Brake rubber bits ?

Can anyone tell me, if seal kits are available for the brake master cylinder and caliper for these bikes, or is it the complete assemblies being ''cheap'', they are not worth repairing ?

The dealers I have contacted regarding seal kits say they hold no stock for these items, tell me the Chinese do repair assemblies not just replace them, seal kits are a maintenance item not so much a repair item.

I have come across the need for the ''rubber'' parts after finding both caliper and master cylinder contain rust which has corroded parts so the assemblies do not function as intended. Interestingly, the corrosion is behind sealed in area of the assemblies, so my guess is the contaminant ingress has not happened in normal road use, it was there before, problems with production perhaps.

Properly functioning brakes are essential.

My first bike had leaky master cylinder seals and it was less than fun to replace... even with the parts in hand.

The master cylinder and caliper units for these bikes are pretty inexpensive and it's likely better to buy a new set if you can find them.

CC

Brake cyl renovaton kits....don't even think about going there, cos I have and you not only buy the kit you end up buying a proper repalcement cyl. As CC says, they're not that pricey.

In any event, why take any risk whatsoever with brakes? :naughty:

Hi Sprocket,

I have a dealer that is asking me right now for rebuild kits for some of the Calipers and I am going to see how my staff in China can do this week on finding them. I would be more than happy to tell you how that goes.

Cheers,

Art

I think with me, I come from a generation where if something is not right, then it must be fixed and that by repair, so with brakes, my past experience with both aircraft maxaret units and commercial vehicle hydraulic brakes, is to repair if parts are available to repair with, I abhor this replace the complete assembly mentality, it is pure waste of resources and money. Also by repairing one gets to understand about how things work, so further future fault finding becomes a cinch.

Now judging by the fact I have found corrosion behind the seals in my spare caliper and master cylinder, I am suspicous now of the hydraulics fitted to my bike, for I know that is unlikely to have been serviced as the engine never was in just short of 4000 miles, if the moisture ingress is happening prior to assembly of parts, then problems are being set up, knowing this, it is me to strip and examine and repair if parts are available.

Now to forego repair and replace the assemblies, the thought is, are the replacement assemblies as bad, are they corrosion free, I suspect not, as where there is steel and aluminium in close proximity to each other and the right kind of atmosphere, corrosion will occur. I take it it like here, it rains a lot in China, if so, a damp atmosphere, perfect conditions for corrosion.

But on the assembly of brake hydraulics, one thing I know from past experience, is have the right tools available, rubber gloves and assemble the parts wet, i.e. liberally covered in brake fluid, that way rubber seals are no problem, everything slides together perfectly, as if it is the correct action of the assembly, which it is.

If these China bikes are to become established elsewhere in the world, then they will have to look at supplying maintenance parts, carb kits, seal kits etc as many people prefer to tinker and repair, the throw away mentality is becoming to wear thin in this enviromentally aware world we live in and by stuff being repairable, it is likely it will have a market for now and the future.

It is not just money saved in repair, it is the satisfaction of repair. The more we just replace, the less we understand.