cant get brake pads open!!

[i3randon12]

the pistons wont open back up... i took off the wheel and beung a nub i am     pressed the front brake which closed those pistons...


ive tried opening up the bleer and pushing them back together  but no luck..

does anyone have advice...  is there another way to open it

i need to get the tire ont o ride it
thnx

[JamesG]

Take out brake pads.
Spray alot of brake cleaner on the pistons and around the seals.
Clean with an old toothbrush until shiny and clean.
Rinse with another shot of brake cleaner.
Put OLD pads back into caliper.
Use a big screwdriver to pry the pistons apart.
Put new pads in.
Put caliper back on wheel.

If that doesn't work then the relief valve on your master cylinder may be bad.

[Kerry]

If I understood the original thread, there are no NEW pads to be put in.  The wheel was removed for a new tire or something and the brake lever was operated accidentally.

So, the only thing I would change from James' list would be the way you push the pistons apart.  You don't really want to gouge your current brake pads, so see if you can find a stiff metal plate that will fit in there with the pads removed.  Put a 1" thick piece of lumber against the outside of the caliper, and then use a pair of C-clamps to pull the metal plate toward the lumber.  The idea is to make a "sandwich", with the metal plate being one of the slices of bread, the piece of wood being the other slice of bread, and the caliper and pistons being the lunch meat.  If that doesn't make sense I will TRY to take some pics.

You may be wondering how you're going to accomplish James' first item: Take out brake pads.  I would start by removing the caliper mounting bolts, so the caliper is hanging by the brake hose.  That way you can turn the caliper over and get to the various parts.

Question:  What year is your bike?  If it's a '96-'00 model I can be of more help because that's what I have -- and what I have experience with.  If it's an '89-'95 or a 2001+ model we may have to get creative!

To hopefully avoid one more "round trip" in this message thread, let's say you have a '96-'00.  In that case, after you have removed the caliper mounting bolts:

1) Rotate the (hanging) caliper forward until the normally lowest part of the assembly is pointing forward.

2) You should see a metal rod that spans the caliper from side to side.   Clymer calls it a "pad pin". On the inside end of the pin is a small wire clip.  It looks a little like a wavy cotter pin.  Pull it out with a pair of needle nose pliers.

3) Pull out the pad pin.

4) You

should now be able to rotate the free end of the inner brake pad upward.  This will be the tough part, depending on how tightly you squeezed the brake lever when the wheel was off.  If you can't accomplish this, I don't know HOW you're going to get the pads off!

5) As a LAST LAST resort, if your pads are fairly new and still have the original grooves in them, you might be able to pound one or more nails into the grooves to force them apart - just enough so you can get a flat-bladed screwdriver in there.  (Do this with the bleeder valve OPEN, please!)  This may damage the pads and require you to get new ones, so go slowly and be careful.[/list:u]
After you get the pin pad out, it may or may not help to remount the caliper on the bike so it's anchored - rather than swinging on the brake hose.

[newbieone]

You still working on this thing. I gave you these instructions yesterday, chump just messin. If you have a vice or some c-clamps try using that since you are such a whimp. Once you get your bike back together head down to the gym! hehe, i'm just kidding dude.  

[i3randon12]

omg kerry           thanks for tht well explained awnser...           im going to go try tht sandwich thing now... but if still wont go           what could be the wort thing tht happened..

cause im not to weak! (newbieone) haha...   and im pushing so god damn hard...


even if you dont feel like wirting anymore cause your fingers hurt from tighting, u did a great job!

i like its a 95 or 96  the date purchased was like 12-27-95

so im guessign 95

[Kerry]

i like its a 95 or 96  the date purchased was like 12-27-95

so im guessign 95

NOW you tell me - after I went out and took the pics to go with the explanation.
(s'OK - someone else can use 'em to see how to change the brake pads on their 1996-2000 model.... )

Here they are.  [Dial-up Folks: Apologies for the long download!]

1) Remove the mounting bolts




2) Rotate the caliper forward


3) Remove the retaining clip


4) Pull the "pad pin"


5) Remove inner brake pad (outer pad wll FALL out after this)


6) Caliper with pads removed and pistons showing


7) Use C-clamps to compress pistons


EDIT: Changed links from sisna.com to bbburma.net.

[newbieone]

Na man, my fingers aren't tired, and I would never not want to help you or anyone else out if I could. I was just trying to get you motivated. hehe! Let us know when you finish up.

[JamesG]

Nice job on the pics Kerry,  you should clean that nasty caliper while you have it off.  

i3randon12- Don't feel bad. One weekend at Road Atlanta, while with the wheel off getting tires changes. I mindlessly squeezed the brake lever TWICE.

