Hi,

I read through a number of the threads describing how to change the front brake pads.
However, on my '92 I don't find the little pin specified in the descriptions that allows the calipers to open up thus letting the pads fall out.
Has anyone had any experience with the type of calipers I refer to?

Thanks.

Quote from: chisterHas anyone had any experience with the type of calipers I refer to?

Not personally.  But ...

Quote from: the Clymer manual

a. Press the mounting bracket toward the caliper body to allow brake pad removal.
b. Remove the inboard pad from the posts on the caliper mounting bracket and remove the pad.
c. Unhook the inboard pad and remove it from the caliper assembly.[/list:u]

Sounds a little fishy to me; too many references to the inboard pad and not enough to the ... outboard? pad.  But hopefully it gives you an idea.

Use THIS DIAGRAM to translate some of the terms into actual parts.

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

Just take the caliper off by unbolting it, then the inboard pad should fall off, the outboard pad will come off by compressing the pistons back far enough to slide the bracket off one post, then the other. It's a little bit fiddly, but you should be ok.
With the later models, the pin mechanism avoids the need to compress the pistons to get the outboard pad off, from memory.

Thanks, the few lines did the trick.

A follow-up question on the brake fluid level.  Should the level of the brake fluid be visible through the glass viewer for the front brakes? Or should the fluid level be high enough that the only thing seen in the glass viewer is brake fluid (i.e., high enough that a level cannot be detected)? Does one check this level with the bike on its center stand?

It's OK if you can see the level of the brake fluid through the window.  But I would say that if it's near the halfway point it's time to add some more.

Don't forget that DOT 4 brake fluid is "hygroscopic", meaning that it will absorb water.  If you leave the lid off of a bottle of DOT 4 for very long, it will absorb enough moisture out of the ambient air to render it ... if not worthless, at least unsafe.  (Because the water can "boil" in the brake system when it gets hot under braking, creating steam bubbles which will make your brakes go "soft".)  In fact, I don't like to keep a capped but mostly empty bottle sitting around, because of the amount of moisture in the air that's trapped in the bottle.

Moral: Always add brake fluid from a new bottle.

Ramification: Whenever you need to ADD brake fluid, you may as well completely flush both the front and rear systems.  One bottle of DOT 4 is plenty enough to do both.  Then dispose of the remainder.

Besides a low fluid level, another reason to replace the fluid is if it's old or discolored.  Do you have any idea how old the current brake fluid is?  What color is it?  Most brands are pretty close to clear.  If your fluid is dark at all, I would say it's time to buy a bottle of DOT 4....

PS - Stay tuned for Srinath's testimonial for DOT 5.  It's not hygroscopic!  (But you're theoretically not supposed to mix it with DOT 3 / 4.  But he says you can successfuly bleed out all traces of the 3 /4 and he's done it on umpteen bikes, and ... well, I'll leave it to him.)