Rear Brake Help Needed

[White Dog_imp]

Yesterday I removed the rear brake lever and had it bent today. Now, I can't get everything back together. If I install the master cylinder first, I cannot get the brake lever on its post. If I install the brake lever first, I cannot get the bolts in to hold the master cylinder. What am I doing wrong and how do I get this mechanism back together? I assume the threaded rod which goes into the master cylinder must be in parallel to the cylinder. Yes, I still have the brake light switch and the return spring to install.

 

[Lord Popgun]

Well, it appears that in the pic, the brake hoses are too short? Making it hard or impossible to align the mounting bolts?

The pub says to remove the hoses to get it off and put them back on after installation. Other than that, it LOOKS like you may have to hold up the step holder and bolt it up.

White dog,

I have your email. I'll send the scans of the pages on this. The manual says to remove the hoses to remove the master cyl. and to put them back on after re-installation. There are also some nice exploded views of the parts.

In your case, it LOOKS like the hose is too short and you can't get the bole in. So maybe holding up the step holder and bolting it up is what you may have to do. I could be wrong...

Give me a few to scan the pages and send them to you.

sorry about the weird double like post, not sure what happened.

 

[White Dog_imp]

Well, it appears that in the pic, the brake hoses are too short? Making it hard or impossible to align the mounting bolts?

The pub says to remove the hoses to get it off and put them back on after installation. Other than that, it LOOKS like you may have to hold up the step holder and bolt it up.

White dog,

I have your email. I'll send the scans of the pages on this. The manual says to remove the hoses to remove the master cyl. and to put them back on after re-installation. There are also some nice exploded views of the parts.

In your case, it LOOKS like the hose is too short and you can't get the bole in. So maybe holding up the step holder and bolting it up is what you may have to do. I could be wrong...

Give me a few to scan the pages and send them to you.

sorry about the weird double like post, not sure what happened.

I'll try holding up the step holder frame. Memory tells me there wasn't much trouble removing the lever.
If I have to disconnect the hoses, won't that introduce air into the system?

 

[Lord Popgun]

Oh yeah, first step in pub. Drain brake system. IF you have to remove the hoses, the rear is EASY to bleed. I had to bleed mine when NEW. Yeah I wasn't happy, yeah it had a lot of air. Look back on old posts if you want to hear me whining about it not being done under warranty.

But to quote Godfather II, " I let it go.."

 

[White Dog_imp]

Well, DUH! All I had to do is turn the master cylinder over and bolt to the step holder from the OTHER SIDE of the master cylinder. Everything should go back together now. All I lack is the brake light switch, return spring and reinstall the step holder. Stupid me!

 

[Lord Popgun]

I've never done anything like that... :angel:

glad you figured it out! Sometimes a little help does the trick even if the help isn't always right

I did send the scans. BUT, the email hung up right after I sent them. Says they went out. Let me know if you don't get them.

 

[vfrpaul98_imp]

Yesterday I removed the rear brake lever and had it bent today. Now, I can't get everything back together. If I install the master cylinder first, I cannot get the brake lever on its post. If I install the brake lever first, I cannot get the bolts in to hold the master cylinder. What am I doing wrong and how do I get this mechanism back together? I assume the threaded rod which goes into the master cylinder must be in parallel to the cylinder. Yes, I still have the brake light switch and the return spring to install.

looks to me as if the master cylinder mounts as in the enclosed photo, note position and direction of hoses and brake line stop casting on the top of the master cylinder and it's location to the heal guard casting
looks to me as if the master cylinder mounts as in the enclosed photo, note position and direction of hoses and brake line stop casting on the top of the master cylinder and it's location to the heal guard casting

 

[Randy B]

I swapped out my peg plates last year, but I didn't get any pics of the process, just the plates on the ground.

As I recall I to had a slight issue with the installation due to the improper orientation of the hydraulic lines, but I got it all sorted out and was GTG.

 

[White Dog_imp]

Success! Thanks for the help. I had the lever heated and bent down 1 5/16" so my size 11 shoe should not "ride the brake lever" anymore.

 

[Randy B]

Very good sir.

 

[White Dog_imp]

I've never done anything like that... :angel:

glad you figured it out! Sometimes a little help does the trick even if the help isn't always right

I did send the scans. BUT, the email hung up right after I sent them. Says they went out. Let me know if you don't get them.

I knew it couldn't be all that complicated but mental lapses occur these days. I did get the scans, thank you. I ordered the Factory Manual early last week but Helm seems to take their sweet time sending out publications. Hopefully I won't need it this week.

It it ever quits raining, I'll give it a test ride. I was on my Goldwing today coming home from lunch when another shower began. By the time I got to my neighborhood, 1/2" hail was pelting down and that does not feel good. It was so hard I could barely see but made it home safely. Of course my clothes were drenched but the dryer fixed that. :banana:

 

[White Dog_imp]

Not only was the CB1100 designed for small people to ride, they had to be made by people with small hands.

 

[emptysea]

Hey...I'm glad this all worked out for you, but in defense of the longer-of-hoof and just in case some new person with a size 11 (or larger) should stumble upon this thread, it should be noted that your issue with your brake lever has nothing whatsoever to do with the size of your feet. It does have to do with the position of the brake lever and the amount of play in it on your bike and possibly with your foot position on the peg. This modification is completely unnecessary for the vast majority of riders, even if they have larger feet, but for those riders who are riding the brake and cannot come up with an easier solution, it's great that they have this thread as a resource.

