Topic: Ugh... I wish I had more skills - front brake problem

[Jeff]

OK, my stock front brake lines were looking really bad. Plus I've had the CB550 for almost two years, so at the very least a fluid replacement was due.

I decided to go the stainless steel braided line route. I bought the following parts:

Goodridge Platinum Series Universal Brake Line

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?store=Main&skuId=198392

Russell Brake Line Fitting Chrome 10mm Banjo x #3 Male 90°

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?store=Main&skuId=191339

K & S Hydraulic Brake Light Switch

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?store=Main&skuId=210369

Russell 10mm Aluminum Banjo Bolt Washers

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?store=Main&skuId=27487

Russell Brake Line Fitting-3/8 in.-24 Inverted Flare-#3 Straight

http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=&store=Main&catId=416&productId=p191350&leafCatId=&mmyId=


I'm getting leaks all over. I can see brake fluid bubbling out where the ends of the line are crimped. I don't think the ends are bad on the line, but I don't know for sure. I'm fairly confident that the problem is with something I did or did not do. Where do the crush washers go? Only on both sides of the banjo? Or at every fitting? Do I need teflon tape on the threads? If so... which ones? All of them, just certain ones? And what kind of teflon tape? The white tape plumbers use?

I've done this process once before on my 98 Superhawk I had... and it was a breeze. This has been a royal pain in the ass. As some of you may know by previous posts... I'm not even close to a mechanic, but I do the best I can. I didn't have anyone to teach me stuff when I was a kid, so I learn as I go, and ask lots of dumb questions.

Thanks in advance.
Jeff

[jmckinne]

Jeff do you have any pics of how you actually installed all the new gear on your bike? Also where in MN are you? I'm in Chaska (SW metro).

[Hush]

You've got the right idea Jeff, not sure myself about the washers but anything like a car hydrolics then a washer either side of the coupling I'd say.
You should not have to use "caveman" type strength to torque them up either, just a nice tight fit.

[Jeff]

I don't at the moment have any pics. I'll take some tomorrow if I get a chance and post them up.

Oh and I don't live in MN anymore. I guess I forgot to update my profile (it's updated now). I used to live in Taylors Falls, about an hour NE of the Twin Cities. It was a nice little town. I miss living there.

I moved to IL just over a year ago to be back closer to family after the birth of my daughter.

Jeff

[jmckinne]

Sorry, I thot if you were close I could swing by and help. If you get some pics it would help me to see what it might be.

Taylors Falls is a great little town, we used to go there often. My oldest son's middle name is Taylor because my wife went into labor when we were camping at Interstate Park - no sh-t

[Jeff]

Awesome story about your son's name.

I'll try an get some pics tomorrow. I think I have too many crush washers in place though. I have them at every place there are threads. Tomorrow I'll redo it and have the washers just on either side of the banjo and see if that takes care of it.

Jeff

[05c50]

Jeff,
   If the hoses are leaking at the crimps, the hose is bad (not likely). Most likely, the fittings are leaking. The threads do not seal,the flares do all the sealing,so no tape is needed. The washers go on both sides of the banjo fitting. I had some trouble with my lines....the hoses and fittings had different threads-metric and American standard.They would thread together,but wouldn't seal. Maybe that's your problem. 

.......Paul

[Bodi]

I wonder if goodridge hoses are compatible with russel fittings? I used russel hoses and fittings and it worked absolutely perfect with no leaks. There are too many different flare fitting types that look roughly the same and may even thread together to begin to list - and you need exactly the right mating pair for them to seal at brakeline pressure.
The crush washers are only for banjo bolts. One on each side of the hose banjo fitting - so from the MC end you'll have washer - banj0 - washer - bolt head. No wahers on any other fitting.
Teflon take is useless here, the fittings seal at the flare and the threads just hold the flare ends together.
I have particular doubts about the hard line connection. I took one (the hard line) to a hydraulic shop to have a braided line made, and the guy said the hose connection flare fitting wasn't anything he recognized and he didn't have the proper mating end. I decided to use Russel DOT legal parts and used a banjo on the brake caliper, eliminating the hard line.

[Cannibal]

-3 lines will fit -3 fittings (pronounce 'dash three'), it's an AN (Army/Navy) standard. Doesn't matter who makes the lines and fittings, all have a 37* flare and same threads. What gets me thinking is the fact that you used a 3/8 x 24 fitting. Don't know about your setup, but on my metric bike, it uses metric fittings. In particular, my brake fittings on my 750 k6 is 10mm x 1.25, but I haven't measured the caliper hole.

Now, as mentioned, crush washers only go on either side of a banjo fitting, one against the master cyl, one against the banjo bolt head (or banjo switch in your case) with the fitting in between. By your list of parts, looks like you are running from master cyl directly to the caliper, bypassing the 'T' and have the brake hard line removed from the caliper.

So, screw the -3 line directly onto the banjo fitting, no tape, no washer or anything. If you look inside, there will be a female 37* flare to mate up to your male 37* flare on the banjo fitting. That's the sealing point, make sure its clean and without marks. Same thing on the caliper end. Now, remove that fitting from your caliper and look inside the caliper, these will have a 45* flare. Fitting will have male or female, caliper needs to have the opposite sex flare. Again, no tape or washer, flare is the sealing surface.

**NOTE**THE FOLLOWING IS ASSUMING THE CALIPER IS METRIC THREAD, I'M NOT SURE BUT I REALLY CAN'T SE AN AMERICAN THREADED CALIPER ON A JAPANESE BIKE**

If you screwed a 3/8 x 24 fitting into a metric hole, I bet it went in with some resistance, and you may have screwed up the threads. Take one of your old banjo bolts (or your current banjo switch, these have a 10x1.25 thread) and see if it threads easily into the caliper. If so, you might be ok if you get the right fitting, but then you might find that when you try to tighten, it strips.

Steve