[i3randon12]

thanks ya'll      im spray painting my tire anyways right now... and im going to get a c clamp soon...   kerry    those picture will still help me

thts a smart way to do it

thnks for the motivation to!

im just happy knowing nothing could be broken and no mtter one day they will be fixed...     i guess i wont be riding today        its so nice out right now

NEXT WEEKEND
i'll let you knwo how it goes by tonight           so you can be glad when all your hard effort has helped me fix it
NEVER take OFF UR  TIRE!!
hhaa

[i3randon12]

i got it!!!>



thanks alot guys... im going riding!

[Kerry]

AWESOME!  Another satisfied customer....   :kiss:

Enoy the ride!  After all, that's what it's all about, right?  All of this wrenching is just a means to that glorious end....  

[Kerry]

i got it!!!>

I should have asked: What exactly worked for you?  I'm curious about which combo of peoples' suggestions worked, especially on your ~'95 model.

PS - To determine the exact model year of your bike, check out my posts in the recent thread GS500k>>What's the deal??!?!?!?

[i3randon12]

i might have a 96 because i dint excactly what u said to do in ur pictures... i thook out the brke pads which made it easier to push back the pistons... i dunno what year i have.., can i have a 96
the date on the biek tht says it was baught was 12/23/95
pretty damn cllose to 96

[Kerry]

Now that you mention it, a bike bought that late in the year has a very good chance of being the upcoming year's model.  (Duh!)

But just to make sure, check out this post:
http://www.gstwins.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=70012#70012

I'll bet your VIN number starts with "JS1GM51A6T..."

[i3randon12]

nope it was a "t"

so i guess its a 96              tht chart is helpful       im happy its a 96 then 95

[newbieone]

Glad you got it back together! Now you will know better next time, hehe. Enjoy the rides.

[bcutrufelli]

mine is the 95 model so those pics dont apply but i get the genral idea

[BubbaMeetze]

Does anyone have nice pics of pushing the rear pistons in using the c-clamp.  Kerry does do good work illustrating how to jobs with his images.

Thanks Kerry.

[Kerry]

I've done pictures of everything BUT compressing the rear pistons.  Will that do? 

Seriously, I have replaced my rear pads twice and I didn't use C-clamps either time.  I'm sure it's possible, but it would be tough with the rear wheel still in place.  As mentioned in the referenced post, I have used one of the old pads as a lever to force the pistons apart.  A hefty screwdriver would work too, but it may leave small dents in the ends of the pistons.  Notice that I'm not saying this is the BEST way to do it, but it has worked for me.

If your brake system is not too grungy / sticky / crusted / whatever, you could probably open the bleeder valve a smidge and force the pistons apart with (a good amount of) finger pressure.

[BubbaMeetze]

I think that will do.  I knew that you most likely had some picture of the rear brake "something".  My issue is/was/could be started from a while back when I realized that the chain was a bit loose.  I tightened the chain and then noticed some wierd noise, I think I had the chain slightly too tight.  Didn't ride it far came back home and got the car.  From there I was adjusting the chain tension, and then decided to clean the chain and lube.  Now I was back at the part of reassemblying everything and was placing the rear brake back in place, was noticing that it appeared that the rear brake was dragging.  Searched on here to see what are some of the causes for it, and figured I might try:
1. Making sure that the rear tire is aligned (but as I read somewhere else I figured that with the bracket the way that it is on the rear axle that it should automatically be in line with the wheel/rotor)
2. Cleaning the pistons, I can tell that my rear brake is quite dirty.  Perhaps it is sticking and not going back out like it should.  I read one posst where the guy states "take out the pads, push the pistons out some (using the rag between the pistons deal) and going to town on the pistons with brake cleaner and a toothbrush" or something to that effect.

But I was wanting to know how others were pushing the pistions back in once they have they pushed out.  I was reading this c-clamp business but I think I was reading about the front caliper.  I was looking at the rear caliper and trying to figure out how one was going to use a c-clamp on that thing easily.  When I was trying to get the brake to be in a not dragging position, I was lifting the caliper off of the rotor and then using some thick plastic on either side of a big screwdriver using it to move the pads/pistons back.  I wasn't sure if the screwdriver method was the best way either.  But I will see what all I need to do.  Bike has been in the garage awaiting me to fix on it a little here and a little there for the past two or more months.  Summer vacation and work have kept me from spending too much time on it.  Hopefully I will finish soon so I can start riding it back to work again.

Thanks Kerry,
What's this I read about the video you have?

"Re: Maintenance Question
« Reply #6 on: June 21, 2006, 05:22:29 PM »
Thanks so much Kerry!
You are an inspiration to me,  bowdown thanks to your video I successfully did my own valve clearance check a couple of weeks back (all were OK, one intake valve is getting close at .03mm but decided to leave it alone for now) the fuel hoses were quite old so those were replaced along with air filter and spark plugs, bike is running as good as new  Thumbsup
Once again thanks  cheers
Daniel"

I have checked out your website, are the videos on there or is it something else you have.  You are definitely the GS500 guru.