Honda CB750 Sandcast

Carb kits and one more brake question

elisent

  • Newbie
  • *
    • Posts: 47
    • View Profile
What is the best available rebuild kit for KO carbs and where should I go to get them?

Is there a way to fix the little piston on the front brake without having to take the brake apart? If I use the front brakes on my 69 the pads stay engaged with the disk. I can pry them back but they just stick again when I use the brake. I know this is a common problem but don't know the real fix.

Thanks and sorry for all of the beginner type questions this week. Eli


Steve Swan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 2705
    • View Profile
    • cb750sandcastonly.com
Glad to have your questions & for some reason i seem to be finding them 1st to be the one who is answering, so if any one else has better suggestions, let's hear from you !

Glad you were able to get that screw out of the master cyl !

Carb kits - i have used the Keyster kits out of Canada, from - Sirius-Consolidated, they have them for sale all the time & now - Ebay # 4542901453. They seem to work fairly well, i don't think the quality is as good as original Kehin parts, but Kehin parts are EXPENSIVE. I have encountered poorly machined float valve seats that leak. Otherwise the kits are very good overall. Really, i don't feel, other than new gaskets and needle, any other parts need to be replaced.

On the sticking caliper piston - i don't know any way to reliably & effectively make it not stick without dismantling the caliper - not a big job, just takes a little time. The sticking is caused by old broken down brake fluid that over the years has absorbed moisture and other contaminants from the fluid/water in the rubber hoses & against the aluminium, then collected around the piston/cylinder seal, causing the piston to stick & not retract, in turn not allowing the brake pads to float away from the disc. I would suggest, since you are rebuilding the master cyl, rebuild the caliper as well, get the caliper seal from Honda (or K&L). This is the only part that probably will require replacement - unless the piston has corrosion that cannot be removed or pitting. Just gently use a green abrasive pad on the piston & inside of the cyl to remove all contaminants, etc. Then you should be ready to reassemble the caliper and charge the system with new fluid. Always a good idea to replace any of the crush washers joining hoses to brake parts as well as purge the hoses of the old contaminated fluid. I wash out the hoses, junction, other parts using a copious amount of brake cleaning fluid til clear followed by compressed air.


736cc

  • Jr. Member
  • **
    • Posts: 85
    • View Profile
Who needs brakes? Half the fun with old bikes is knowing how to ride with lousy brakes, old tires, leaky carbs, rotted pipes, etc  ::) .The caliper can be taken apart ez if you have compressed air and a rubber blow tip. Seperate the caliper halves. Make sure the bleed screw is tight. Remove the lower metal brake line and blow compressed air in that vacant hole. Watch out, the piston will pop out rather violently! Clean everything w/ fresh brake fluid, lightly rub down piston w/ emery and brake fluid, replace the piston seal w/ new, and re-install.
A quick fix for a stubborn caliper is to whack it w/ a special tool (heavy boot, 2 by 4, etc). Show it who's the boss.   ;)


chrisnoel

  • Full Member
  • ***
    • Posts: 193
    • View Profile
About the front brakes. The line may be building up preasure. The tiny return hole that is in the bottom of the resivoir may need to be cleaned. I tried to use a bread twisty wire on mine as this has worked on several other return holes that I cleand. Our return holes are even smaller than others for some reason and I jambed it up. If yours needs cleaning you might have to find something even smaller.

Good luck Chris.

P.S. get those brakes un-locked. The only thing more dangerous than no front brakes is if it locks up on you. My Father in law went head first down a steep hill when his XS11 flipped over due to this problem.


kp

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 1801
    • View Profile
Hi Eli. I'll get this on the correct topic yet. A not so common known fact, and contrary to popular blief, is that aluminium and water don't mix. What an amazing statement. Yeah ,,, it may not rust like steel but it don't like water either, as for most metals ... ferrous or otherwise. Have a look at those side cases after a few years to give anyone that message. Aluminium has a tendancy to "grow" and "oxidise" in the presence of oxygen (dur) and as we all know water has its fair share of O2. Why do we have engine lock up. Not because of rusty rings but expanded pistons. Vis a vis, brake fluid and water have a magnetic attraction. I might suggest that your brake cylinder casing/master cylinder casing has grown a smidgen and this is binding the piston or?. I am also the PROUD owner of a CBX (I hear boos and jeers) and had a similar problem to yours and despite MY best efforts to rectify the problem, it was a never ending story (or should I say a never ending binding story). I finally found out that a new set of brake pads that I had installed were a wee bit larger than the previous pads and the disc ridges were just a little outside the range of the new pads. Yibbida yibbida, I had the disc's machined and "end of problem".
But my friend, I ended up having a stainless sleeve fitted to the master cylinder and so far my problems have become non-problems. Hail stainless steel
Hope this gives you another angle Eli. KP  :)
Yabba Dabba KP