Blue spot brake seals???
I was thinking of doing that first to see how things are in there. The only thing about that is if I do find a couple of seals that are not very good like you did where do I buy a couple of seals from?
Bit of advice. Buy a good bed and a good pair of shoes, because if you aren't in one you'll be in the other.
I haven't done anything yet Stig. I'm pondering over which way to go with the seal kits I've seen on EBay. I'm going to have a look tomorrow when its a bit cooler. Too hot to do anything in this heat at the moment. 
Bit of advice. Buy a good bed and a good pair of shoes, because if you aren't in one you'll be in the other.
Hi Lads, Yes Stig but I only got a dremel last year.
So a small tip is to get a box of matches, they are strong enough to chip the crud off and you can chisel the end off with a stanley knife at least once, so two tools for one match.
Dont use brake cleaner, just use fluid for everything including the seals. Old toothbrush too.
Make sure each piston goes back in the same hole it came out of, same for the seals. Make sure they are facing the correct way, I think the ID may be tapered.
I doubt Nuggitt will need more than one seal kit, if really necessary, as I`m assuming you checked the seals 2 months ago, I bet its just the grease gummed things up. Brought the boiling point down, maybe attracted dirt to the dust seals too.
Sovol and an old rag does wonders as well.
OGRI
So a small tip is to get a box of matches, they are strong enough to chip the crud off and you can chisel the end off with a stanley knife at least once, so two tools for one match.
Dont use brake cleaner, just use fluid for everything including the seals. Old toothbrush too.
Make sure each piston goes back in the same hole it came out of, same for the seals. Make sure they are facing the correct way, I think the ID may be tapered.
I doubt Nuggitt will need more than one seal kit, if really necessary, as I`m assuming you checked the seals 2 months ago, I bet its just the grease gummed things up. Brought the boiling point down, maybe attracted dirt to the dust seals too.
Sovol and an old rag does wonders as well.
OGRI
Hi OGRI. No I didn't check the seals 2 month ago. I'll get hold of the seller first and see if he's willing to sell me an odd number of seals if I need them. Once I start the job I don't want to be hanging about waiting for them to come in the post. I'm still thinking to buy the full set off Ebay and just clean everything up and bang new ones in. That way I won't be wasting valuable riding time. 
I'm not sure I know what you mean by the match sticks tip? I was going to use a cocktail stick or a wooden skewer to get in the groove as Madonna would say.
I'm not sure I know what you mean by the match sticks tip? I was going to use a cocktail stick or a wooden skewer to get in the groove as Madonna would say.
Bit of advice. Buy a good bed and a good pair of shoes, because if you aren't in one you'll be in the other.
Hey Nuggitt, Oh well if you didn`t take the seals out last time, then you must go back to square one.
For peace of mind then, get one full kit, it will be unlucky if you need more than that and of course increasingly expensive.
Square wooden matchsticks fit lovely in those seal grooves, if you use brass or steel wire brushes you risk contaminating the aluminium surface with dissimilar metal corrosion, when inside a caliper its a disease with no cure really.
You could also take too much off with metal brushes, especially in those grooves.
Having used a matchstick to plough out the groove, slice the end off to make a tiny chisel and get in the corners of each groove, for that is the crucial area for any leaks or ingress of dirt to get a foothold.
I`m guessing the grease has cooked itself onto the piston and perhaps gone hard for example, I would also take the brakelines completely off and blast them through with compressed air.
OGRI.
For peace of mind then, get one full kit, it will be unlucky if you need more than that and of course increasingly expensive.
Square wooden matchsticks fit lovely in those seal grooves, if you use brass or steel wire brushes you risk contaminating the aluminium surface with dissimilar metal corrosion, when inside a caliper its a disease with no cure really.
You could also take too much off with metal brushes, especially in those grooves.
Having used a matchstick to plough out the groove, slice the end off to make a tiny chisel and get in the corners of each groove, for that is the crucial area for any leaks or ingress of dirt to get a foothold.
I`m guessing the grease has cooked itself onto the piston and perhaps gone hard for example, I would also take the brakelines completely off and blast them through with compressed air.
OGRI.
When I do get aroundtuit (stig) with doing the seal change on my blue spots would it be worth spending some scone money investing in one of these piston removal tool?
I've never done a service on blue spot calipers before so I thought this tool might make it a bit easier.
BLUE SPOT TOOL
I've never done a service on blue spot calipers before so I thought this tool might make it a bit easier.
BLUE SPOT TOOL
Bit of advice. Buy a good bed and a good pair of shoes, because if you aren't in one you'll be in the other.
If your brakes seize on, then the heat generated will be massive.
This is a very serious life threatening situation, that you have exacerbated by contaminating the internal braking system with grease.
Which should be scrupulously clean.
Yes you should buy the tool, completely strip the system and clean it all in brake fluid, not brake cleaner.
