What to do about my brake calipers...***SOLVED***

[blah]

Howdy,

A few months back I had the brake seals changed both front and back at a Yamaha dealer as I was too busy to do them myself and felt it would be best to get the brakes sorted by a professional.

Anyway about 6 weeks later I had an incident where whilst on a dual carriageway I braked to discover I had no front brakes. This revealed itself to be brake fluid poring from the calipers and when the garage to look at it again they said that the seals had 'twisted' themselves within the caliper causing the seepage. They stripped the calipers down and refitted genuine seals as they questioned whether the aftermarket seals where slightly out of shape to cause this. Apparently it is unheard of.

Now I've had the bike back for a few weeks and have discovered that the front pads are dragging on the discs quite badly so I'm figuring the pistons are not returning.

When I picked the bike up from the garage after having the seals refitted they stated that there was some corrosion by the dust seal and that if I had anymore problems then it was down to the caliper not the seals or standard of the repairs.

I paid a fair bit getting the seals done and I don't want to go back to the garage to be told that it will be more costly work involving a new caliper.
The whole point of going to the garage in the first place was to get them done properly first time and to make sure they would be safe.

I'm wondering where I stand on this as to whether the garage can 'blame' the problem on the caliper or whether this should have been detected initially before the seals were ever fitted.

I'm tempted to strip the caliper down myself to try and sort the problem, but with paying the garage to fix it in the first place, I'm wondering whether it would be best to go back and dispute it with them. Just don't want a further bill as a result!

[showaddydadito]

So - they fitted one lot of seals and when these failed they replace them saying that the problem could be caused by some hitherto unmentioned corrosion.

I'd be going back there and demanding to know why the potential problem with the corrosion was not brought to your attention on the first occasion - especially for an item so safety-critical as the front brake.

You should name the dealer on this site - then tell them you have done so and that you are sharing with the members of this site what they have done so far and will be sharing with us what their response is.

You're in Staffs - I'm in Cheshire and thinking of buying a new Yamaha - so I, for one, would like to know who this dealer is anyhow, because I want to immediately cross them off my list of places to visit.

Dave

[DahDit]

Why did the Yamaha Dealership fit non-Yamaha seals in the first place?

There has been a few threads here about pattern seals from a certain web supplier being slightly too big to fit and unfit for purpose. It sounds like they're trying to pull the wool over your eyes to say it's your/the bikes fault, not their shoddy servicing.

If they fitted non-genuine, safety critical seals to brakes that they did not adequately clean up and subsequently charged you for doing "a good job", I'd be demanding they sort it properly this time. They've put your life at risk by botching the job and I'd be writing to Yamaha UK about this.

At the very least they'd be interested in why the dealership fitted parts other than those from Yamaha, on a Yamaha.........

[bobh]

Agree with all the above.

And I'd report them to Yamaha. Forget "The customer is always right" - The manufacturers are the ones who can apply really worthwhile pressure. I know of one dealer in the Oxford area who lost their Yamaha franchise following complaints - they went under not long afterwards.

Getting back to your own situation - make no mistake, this is a serious safety-critical issue. At the very least I'd insist on getting them to do the job properly for free. If you can't get that out of them, then see if you can get an independent engineer's report (it would help if you're in the AA or RAC) as ammunition when you take it further up the chain.

Anyone who's done a caliper overhaul on an older bike (and not-so-old - I had a similar problem on a 3-year-old Suzuki a few years ago) knows that cleaning the crud out of the seal grooves is a) essential and b) time consuming, which is why dealers tend to neglect it. The fact is, you are paying them for, and ought to be able to expect, a professional job; it is up to them to flag up any unexpected issues (though on an older bike, as I've already said, crud in the seal grooves is hardly a surprise) they might come across while doing the work and let you know any extra costs involved before going ahead.

It wasn't DK by any chance? There have been some horror stories about them in the past on other forums, though I thought they might have cleaned up their act a bit now.

[blah]

Yeah to summarise the first time the bike went in, the front and rear caliper were stripped down and new seals fitted, I thought they were fitting genuine ones, but found out later that wasn't the case.

