Replacing rear brake caliper seals..........NOT!

[guzzijack]

OK, so Brembo don't want us to take these things apart for whatever reason and therefore they must figure that the best way to stop Joe Public messing with their products is to make sure that there are no caliper rebuild kits available!

 

After a disc blueing piston seize on the rear caliper of my V10 Centauro, (same caliper as the V11, right?), I did what I've done with all previous calipers I've wanted to refurbish and stripped it down and ordered a seal and piston kit and waited............ and waited............and waited..............and finally received something for what looks like a V50 caliper which of course doesn't fit. No rebuild kit available apparently.

 

So a quick scout around reveals:

 

Brembo P32B Goldline caliper from Teo Lamers is £88.04 (Euro 129.45) plus postage.

 

Found this go kart and bike supplies place here in the UK

 

Ian E Racing

 

Price is £48.55 plus postage but including a set of pads.

 

Deal

 

Probably a good idea to shop around for similar go kart racing suppliers in your own country as it appears these are popular calipers for that application.

 

GJ

[Mr. Bean]

This is a good place to get Brembo parts....

 

http://www.yoyodyneti.com/Category.aspx?CategoryID=3017

 

Randy

[Guest ratchethack]

Nice work, GJ. This is bound to be a valuable "heads up" for many.

 

I (for one) was unaware of the lack of a rebuild kit! In this case, the following may be of greater interest than ever.

 

In the spirit of an ounce of prevention being a worthwhile exchange for a pound o' cure, I submit the following concept, the name (and only the name!) of which was shamelessly pinched without permission from our world-renowned Oracle of Bungendore, who seems to've found himself amongst greener pastures of late:

 

THE INFAMOUS GUZZI "FRONTBOTTOM" REAR BREMBO

 

frontbottom - the design location of the V11 and other Guzzi rear brakes. The "front, bottom" location of the caliper ensures that the caliper will load up prematurely with a combination of brake dust and flotsam and jetsam from the road, caking-up in spectacular fashion into a near-solid mass between the brake pistons and calipers. Garden-variety neglect of regular cleaning of the caliper and the usual lack of regular changing and bleeding of brake fluid will act together, resulting in the hanging-up and dragging of brake pads on rotors and expansion of air and water vapor (from water in the fluid) due to heat build-up in the caliper. This causes dramatic premature brake pad wear, overheating of disks, and eventual brake lock, with potentially catastrophic results on the road. Early warning symptoms - backup "groan" or "squeal". Past early warning symptoms - heat-blued brake rotor. Late warning symptoms - loss of power on the road due to significant braking at the caliper without pedal pressure, followed by complete Loss of firmness at the pedal, and pedal drooping down with no pressure at all. See many posts on the phenomenon.

 

See also description of onset of the problem, identification of THE BIG THREE culprits at work here, and related maintenance discussion here:

 

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?...p;p=57469

 

For those not prepared for my overly-verbose coverage (no offense taken ), I'd summarized things in two points, which I copy below:

 

In summary, attempting to cut through all my wordy analysis and now 2 year-long discovery process, I'd say that:

 

1. The V11 rear brake requires special attention exceeding that required by most other motorcycle rear brakes. This is due both to it's high susceptability to accumulation of brake dust and crud, and the fact that it can't be bled properly using bleeding procedures that work just fine with most other motorcycles. Someone posted a bleeding procedure that calls for leaving the caliper on the bike and pressing the pistons all the way back in their bores to get "virtually" all the air and water out. Now it may just be me, but I'm not happy with "virtually" safe brakes. I find that taking the caliper off isn't much of a chore, (you've got to get it off to get the crud out anyway!), and I'm far more confident knowing with certainty that it's been bled with the bleeder nipple pointing UP, and at least ALL the air is OUT.

 

2. I maintain that because the V11 rear brake is sensitive to conspiratorial attack by "THE BIG THREE" (air, water, and accumulated crud), it's at the very least UNWISE to rely solely on adding free play at the lever as a "solution". I consider this false insurance. I've demonstrated, at least to my own satisfaction, that no amount of added free play at the lever is atonement enough for neglect of a proper defense against the root causes. Proper bleeding and cleaning knocks THE BIG THREE out of consideration. This done at least with every other rear tire change, I've been confident with next to ZERO free play at the lever - and no symptoms whatsoever.

 

There now. Have I finally made a coherent point without stepping on my own foot (- err...brake)?!

