Learn from my mistake!

[Gen2Jockey]

It's not too late. Learn from my mistake! My '07 with around 30K on it was showing signs of a worn front brake master cylinder last year so I rebuilt it and now it works / feels like I think it should, short of having SS braided lines. I had noticed the rear brake lever seemed to be hanging a bit or not returning as it should. In planning my winter maintenance, I included rebuilding the rear brake cylinder thinking that after 30K I guess these bikes need it since the front did. Now doing a fluid refresh is no big deal especially with the speed bleeders I installed but removing the rear linked and ABS brake cylinder is another thing. It's going to require a complete system bleed and an ABS modulation plug to get all that air out. All the tupperware is off the bike so there's little danger in fouling paint. I removed the pin that attaches the rear brake cylinder to the brake lever and then proceeded to empty the reservoir, remove it and plug the hose with a bolt. I loosened the bolts holding the master cylinder to the footrest bracket and then loosened the footrest bracket from the frame. That gave me enough flex to remove the banjo bolt that secures the brake line to the back of the cylinder. I placed a rubber stopper thru the banjo fitting to keep fluid from draining out. With the brake cylinder free I tested the piston expecting it to be sticky or not move at all without the benefit of the lever. It moved freely. CRAP! I test the rear brake lever. It barely moves. UGH! Assumption handed it to me today. After taking apart the brake lever assembly and cleaning it, things moved freely. I could have avoided the rear brake rebuild and the dreaded ABS bleed. Of course I went ahead and did the rear brake cylinder rebuild and got everything back together. In an attempt to reduce the amount of air that would need to be pushed thru the system I broke loose the banjo fitting on the top of the ABS block, the nearest high point in the system where I could perform a mechanical bleed. I still need to do an ABS actuation but most of the air was pushed out there. A standard bleed procedure was followed for the rear linked system and it ended with very good lever feel. All's well that ends well. My advise is before breaking into a sealed system, test along the way to make sure your troubleshooting is correct. It would have saved me a little $ and several hours. Now, go make cleaning and lubricating the rear brake lever part of your regular maintenance routine. Cheers!

TG, "Doing it the hard way since 1963."

 

[Bugnatr]

Thanks for the info and glad you got the job done but.......

30K on a 07?

It's still Friday, right?

 

[mcatrophy]

Sticking rear brake lever is well known among FJR aficionados, written about many times on this forum.

It can also lead to the ABS warning light illuminating. Quite why I don't think anyone here really knows, though I've seen some ideas, such as the ABS computer saying "We're accelerating, but the brake is on. WTF? Must be something wrong. Light the ABS light".

The suggestion is that you periodically lubricate the lever's pivot. I now check mine for free movement whenever I check tyre pressures. Same goes for the front brake lever and (if you are unfortunate enough to have one

) clutch lever.

 

[MEM]

Thanks for the info and glad you got the job done but.......
30K on a 07?

It's still Friday, right?

The noobs don't have an appreciation of the Dogpile :thumbsup:

 

[hppants]

Theres a much easier way to flush the ABS block. You need a 2" jumper wire. Its documented on this forum.

Master cylinder (front or rear) issues are not at all common on this bike. Yours is the first Ive heard of in a very long time.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Theres a much easier way to flush the ABS block. You need a 2 jumper wire. Its documented on this forum.
Master cylinder (front or rear) issues are not at all common on this bike. Yours is the first Ive heard of in a very long time.

Very True my friend but how many times have you heard of a 12 year old FJR with only 30K miles? Perhaps the riding season in Dallas TX is very short?

Yeah, the rear brake lever sticking is a well known issue. Usually pointed out by the rider behind noticing your brake lights staying on.

 

[rbentnail]

Talk about doing it the hard way! Glad you got it sorted out. An 89 cent dual alligator clip jumper wire works fine but if you'd like something a little fancier -> https://www.fjrowners.com/forums/11-fjr-parts-servicing/145887-fjr1300-abs-test-harness.html

Aforementioned service documentation -> https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/136000-test-and-maintain-your-abs-system/?hl=maintain

Also sent you a PM.

 

[BanjoBoy]

This is why be'in a lazy ******* has it's rewards; I always try the easy stuff first.

 

[RossKean]

Even with only 30,000 miles, I don't know how you managed to get 12 years without cleaning/lubricating the rear brake pivot!!

For me, it is something that gets checked frequently - especially after riding in wet weather. Complete pivot service (along with left-side shifter linkage/pivot and hand brake/clutch levers) at least once per season.

For what its worth, on my original '07, I put close to 200,000 miles on it without ever doing anything with the master or slave cylinders for braking systems or clutch. As far as I could tell, the brakes worked as well when I sold the bike as they did when it was new. I'm very much surprised that you found it necessary to do the front (or the rear) brake master (or slave) cylinders unless a lack of regular fluid changes allowed sufficient moisture ingress to cause corrosion over time. (I do brake and clutch hydraulic fluid replacement every two years.)

 

[Geezer]

In my experience, things like the rear brake pivot need more attention when they are not used regularly than when they are used daily. Waterproof lubricant helps.

 

[Knifemaker]

Yep, not going by the flow chart. You move downstream. If something sticks, lube it and then go from there. Don't know how many times we had someone think their throttle return spring was bad when it was just a sticking throttle tube or cable.

 

[1911]

Master cylinder (front or rear) issues are not at all common on this bike. Yours is the first Ive heard of in a very long time.

Not common but not unheard of https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php/topic/170964-spongy-brakes/?hl=%2Bmaster+%2Bcyl

 

[Panman]

115,000 miles on my 07 and I have never need to cycle the ABS pump with the jumper deal. I do find me a local gravel Rd an cycle the pump, first doing the front then rear a couple of times each a couple of times a year. I always do that just before and after a brake flush.

At 56,000 or so miles I pulled the calipers and blew the pistons out and carefully cleaned the seals with brake fluid then cleaned the calipers with brake clean. It was a kicks and giggles thing. At the same time I greased the rear shock linkage puled the swing arm checked the grease (waste of time).

The FJR is sitting quietly waiting for me to do it all again while I'm riding the S-10, so many irons in the fire it won't happen till July.

 

[FJR Flyer]

All you need to jump the ABS to bleed it is a female spade connector. Fits perfectly over the two side-by-side pins in the test connector. Then just follow the procedure to get it to initiate the cycling.

 

[GMAK]

Very True my friend but how many times have you heard of a 12 year old FJR with only 30K miles? Perhaps the riding season in Dallas TX is very short?

I'm pretty close, but <35K. Yes, many parts of the world winterize and store their bikes in their off season. In Dallas(aka Texas), I just frequently park the

bike for long periods in the summer. It can be gruesome.