After the front brake failed, it went back in, had the front brake stripped down and new seals and pads fitted FOC, but was told that there was corrosion on the calliper and that this could affect it again, and that if it does then the calliper is to blame. They did redo the seal FOC and fitted new pads, but the problem seems to be back.

The brake is now even worse and is binding badly. I will have to take it back, but don't want to be fobbed off. I am a bit suprised as they have been really good in the past and have helped me out and offered advice on how to do the work myself if I have been too skint to pay for the work.

No it wasn't DK I have heard horror stories about them too. It was K2 in Stoke. Like I said haven't had a problem with them before, this is the first incident.

[blah]

Right took the bike back today and they checked the brakes and said it is fine. new pads could be causing the rubbing noise but the brake is working fine and that there is nothing to worry about which is good. They noticed my chain was a little tight as well so they adjusted that for me.

They stated that the axle was dry and needs regreasing and probably the bearings too. Anyway, on the way back today got a clunking coming from the back brake when coming to a stop and now a loud whirring noise when I push it backwards. Could the whirring be down to lack of grease on the axle and readjusting it could have aggrivated it? Look at the back caliper and it doesn't look like anything is catching or rubbing.

Getting to that point now where I've had enough!

[bobh]

Whirring noise pushing back could be just the top run of the chain rubbing against the rubber chain guide if they've slackened it off a bit too far. The clunking is a bit more worrying, though.

I'm confused - you said in your penultimate post that the brake was binding badly, but now you say it's OK. And I'm not sure how a dry axle would be the cause of any noise.

Ideally it woud be good if you could get the bike to an experienced forum member who can give an unbiased opinion. I'd gladly do it but I'm a bit too far away (Oxon) I suspect. Any volunteers?

[blah]

Well it seems I was overreacting with the brakes. I had the front up on a paddock stand the other day and when I spun the wheel it did one and a bit turns and stopped with the brakes making a dragging noise. They did this initially when the brakes seals went and then the pistons began not returning hence seizing brakes. Okay they are not that bad, but I noticed they sounded like they were dragging more so I became concerned.

They reassured me that it's nothing to worry about and is normal considering new pads have been fitted. This is my first bike so I am still learning about what is 'normal' and what needs further investigating.

The wheel is clunking though and as it comes close to stopping, or it sounds/feels like its coming from the rear wheel.

The whirring I am still baffled by and had a mate have a quick look and he was just as puzzled. Considering the axle is deprived of grease I figured I better sort that asap and check the bearings so I will do that tomorrow weather permitting.

[showaddydadito]

Blah

I've sent you a private message - take a look.

Dave

[m40man]

Jul 20, 2011 10:00:10 GMT showaddydadito said:

Blah
I've sent you a private message - take a look.
Dave

I get those all the time from Trev. Not sure if I'm being stalked or groomed .

[showaddydadito]

'ere - you get back in yer box

[m40man]

Jul 20, 2011 10:31:52 GMT showaddydadito said:

'ere - you get back in yer box

Yep - that's the kind of thing he tells me .

[blah]

Thanks for the message, just sent you one back.

Right, I am hoping I have sorted it. Had the back wheel off and cleaned the bearings and axle up as well as regreasing them and the noise and clunking has stopped. ;D

Fingers crossed!

I will keep an eye on the brakes and consult the garage again if I feel there is a problem, but I will trust them for now if they say they are fine and in good working order.

Cheers for the help guys, I was beginning to tear my hair out!

[ukd4v1d]

I had problem with binding brake because my seals were shot and the pistons were pitted.

I only purchased seals from ebay (cheap as chips non yamaha ones), give my calipers a really good clean out (very time consuming to clean the seal grove) and cleaned pistons up with wet flat & WD40.
I can now return pistons by hand and brakes are working lovely. If i lift front end and spin wheel spins freely without binding.

I bet your discs have got a bit of a age related groove in them, once that grove has gone into your pads the binding will stop.

I've going to do the back next as one side of the caliper is better than the other, i've got spare front seals both size i wonder if one of them will fit the rears lol

[bobh]

I think the back ones are bigger.