What's up with my front brake calipers?

[MotoFo]

Hello. I’m new to the group. I recently bought a 1980 XS1100SG and I'm going through it before I ride it. I want to take the forks off to service but I’m having issues with the front brake calipers. The bike came with a Yamaha service manual but the calipers on this bike do not have the two side bolts (as mentioned in the manual and what I've seen on every other bike) but rather the calipers are held on by a nut/bolt that mounts from the top of the caliper. I removed the top nut (12mm) but the threaded end did not drop out. I don’t want to start tapping on the top of it if there is another way to get the caliper off. First, why is mine set up different? Second, how does one remove the calipers? Taking the front wheel off was a chore - had to remove the fender.

Thanks is advance for any advice/tips.

[DiverRay]

The SG is a "Special", NOT a standard model. The front forks, brakes, and fender are all different, as is a LOT of other parts. You need a service manual for the special. Please send me a PM and I can try and send you the pdf of the manual.
As far as the front calipers, you should be able to unscrew the bolt to remove it. Also, make SURE you look at the brake pads BEFORE removing them! They are each different, and only work if they are in the correct position.

[Ranger_xs1100]

After you remove the top nut, then you'll need to unscrew the bolt from the bottom. The bolt head on the bottom may be covered by a plastic cap that you can just pop out..

[Radioguylogs]

If your factory service manual covers the model year of your bike, it will have a supplemental section in the back to cover the differences for your model.

BTW, there should be a split lock washer under the top brake caliper mounting nut.

Ranger explained how to remove the caliper. I can't believe you got the wheel off without removing the calipers first.

[cajun31]

Like Mike said, I can't believe you got it off with the calipers still attached. Good info on all three answers. You stated you are going through the bike so obviously I would advise you to go through the brake system, front and back. Master cylinders and calipers should be completely disassembled and either cleaned or rebuilt with new parts. Most replace the old caliper pistons with stainless. Depending on the history of the bike you may or may not find pitting on the OEM pistons. The rubber seals also tend to degrade over time. All of the parts for the entire rebuild are readily available on Ebay and many other sources.

[MotoFo]

If your factory service manual covers the model year of your bike, it will have a supplemental section in the back to cover the differences for your model.

BTW, there should be a split lock washer under the top brake caliper mounting nut.

Ranger explained how to remove the caliper. I can't believe you got the wheel off without removing the calipers first.

You are correct! Section 10 covers the SG model. Thank you!

[DEEBS11]

The parts needed for the rear caliper:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/22352691104...kAAOSwzONkIwmX

[DEEBS11]

Parts for front:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/22359227531...sAAOSw5k9jrvSX

[MotoFo]

Parts for front:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/22359227531...sAAOSw5k9jrvSX

Thanks for the link. The fronts are definitely showing some uneven wear.

[bikerphil]

The uneven wear on the pads is normal, new pads will have that same "slant".

[MotoFo]

And while I have your attention, any recommendations on fork seals? Replacement rear shocks?

[DiverRay]

Seals try to find only the Yamaha ones. I seem to remember problems with aftermarket seals not holding up.
The pads in the third picture are oil soaked and need to be replaced. Picture two looks good, you could use them for another six to ten thousand miles.
Yes EACH PAD IS DIFFERENT! You need to pay attention when putting things back together. New pads should be marked for position. The manual will help in figuring that out.
Rear shocks are 12.5" eye to eye. HD takeoff shocks seem to work well, as a lot of HD owners want "fancy" shocks. Remember, this bike weighs almost 600lb without riders, so the springs need to hold that. The "cheaper" shocks for the 750/850 and other bikes in that size range will not have the proper springs.

[cajun31]

Love Brake Crafters products. Very high quality. I was looking at the pictures you posted and it is safe to say that someone has been at those brakes previously. The metal shims are missing. Look at the post currently on the forum concerning squealing brakes and you will see what I am talking about. Might want to consider some of the solutions recommended to replace them.

[Radioguylogs]

I have also been really pleased with Brake Crafters kits.

None of my six bikes have shims on the brake pads, and I don't (currently) have any problems with squeal. I am using some organic and some Kevlar pads.

I once had terrible squealing with sintered pads, but the problem went away when I changed to Kevlar. (Actually I think Kevlar would be a subset of organic pads).

My Vmax had shims, but they were in bad shape. I removed them with no deleterious effects.

YMMV

.

[DiverRay]

MotoFo, My email failed because of the size of the pdf. It looks like you now know you do have the info you need. Let us know if you need more info, as I can send single pages to your email with no problem.