 

[White Dog_imp]

Hey...I'm glad this all worked out for you, but in defense of the longer-of-hoof and just in case some new person with a size 11 (or larger) should stumble upon this thread, it should be noted that your issue with your brake lever has nothing whatsoever to do with the size of your feet. It does have to do with the position of the brake lever and the amount of play in it on your bike and possibly with your foot position on the peg. This modification is completely unnecessary for the vast majority of riders, even if they have larger feet, but for those riders who are riding the brake and cannot come up with an easier solution, it's great that they have this thread as a resource.

So my solution does not apply to you. In my situation, it appeared that my original ill-designed brake lever was higher than the foot peg, making it difficult to avoid resting my toe on the lever. There was no "free play" in it, either. Even though Honda had enough foresight to allow the rider to lower the lever (max. 1/2") that was not enough. Riding with my foot pointed outward to avoid the brake lever felt awkward. It might work for you but not for me. With my brake lever now over 2" lower than the peg I don't have to worry about "riding the brake lever" and the rear brake is something I seldom use anyway. I try to rest my feet on my highway pegs as much as possible. Hindsight says the CB1100 is too small for my 6 foot frame to ride comfortably.

 

[emptysea]

Exactly my point. Your solution applies to your particular bike and perhaps some others. Not all CB1100s have this problem and not everyone who has larger feet has a bike with the lever higher (or even even with) the peg. Of those riders where there these two problems come together, there may be some who ride with the balls of their feet centered on the pegs and thus would probably not encounter the problem of riding the brake. I only made my post so that someone who is a new CB rider and has large feet would not automatically assume that he would need to make the adjustment that you made. Rather, he might want to ride with someone following to see if he is riding the brake in the first place and, if so, he may want to look to some other, less-involved, solutions.

I'm 6'1" (34" inseam) and a size 11 foot. Yes, the riding position is more cramped than I would like (I may pad the seat at some point), but it's just so dang fun to ride that I'm not going to complain too much about being cramped. Being stuck in my office on a 75 degree day--now THAT's "cramped".

 

[White Dog_imp]

Exactly my point. Your solution applies to your particular bike and perhaps some others. Not all CB1100s have this problem and not everyone who has larger feet has a bike with the lever higher (or even even with) the peg. Of those riders where there these two problems come together, there may be some who ride with the balls of their feet centered on the pegs and thus would probably not encounter the problem of riding the brake. I only made my post so that someone who is a new CB rider and has large feet would not automatically assume that he would need to make the adjustment that you made. Rather, he might want to ride with someone following to see if he is riding the brake in the first place and, if so, he may want to look to some other, less-involved, solutions.

I'm 6'1" (34" inseam) and a size 11 foot. Yes, the riding position is more cramped than I would like (I may pad the seat at some point), but it's just so dang fun to ride that I'm not going to complain too much about being cramped. Being stuck in my office on a 75 degree day--now THAT's "cramped".

Sorry about the office thing. I'd be interested to hear your plan for padding the seat. Yeah, the bending I had done might be a tad overkill but I don't want to pay for another rotor anytime soon. I warped mine in less than 500 miles, unaware my toe was resting on the brake lever, causing excess heat to the rotor.

I've never done anything like that... :angel:

glad you figured it out! Sometimes a little help does the trick even if the help isn't always right

I did send the scans. BUT, the email hung up right after I sent them. Says they went out. Let me know if you don't get them.

I knew it couldn't be all that complicated but mental lapses occur these days. I did get the scans, thank you. I ordered the Factory Manual early last week but Helm seems to take their sweet time sending out publications. Hopefully I won't need it this week.

It it ever quits raining, I'll give it a test ride. I was on my Goldwing today coming home from lunch when another shower began. By the time I got to my neighborhood, 1/2" hail was pelting down and that does not feel good. It was so hard I could barely see but made it home safely. Of course my clothes were drenched but the dryer fixed that. :banana:

I knew it couldn't be all that complicated but mental lapses occur these days. I did get the scans, thank you. I ordered the Factory Manual early last week but Helm seems to take their sweet time sending out publications. Hopefully I won't need it this week.

It it ever quits raining, I'll give it a test ride. I was on my Goldwing today coming home from lunch when another shower began. By the time I got to my neighborhood, 1/2" hail was pelting down and that does not feel good. It was so hard I could barely see but made it home safely. Of course my clothes were drenched but the dryer fixed that. :banana: My factory manual arrived today.

 

[Lord Popgun]

...My factory manual arrived today.

Whitedog!

 

[Jim21680_imp]

This isn't related to the original post, but no need to start a new thread.

I replaced my rear pads a few weeks ago, but I didn't replace the caliper bolt, as I believe Honda recommends.

Now, I occasionally feel a click or a slight shift when applying the rear brake, which never happened on the original pads. Could the bolt be the culprit?
I'll feel pretty silly if so, but I can't see how the stretch of the original bolt would allow for this type of play in the caliper. (It's in the wrong plane of motion).

Is anyone else's rear caliper floating like this?

 

[Jim21680_imp]

So....anyone feel like wiggling their rear brake caliper for me???

 

[the Ferret]

Jim, I just went out to the garage and tried it, and my caliper wiggles. It appears to be mounted thru a rubber bushing? At 38,000 miles I'm on my 3rd set of brake pads and the caliper bolt has never been replaced. Can't say that I've ever noted a click or shift when applying the brakes though.