[Guzzirider]

Good spot GJ- maybe we ought to start a library in the FAQ section of useful alternative suppliers for stuff like this, headlamp components and valeo starters etc etc

[Baldini]

Caliper rebuild kits aren't available cos of liability situation. Story I heard was some fellow in US rebuilt, had accident, sued & won. So - No kits. The way of the world these days.

 

Pain in the ££££££ arse.

 

KB

 

Thanks for source Guzzi jack

[Guest ratchethack]

Caliper rebuild kits aren't available cos of liability situation. Story I heard was some fellow in US rebuilt, had accident, sued & won. So - No kits. The way of the world these days.

. . .

We have a simply fabulous judicial system here. Have you heard?

 

We've decided it's a good idea to legislate self-limiting (as in suicidal) behavior here in the US as official judical policy!!

 

Just last week, the Supreme Court declared carbon dioxide an official pollutant!!!!

 

We are now officially EXHALING ILLEGALLY here in the US!

 

That's right. CO2, the very component of atmosphere that all plant life requires to sustain life, is now an illegal pollutant here in certain circumstances (soon to become very very very many cirsumstances. After all, we've only just begun...).

 

So, among so very very many other recent examples of brilliant jurisprudence, not only will more people be maimed and killed on the road due to unsafe brakes because rebuild kits aren't available, but now our illustrious judicial system has carte blanche to go after any business (and by extension, any person or group of people) who exhales carbon dioxide for what will of course eventually escalate into the category of gross pollution!!!

 

Not quite accidentally, it would seem, the first of many huge lawsuits to come against OUR OWN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES was proudly launched last week. That's right -- GOVERNMENT AGENCIES are being sued for exceeding "cap and trade" carbon quotas!!!!

 

Guess who picks up the tab for not only the damage award, but all the court costs and legal fees??

 

Meanwhile, of course, water vapor continues to exist as a non-pollutant, even though it's 10X more effective (the sociopathic Eco-Fraud Extortion Nazi nut jobs would say, "harmful") as a "greenhouse gas" than CO2!!!

 

And Algore's Grand Mansion and expansive Compound continues to consume 20X the energy as the average household, but Algore explains that this is OK, because he pays "carbon offset credits" (per the medieval indulgences for sin model) to a company that Algore himself founded, and in which he has an ownership stake!!

 

And so the frogs continue their happy swim in their cooking pot, never noticing that the temperature has crept up a few more degrees, just like it did the year before, and the year before, and. . . .

[Admin Jaap]

This is about brake calipers, no ranting please...

[Paul Minnaert]

Jaap, it's just they love their country so much, they keep on telling it.

[Guest ratchethack]

This is about brake calipers, no ranting please...

Sorry Jaap. I sense you might be pre-emptively nipping something in the bud here. . .

 

But Keith started it.

 

And my post did have indirect Guzzi content. I mentioned brake rebuild kits.

 

I'll be good.

[Greg Field]

I have on the shelf behind me dozens of caliper and master cylinder rebuild kits. All are made by Brembo and currently available. None of them are for the V11 rear caliper. The reason we can't get this kit is because Brembo chooses not to offer one. If the reason for not offering kits was because of a lawsuit, I believe they would stop offering all the kits. So, nice rant, but wasted I'm afraid.

[Baldini]

Greg, Brembo are still supplying rebuild kits? that's good news - I was told that they weren't available anymore & reason by MG/Brembo shop while ordering other parts - I haven't looked for them here. Anyone know if they're available from stock in UK?

 

KB

[todd haven]

I am but a simple Texan, but is the liability more or less for the manufacturer if they offer a rebuild kit,

as opposed to a complete caliper?

 

Don't think anyone could horribly bodge installing a caliper, even if sold complete?

I think they sell Guzzi riders short. And as a result, deserve a lawsuit...

[dlaing]

Won't the P32B seal kit shown on the link that Mr.Bean posted, work for our Guzzis rear caliper?

[mike wilson]

http://www.motomeccaspares.com/shop/browse...wse&feed=BS

 

Plenty of caliper o/haul kits listed. I don't know what number to look for.

[guzzijack]

http://www.motomeccaspares.com/shop/browse...wse&feed=BS

 

Plenty of caliper o/haul kits listed. I don't know what number to look for.

 

Don't think you'll find one for the P32B Goldline caliper as used on the spine frame rear though If Greg can't get a listing for one through Moto International then I'm willing to believe what I've already been told - that Brembo don't do one.

 

Plenty of rebuild kits available for other calipers but for some strange reason that one is missing. If the 'lawsuit' urban myth has been laid to rest, I wonder why that should be?

 

BTW. My caliper from Ian E Racing is on the way.

 

GJ