Honda-SOHC

SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB350/400 => Topic started by: Athame57 on July 09, 2025, 05:00:25 PM

Title: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Athame57 on July 09, 2025, 05:00:25 PM
Is it just me, or is it everyone? When I service my brakes, in this case painting the fixed pad housing and polishing oop the caliper and surrounding bits.
I'll finish by setting the clearence between fixed brake pad and disc, but I can never get it so that the caliper adjustment bolts head fills the counter sunk hole, I have replaced it with the new bolt you see here to no avail. Is this actually normal?
See image, this is how it is set now.
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: exvalvesetdabbler on July 09, 2025, 07:54:28 PM
Need a  tougher spring or the moving pad is a bit sticky. Need to put the feelers guage in and squeeze the brake lever a few times, while you have had it apart, gravity has been up to mischief and fluid had flowed down the pipe and the moving pad had come out a bit.

Regards
Dave
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: exvalvesetdabbler on July 09, 2025, 08:04:34 PM
When I do it I put the feelers gauge in and then squeeze the fixed pad and arm against the disc  by hand and then tighten down the screw until the feeler guage is stuck fast then back off the screw quarter turn.

Regards
Dave
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Athame57 on July 09, 2025, 08:06:50 PM
Need a  tougher spring or the moving pad is a bit sticky.
But where to get this spring, I've trolled the earth to no avail.  ::) That said, after my brake caliper was siezed and I found a friendly non bike mechanic from east of europe who heat treated it and got me back on the road my brakes have come  a long way, whole system renewed or restored basically. Even now I'm waiting for a trio of nuts and bolts to arrive from DSS. I am quite happy with the action of the spring, I've had a good look at things, but not had anything to compare it with either.  :(
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Athame57 on July 09, 2025, 08:07:36 PM
When I do it I put the feelers gauge in and then squeeze the fixed pad and arm against the disc  by hand and then tighten down the screw until the feeler guage is stuck fast then back off the screw quarter turn.

Regards
Dave
Right, part of tomorrows do list!  ;D
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: exvalvesetdabbler on July 09, 2025, 09:13:04 PM
My front brake is a source of frustration. Have to bust the glaze off the pads once a year to stop them squealing.  When the old ladies drop their shopping bags at the bus stop it's time to clean them up. 

Problem seems worse with modern pad material.  Slathering grease everywhere makes no difference and I still have the nylon ring between the pad and piston.


Regards
Dave
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Athame57 on July 09, 2025, 09:39:12 PM
When the old ladies drop their shopping bags at the bus stop it's time to clean them up. 


In 1982 riding past the Leather Lane Market in EC2 London with brake squeal I had an orange thrown at me!  ;D
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: exvalvesetdabbler on July 09, 2025, 10:57:40 PM
I'll try that outside the chippy, might get a free supper😊👍
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Rayzerman on July 09, 2025, 11:16:22 PM
For squealing, the old trick is to bevel the leading edge of the pad.
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: exvalvesetdabbler on July 09, 2025, 11:29:13 PM
For squealing, the old trick is to bevel the leading edge of the pad.

And take the glaze off with fine abrasive on a flat surface, followed by a good squirt of brake cleaner.
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Athame57 on July 10, 2025, 01:35:29 AM
For squealing, the old trick is to bevel the leading edge of the pad.
Already done mate!  ;)
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Bryanj on July 10, 2025, 02:47:54 AM
Just to horify everybody Citroens solution to squealing front brakes was to dip your finger into coppaslip grease and put 3 to 4 finger stripes on each side of both front discs.

The theory was that the copper grease would get into the voids in the pads and not stop the braking force.

I would NOT recommend this on our sustems, Citroen had a very high pressure braking system run from the same system as the infamouse suspension
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Athame57 on July 10, 2025, 03:10:35 AM
Just to horify everybody Citroens solution to squealing front brakes was to dip your finger into coppaslip grease and put 3 to 4 finger stripes on each side of both front discs.
Sacre Bleu!  :o  'Squeal stops, brakes don't!'  ;D
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Bryanj on July 10, 2025, 03:58:25 AM
Brakes worked just as well as before mate, didnt make sense to me either
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Laverda Dave on July 11, 2025, 09:03:07 AM
Are you 100% sure the swing arm is moving George. I have taken mine apart before even though it felt free to move but it wasn't until I actually removed the whole thing that I found it was sticking. If the two o-rings are missing from the pivot pin water gets down there (even when you wask the bike) and it results in the pin rusting plus a bit of aluminium to steel corrosion going on results in the pivot becoming sticky.
I would take it apart for piece of mind, clean the pin with a bit of fine emery or wire wool and do the same with the arm where the pivot fits. When you reassemble make 100% the two o-rings are in good condition and sit in the recess. Be warned, Honda OEM o-rings are expensive, do yourself a favour and buy a box of various sized o-rings from eBay, much cheaper and you will always use them.
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Laverda Dave on July 11, 2025, 09:04:03 AM
Are you 100% sure the swing arm is moving George. I have taken mine apart before even though it felt free to move but it wasn't until I actually removed the whole thing that I found it was sticking. If the two o-rings are missing from the pivot pin water gets down there (even when you wash the bike) and it results in the pin rusting plus a bit of aluminium to steel corrosion going on results in the pivot becoming sticky.
I would take it apart for piece of mind, clean the pin with a bit of fine emery or wire wool and do the same with the arm where the pivot fits. When you reassemble make 100% the two o-rings are in good condition and sit in the recess. Be warned, Honda OEM o-rings are expensive, do yourself a favour and buy a box of various sized o-rings from eBay, much cheaper and you will always use them.
Title: Re: Brake Caliper adjustment bolt
Post by: Athame57 on July 11, 2025, 12:07:05 PM
Are you 100% sure the swing arm is moving George. I have taken mine apart before even though it felt free to move but it wasn't until I actually removed the whole thing that I found it was sticking. If the two o-rings are missing from the pivot pin water gets down there (even when you wask the bike) and it results in the pin rusting plus a bit of aluminium to steel corrosion going on results in the pivot becoming sticky.
Hi Dave, I have both O-rings and I can spin the thing around like those olf football rattles! I've really pulled everything out and cleaned meticulously plus new grease.  ;)
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