Stuck back brake. Advice please :)

[ChicoChef530]

Hey all, this is my first post. I just purchased an xj 1100. It is the fastest and smoothest bike I have ever ridden! My only thing I need to fix is that the back brake sticks. The dude I purchased it from is an airline mechanic and took nice care of it. He said he rebuilt the calipers and is sure that is not the problem. He said he thinks it is the master cylinder. Does this sound right?

If you press the back brake it then sicks and you have to bleed the back brakes and then he said it actually can return to sticking even if you do not use the back brake at all which I find odd. I think this is a great bike I just need to find how to fix this back brake. Thanks for any advice you all can provide.

[Ken Talbot]

Yes, the problem is in the rear master cylinder. There is a small orifice that is supposed to bleed off the pressure in the lines when you take your foot off of the pedal. The orifice is plugged and needs cleaning. Have a look at this info from the tech tips section here at the forum.

You'll also want to spend a bit opf time browsing through the various areas in the tech tips, from maintenance, to repairs, to modifications. There is an incredible amount of stuff there. Also, the search button at the top of the page will helop you find a lot of good info on a wide range of topics. After approximately 14,000 threads, we've accumulated almost an overwhelming amount of good stuff.

[trbig]

It's been a while, but it is one of these holes in this pic.




On the XJ1100, the back brake pedal operates the back and the front left brake calipers. Cleaning this "Spooge" hole allows the fluid to return when the brake is released. If it can't return, vibration going down the road, heat expansion, etc will cause it to swell. Clean the hole and change out the brake fluid. Many also recommend new lines since these are rubber and 25 years old... but that is your call. Bleeding them will take a fair amount of fluid since it is travelling up to the front also.


Tod

[ChicoChef530]

Thanks for the quick responses guys! Glad I found this site.