Brake my heart -- it's my lucky day!

[3Phase]

So there I was, getting ready for a nice, long, uneventful trip up north starting tomorrow and I decided to gleep the stainless steel brake hoses from Bush, my '79 Special, because the front brakes on Columbo have been getting a little mushy.

As I rolled Columbo into the garage and stopped, ye olde right front brake line popped down by the caliper banjo fitting and the brakes died instantly as brake fluid went everywhere but into the calipers.

The 'new' stainless steel hoses fit nicely. It took very little time to bleed the air out of the system and the brakes definitely work much better than they did with the old rubber hoses. I didn't take any pictures but the old hose split open radially at the end of the banjo fitting. There was no sign of cracking or bulging on any of the old hoses two weeks ago when I replaced the stock brake disks with the slotted brake disks from the XJ and put in all new brake pads.

From looking at it I would guess that someone let the front brake calipers hang by the brake hoses instead of supporting the calipers with a piece of wire attached to the fender when they changed the front tire or worked on the brakes.

Yes, it's my lucky day! I was >that< close to heading out on the road tomorrow morning and I wouldn't have made it past the first stop sign.

[Cobia]

WOW!
Talk about luck. You just used up a couple of years of life expectancy!!!

[XS1100 Newbie]

I am glad you caught it. I would not have wanted to hear the words you would have been spouting tomorrow when you were all loaded up. See you when you arrive.
Bob

[3Phase]

You just used up a couple of years of life expectancy!!!

Oh, yeah!

I think the pucker mark on the seat will only take a few hundred miles before it goes away but I have to fix some shelves in the garage tonight before I can leave and at least one of the cats got into the brake fluid so there are kittycat tracks and patches of hairy brake fluid everywhere that have to be cleaned up.

See you when you arrive.

Bob, I might have to wait and head north on Friday instead of tomorrow. I had a minor monkey wrench thrown into my travel plans a few minutes ago (besides the brakes!).

I just opened up my last spare tach and it's no good, either. All three of my spares have broken windings in the needle drive motors so I have to go to Sun Diego early tomorrow morning to pick up a tach from Garth and that's going to add at least six hours to my travel time.

At least I know the brakes work!

[motoman]

Good to hear.....when things go correctly. Now got me wonderin' bout the originals on mine....and they work really well......hmmmm.....tick....tick.....tick....

[3Phase]

Good to hear.....when things go correctly.

Yeah, it's about time, too! I got lucky and I only knocked down some shelves and scared the heck out of the cat. It was funny as all get out... now.

I just got some great news: LateXS has a tach I can borrow so I can get some sleep instead of flying the red-eye express to San Diego then turnin' and burnin' back up north!

Now got me wonderin' bout the originals on mine....

I'd say, "Change 'em." I've heard that the brake hoses don't always show any outward signs before they pop.

Do you want the clutch plates? I can bring them but I'll have to allow room for expansion when I head up into the mountains or they'll knock the lid off the saddle bag!

[motoman]

I've heard that the brake hoses don't always show any outward signs before they pop. Guess yours would be proof of that happening.


Bring them if you have a void that can be filled........the expansion will only occurr when lathered in the lubricant of choice.......would I be assuming correctly that your LD ride includes looping it down this way from the northwest coast?

[79XS11F]

GLAD you discovered that in the garage and not on the street.
Brake lines fail from the inside out so they always look good on the outside. This is why the manufacturer recommends replacing them every 4 years no matter what they look like. Everyone who reads this thread would be wise to check their lines very closely. If your brakes are real spongy and there no air left in the lines to bleed out, then the lines are likely TOAST.
Rob

[natemoen]

GLAD you discovered that in the garage and not on the street.
Brake lines fail from the inside out so they always look good on the outside. This is why the manufacturer recommends replacing them every 4 years no matter what they look like. Everyone who reads this thread would be wise to check their lines very closely. If your brakes are real spongy and there no air left in the lines to bleed out, then the lines are likely TOAST.
Rob

My lines are the originals still have the little rings on them that say 1977 DOT This winter they are getting changed!!!!! Brakes still feel nice and firm in the front. Rears dont work so well. There was some crap (probably rust) in that short chunk of steel line that I had to clean out to get anything out of them. They help and slow me down some but not well. This winter will be a big winter for her. After about 17 years she is finally going to get the attention that she deserves! And those brake lines are going to be right up near the top of things to do!

Glad you found out in a safe situation and not out on the road!

[3Phase]

The new brakes worked great on the ride up; so much better than before! Of course I didn't get 50 miles out of Simi Valley before the horn button broke off (Uh, pardon me, just one more thing!).

LateXS made some new buttons out of brass so the starter and horn should work for a couple of centuries after the rest of the bike is a pile of dust -- thanks!


Brant, I'm planning to make the loop through Colorado. The bike's getting good gas mileage this time but I didn't bring the clutch plates this trip, I ran out of room!

[motoman]

No problem Scott.......think my existing ones are fine.....just replacing the springs I think will resolve. After readjusting at the throw-out, it's been fine. Also, need to know approx. when that loop will land you here, Thanks, Brant.

[3Phase]

Also, need to know approx. when that loop will land you here, Thanks, Brant.

From here in Vancouver, WA I'm looking at another 1,400 to 2,000 miles up to Vancouver, B.C., across Canada or Washington and down to Salt Lake city.

I think it'll be the end of this week but it depends on the route, how the bike runs, who has time off from work and how many wimmin' they have to hide when I get there!

[motoman]

No problem........no hurry........later the better as We're thinking of camping Labor weekend....least part of it anyways. Don't wanna miss ya........hmmmm, echos familiarity. Anyways, give my cell a ring to keep us posted,970-40-7221! Ride safe, not hard.....wanna keep that scoot in tact!

[XS1100 Newbie]

Been a wet day today for Scott. Raining all the way north. He said he is doing fine, bike is fine, but getting crusty from the road spray.

[natemoen]

Been a wet day today for Scott. Raining all the way north. He said he is doing fine, bike is fine, but getting crusty from the road spray.

That is unfortunate that its wet!