Motorcycle Racing Forum

Motorcycle Racing => Wrenching => Topic started by: Fast4fun on February 24, 2007, 07:46:53 PM

Title: Caliper clean and rebuild.
Post by: Fast4fun on February 24, 2007, 07:46:53 PM
How important is it to replace the caliper bolts if I plan on cleaning the brakes? The manual recommends replacing them.
Title: Re: Caliper clean and rebuild.
Post by: CWALSH on February 25, 2007, 01:57:35 AM
I assume you are referring to the bolts that join the caliper halves together and not the mounting bolts. Some calipers use aluminum bolts and some use coated steel or stainless steel in an effort to prevent the metals from reacting with one another. If they are stainless or coated steel I would reuse them. If they are aluminum, which are not that common, I would replace them due to fatigue from removal. When I say I, I'm referring to myself and not telling you it is OK to disregard your service manuals advice. For something as important as your brakes, it is best to follow all suggested service procedures outlined in your manual.  Your milage may very. good luck
Title: Re: Caliper clean and rebuild.
Post by: GSXR RACER MIKE on February 25, 2007, 12:43:30 PM
I will offer that you should use a torque wrench on any critical bolts and nuts, a thread that has been overtightened just 1 time will never have the holding strength that it originally did. Ever notice how the factory stuff seems to stay tight forever then once you work on something some of the bolts seem to loosen, this is due to the thread having been overtorqued most likely, it doesn't take much to do it either. Of course the bolts MIGHT still stay tight, but that is probably due more to luck of not having overtorqued them when tightening by hand.

This info was straight from a major bolt supplier to industry who gave a seminar for our management on increasing bolt life and safety, so take it for what it's worth.  :thumb:
Title: Re: Caliper clean and rebuild.
Post by: REM6a on February 25, 2007, 02:53:00 PM
You guys are right but I think the proper term is a TTY bolt or Torque To Yield.
Just states its only good to a certain torque once and should be replaced after.
Just torque it down to specs and you should have no worries, its just the manufactures protecting them selves.
Title: Re: Caliper clean and rebuild.
Post by: GSXR RACER MIKE on February 25, 2007, 05:17:55 PM
I'm not talking about 1 time use bolts, I'm talking about bolts in general as/per the bolt manufacturers knowledge of what happens to any bolt once it's been over-torqued. But if those particular bolts are truely a 1 time use bolt I would be concerned using them again in a brake application.
Title: Re: Caliper clean and rebuild.
Post by: tzracer on February 26, 2007, 03:14:07 PM
If you are referring to the bolts holding the claiper halves together, you should not need to loosen/remove those bolts to clean/rebuild the calipers. The only reason I would split the halves is if there were a leak at the caliper halves (oring to fluid from leaking out. If you are going to split the caliper halves, I would replace the orings - make sure you can get them.