

Forgive the newbie question, but I suspect my front caliper is messed up.  I bought the front end to swap onto my early T500.  (I wanted access to 17" tires and a disc brake.)  The problem is the caliper won't slide far enough apart to allow me to remove the outer pad that hooks over the two guides (#3 in 3.3a below).  It's not like later styles where there's a smaller pin/clip to remove to allow access.  I feel like I'm missing something obvious but I don't want to break anything trying to disassemble it.

I've been searching the forum for help but haven't really found anything about this.  I'd appreciate any advice or guidance. 

Thanks

[Sporty]

I helped a member with this in October. Here is my post quoted below.

It just so happens that I have a caliper nearby.

No cotter on the early caliper.

The caliper and bracket slide

Slide the bracket all the way toward the pistons, so the pad is almost off the pins, (So the rubber bellows are being compressed)

Hold pressure and just pull one ear off.

To put the pad back in, hold the bracket again, tip the top of the pad and it will slip right in over the pins.

[Frank]

Thanks, that was very helpful.  I figured it had to work like that but mine is so tight that even after cleaning it up a bit it was hard to do.

If I can't free the pistons up I'll probably be better off using a different caliper.  Did I read that a SV650 is the same?  Any others?  Will a later model GS500 caliper fit the same mounts?

Thanks again. 

[Sporty]

Yes, a later model GS500 caliper fits on correctly. No modification. Bolt it on, bleed and go.
The later caliper takes a different pad.

IDK, about the SV650.   There are plenty of inexpensive used GS500 calipers on eBay.

[Frank]

Thanks.  FWIW, I checked on partzilla and at least the 1999 SV650's used the same part # as the later GS500 caliper.  It seems they may have switched at some point but that's neither here nor there.

I will need one, so ebay it is.  Thanks again.