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Spongy Front Brake, Hardly Stops The Bike!

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Hello,

Im looking for some big help here, My bro's bike has had a spongy front bike since he had it, i i though i would take caliper of and do the usual strip down rebuild kinda thing!

Im still in the garage 5 hours later. The brake is now worse than when i started but i just can pinpoint a problem!

So far i have:

Striped and rebuilt caliper,

Unstuck pistons

Clean all holes

Bled brake with no syringe

Bled brake with syringe

Bled from top

Bled from bottom

I have even striped it all down and rebuild it on the bench, once with caliper highest and once with lever highest!!!

Brake worse than when i started......... rrrgghh

Really what could be the problem here, It was working ok ish before i started so im sure all parts are working?!?!

Help

Could be the seals in the master cylinder. Or the issue could be with pads or the disc.

  • Author
Could be the seals in the master cylinder. Or the issue could be with pads or the disc.

i think i can count the pads and disc from being the problem because the pads are really good and the disc seems ok, also not sure that this would cause it to be spongy!

even tho im sure it is bled properly i can still pull the level all the way in no matter what adjustaments i make on the lever?!?

would master cylinder seals cause it to be spongy? and would they leak if they were gone??

  • Author
How old is the brake fluid that your using ?

Its pretty old a think, maybe 2-3 years lol,

I just been back out to the garage (again) And i took the seals out from the master cylinder and gave them a clean,

There is a def improvment but still a little spongy! i wont be able to test performance till the morning!

Dam its 11:30pm

If you can pull the lever all the way in , like you stated , and there are no external leaks , the master cylender is bypassing internally . Get some new rubber bits for the master cylender and some new brake fluid and you'll be fine . And if Brake fluid has been laying about in a opened container for more than a week or two , throw it out and get some from a sealed container . Brake fluid is very hydroscopic (absorbs moisture ) and old brake fluid will corrode the bores in the hydraulics . Fresh fluid is cheap insurance ...

Glenn

  • Author
If you can pull the lever all the way in , like you stated , and there are no external leaks , the master cylender is bypassing internally . Get some new rubber bits for the master cylender and some new brake fluid and you'll be fine . And if Brake fluid has been laying about in a opened container for more than a week or two , throw it out and get some from a sealed container . Brake fluid is very hydroscopic (absorbs moisture ) and old brake fluid will corrode the bores in the hydraulics . Fresh fluid is cheap insurance ...

Glenn

Ok im off to bvm this morning before work to buy a master cylinder seal kit. Is it worth me getting a new piston set on sale or return or is it def gunna be matser vylinder

  • Author

This is atatring to anoy me know,

Bought new pistons and master cylinder seal kit,

I have even tried new discs and pads!

The brake does work now put its very poor, 3 fingers are needed to stop,

This is atatring to anoy me know,

Bought new pistons and master cylinder seal kit,

I have even tried new discs and pads!

The brake does work now put its very poor, 3 fingers are needed to stop,

So if you have good lever pressure now, just poor stopping ability, take your liter bottle of water with you, go run down the street and back making a couple of good hard stops with the front from 5th gear to warm up the rotor and pads, then quickly douse the disk with the water to shock cool it. Do this a couple times, then resume normal operation or let set a bit. Try it again later and re- douce it if needed. :thumbup:

New pads need to thermo cycle a bit to firm up, and disk need a good steam clean.

Edited by copemech

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