Brake cleaner is a very aggressive solvent, which I would not dare to come into contact with rubber, no matter what it says on the tin, if some remains hidden inside the system then who knows what the outcome could be, same could be said for the grease.
You are now in uncharted territory.
You are taking a huge risk riding in such a dangerous condition.
Dont want Mrs Nuggitt visiting you in hospital or worse.
OGRI.
This is a very serious life threatening situation, that you have exacerbated by contaminating the internal braking system with grease.
Which should be scrupulously clean.
Yes you should buy the tool, completely strip the system and clean it all in brake fluid, not brake cleaner.
Brake cleaner is a very aggressive solvent, which I would not dare to come into contact with rubber, no matter what it says on the tin, if some remains hidden inside the system then who knows what the outcome could be, same could be said for the grease.
You are now in uncharted territory.
You are taking a huge risk riding in such a dangerous condition.
Dont want Mrs Nuggitt visiting you in hospital or worse.
OGRI.
My brakes are not seized on OGRI, they are just binding a little bit. I'm out tomorrow for a ride because I feel the need for speed. I've ordered those seal kits and loads of copper washers. I'll get one of piston removal tools.
Does the blue spot part have a seal fitted anywhere?
Does the blue spot part have a seal fitted anywhere?
Last edited by nugget on Mon Jul 01, 2019 7:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bit of advice. Buy a good bed and a good pair of shoes, because if you aren't in one you'll be in the other.
Hello Nuggitt, Even slightly dragging brakes will cause a huge build up of heat in very quick order.
At that point they could stick on fully or fail to operate at all.
Ask me how I know this.
The spots will surely be sealed with an o ring, dirt trap, if not then that would be a disappointment.
In any case you should now disassemble the whole system and clean it, removing all traces of contaminants.
If you blow through the brake lines with air, begin at the top banjo, dont blow crud up from the bottom towards the reservoir end.
At that point they could stick on fully or fail to operate at all.
Ask me how I know this.
The spots will surely be sealed with an o ring, dirt trap, if not then that would be a disappointment.
In any case you should now disassemble the whole system and clean it, removing all traces of contaminants.
If you blow through the brake lines with air, begin at the top banjo, dont blow crud up from the bottom towards the reservoir end.
Never had a problem using red seal grease, especially as with genuine brake seals from Yamaha comes with the stuff. I've used brake fluid to reassemble seals into place in the past, but corroded fluid soon builds up again after about 10k & causes the seals to push against the pistons, so causing them not to retract back into the caliper body.
I've rebuilt a lot of calipers over the 44 years i've been riding bikes. Never had to blow through brake lines with compressed air either.
I've also been using a dentists tool for scraping out old crud that's built up in the seal lands without any problems.
I've rebuilt a lot of calipers over the 44 years i've been riding bikes. Never had to blow through brake lines with compressed air either.
I've also been using a dentists tool for scraping out old crud that's built up in the seal lands without any problems.
Hello Yamaexup, Nuggitt said he greased the pistons not the seals, thats quite a lot of grease in the brake fluid chamber itself. When compared with just making the seals "slick" for their grooves.
From that position the grease could fairly easily travel up the brake lines.
He was obviously having problems so soon after already doing it.
Matchsticks are very cheap and available at any corner store, guaranteed not to scratch aluminium or leave any trace of contamination that other metals can leave behind, combined in the presence of a liquid, any scratch even microscopic, could cause that electrolytic corrosion that so typifies dissimilar metal attack, beloved by aluminium.
I was lucky to have my brakes lock up on a car not on a bike. From the dragging piston the front wheel locked up and I could smell it way before it happened, the heat given off by the 15inch alloy wheel was tremendous, no way could you touch the wheel and it could be felt quite some distance away a foot or so, the smell was intense too.
Never want that experience again and I didn`t want Nuggitt to experience it either. Better safe than sorry.
I re-do my brakes every yearish now, they come nowhere near 10k miles.
OGRI
From that position the grease could fairly easily travel up the brake lines.
He was obviously having problems so soon after already doing it.
Matchsticks are very cheap and available at any corner store, guaranteed not to scratch aluminium or leave any trace of contamination that other metals can leave behind, combined in the presence of a liquid, any scratch even microscopic, could cause that electrolytic corrosion that so typifies dissimilar metal attack, beloved by aluminium.
I was lucky to have my brakes lock up on a car not on a bike. From the dragging piston the front wheel locked up and I could smell it way before it happened, the heat given off by the 15inch alloy wheel was tremendous, no way could you touch the wheel and it could be felt quite some distance away a foot or so, the smell was intense too.
Never want that experience again and I didn`t want Nuggitt to experience it either. Better safe than sorry.
I re-do my brakes every yearish now, they come nowhere near 10k miles.
OGRI