Topic: Siezed front brake caliper on cb750 - is this a sign?

[kine8282]

I found a 74 cb750K on craiglist for $300 here in So Cal. It needs ALOT of love but before I can start to work on it I need to be able to move it to bed of my truck. I checked it out last night and found that the front caliper is siezed so its impossible to move. Oh and the bike is parked on grass.

The 2 allen bolts that hold the caliper together are stripped so I can't disassemble the brake. I guess I can try to take the front wheel off but the 4 bolts are rusted, if it was in my garage i would be able to take it off without a problem but I have to get it there. Any suggestions? I was thinking of trying to cut through the brake pads but I would think that would take way too long.

The bike has been outside for 20 years, it wasnt directly exposed to the elements since it was covered under a heavy tarp. I'm looking for a cafe project so I dont been a cherry bike but is the stripped bolt and siezed front brake a sign I should just keep looking?

The inventory here and within the 400 mile radius for CB K's earlier than 76 is slim and average around $2000...please chime in with your thoughts

[MCRider]

I found a 74 cb750K on craiglist for $300 here in So Cal. It needs ALOT of love but before I can start to work on it I need to be able to move it to bed of my truck. I checked it out last night and found that the front caliper is siezed so its impossible to move. Oh and the bike is parked on grass.

The 2 allen bolts that hold the caliper together are stripped so I can't disassemble the brake. I guess I can try to take the front wheel off but the 4 bolts are rusted, if it was in my garage i would be able to take it off without a problem but I have to get it there. Any suggestions? I was thinking of trying to cut through the brake pads but I would think that would take way too long.

The bike has been outside for 20 years, it wasnt directly exposed to the elements since it was covered under a heavy tarp. I'm looking for a cafe project so I dont been a cherry bike but is the stripped bolt and siezed front brake a sign I should just keep looking?

The inventory here and within the 400 mile radius for CB K's earlier than 76 is slim and average around $2000...please chime in with your thoughts

It could be that the Master Cylinder is at fault. THey often get gummy and when one squeezes it the pads engage the disc, but then they don't relax when the lever relaxes. The quick fix for that is to release the pressure in the lines by loosening one of the brake line fixtures, like the bolt/banjo right at the master cylinder, or at the junction block on the fork. Takes a 14mm wrench and some fluid will drip out so have a raag handy. That will allow the bike to roll but the first time you grab the brake lever it will lock up again.

Or it might be the caliper

[736cc]

Whack the caliper w/ a 2x4 really good and shoot wd40 on disc.

[Geeto67]

the caliper is usually the very first part to seize up when a cb750 has been sitting. Doesn't matter how it was stored. When I bought my first 75 cb750 the bike had been sitting a little less than a year and the front caliper was already sticking (everything else worked and the bike ran fine).

To get the piston to retract on a stuck caliper I usually soak the brake in pb blaster and then hit the caliper squarely with a rubber mallet. 9 times out of 10 I can get it to retract enough to

whenever I have to move a bike with no front end or a frozen wheel I get out a furniture dolly and put it under the front wheel and I can then slide it around. My ramp is pretty wide and flat so getting the dolly up into my trailer is rarely an issue.

WD40 is kinda the wrong tool for the job (it is a water displacer not really a penetrant oil) but PB blaster, liquid wrench, kroil are way better.

[MCRider]

WD is usually in the front of everyone's minds, and works a little bit.

But that PB Blaster is amazing stuff.

To answer Kine's questions about getting that overall bike, for your purposes probably its as good as any. Once you get it home, rebuilding or even replacing the brake is something that's done to most anyway.

[gregk]

If breaking the hydraulic system open at some point doesn't work, why not just take the whole caliper bracket off the fork?  Seems to me that is only 3 bolts.  A bit of a fiddle working on the inside of the fork bottom but it might work.

Greg

[kine8282]

Thanks for the input guys!

[moham]

kroil are way better.

all hail kroil.

[754]

 Already said,
Whack the caliper shoud work ,first thing i would try.. if that fails take out 3 bolts.

Stripped brake bolts hints at an IDIOT having worked on it, seems to me  they are 8mm hole ( correct me if wrong) whick means an 8MM or a 5/16 should work, but that is not what they used obviouslly.. Check over the rest carefully, looking at fasteners.

If I was buying I would ask to pull chain cvover off to check for case damage, if there is offer him half.. use the buggered caliper as a bargaining point..

[Terry in Australia]

If all else fails, remove the disc mounting bolts and just push that sucker onto your truck!