Topic: Problem with EBC Brake Pads

[jmelche2]

1972 CB500 - So I went to install a new set of pads to get rid of the dreaded brake squeal.  I sprayed some CRC on the back of pads and I cannot for the life of me get the pad into the caliper.  It has a super tight fit and I don't want to force it in there.  The old pad goes in smoothly.   

Has anybody experienced this?  I can just imagine trying to return these.   

[calj737]

Common to need to sand the edge of the pads ever so slightly to fit them in. Remember, these calipers are 40 year old castings and modern brake pads are made to much tighter tolerances and many times for mono block calipers that are machined.

[jmelche2]

I should have mentioned I took the side of the pad to a brass wheel and still could not get the pad in.  Thanks

[calj737]

Inspect the walls of the caliper, they too need to be perfectly clean and smooth. Any chance the piston is not retracted and you are mis-interpreting the conflict as size, not depth?

[jmelche2]

Inside of caliper is spotless.  I kept at it with the bench grinder/brass wire brush until I could get the pad in.  The squeal as bad as the previous set - Ugh!!!

[calj737]

Some recommend Dow Corning high temp grease as an aide to reduce the squeal. Also, you might also check the runout on your rotor as vibration from uneven wear can contribute.

[Kbecker]

I remember reading that the thick paint EBC uses on the metal piece that holds the pad itself is the problem. Sand that paint off and it should fit nicely into the caliper. I had this exact issue with my CB550K0.

[flybox1]

all the paint on the sides of the metal backplate needs to be sanded off. 
deglaze your rotor
chamfer the leading edge of the pad, if it was not done already.
ENSURE you have perfect alignment between the face of the piston-side caliper, and your rotor.
the brake pad needs to meet the rotor near perfect, or it'll ride on an edge at first and squeal.
do this with th ebrake pad out, and a few small straight edges.  one on the rotor, another on the face of the caliper.

the stationary pad, on the inside(medial side) of the caliper arm, typically has a bump on the back.  this makes the pad conform to its side of the rotor.  just be sure the rotor to pad gap here is correct.

[jmelche2]

all the paint on the sides of the metal backplate needs to be sanded off. 
deglaze your rotor

What is the process to deglaze the rotor? 

[flybox1]

remove the rotor and rough up both sides with we emory paper on a sanding block

[Muckinfuss]

A proper rotor prep should be done with fine emery cloth only and done in a cross hatch pattern.  I use an angle grinder with 2 inch green sanding pads or purple 3M pads only.    This is to bed your pads not just to clean the rotor, just like on a car.  Careful with the grease behind the pad trick.  Grease can be hygroscopic and that means it will pull moisture and hold on to it.  Then you get rust behind the pad and on the puck.  I would only use synthetic brake and caliper grease and on then on metal to metal (sliders, edges of pad, not the pad back, etc.

CRC makes a non spray, pink liquid polymer in a tube specifically made for behind the pad anti-squeal.  I have had much better luck with this approach than the spray stuff, but you must follow the directions to the letter and give the beads you lay down at least ten minutes to air dry.

[Dunk]

I have new EBC pads on my K1. They fit fine, I adjusted caliper to spec (.006" or whatever it was pad to rotor). I hit the rotor with either 80 or 120 grit on a line sander  until it was clearly deglazed and the small lines/grooves from wear were less noticeable. Squeals pretty bad at light to moderate pressure, pull harder and it's quiet. I used no grease on any components and I don't recall a chamfer on the leading end of either pad.  It sounds like file/sand a chamfer on the pads and put some specific for disc brake grease on all contact areas?

Also my caliper is loose in the bracket. I get a clunk over large bumps like speed bumps and general parking lot BS. Annoying, but I've read about shimming below the caliper pivot to take out the slack and plan to do that soon. Any chance a more positively located caliper will reduce sqeal?