A Man's Gotta Know His Limitations...
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 382
Likes: 4
From: Pacific NW
A Man's Gotta Know His Limitations...
I spent today after work trying to change my rear brake pads to Lyndall Gold. Everything came OFF alright in the beginning...
While trying to inspect my pistons, I had one of the them break it's seal and spill DOT4 all over the place. I cleaned up the area and pressed on...
Getting the pads back on proved to be a slight hassle and the sticky brake-quiet agent got ALL OVER my pads/calipers/hands. Once on, I tightened everything down and - despite my best efforts - the rear caliper still wobbled up and down.
Not to mention...I wasn't quite ready to bleed my brakes, but now have to since I broke the seal on the piston and spilled DOT4.
Are these common "growing pains" or do some people just have to realize they're not mechanically inclined and it's cheaper to have the dealer fix things instead of paying for your botched maintenance?
While trying to inspect my pistons, I had one of the them break it's seal and spill DOT4 all over the place. I cleaned up the area and pressed on...
Getting the pads back on proved to be a slight hassle and the sticky brake-quiet agent got ALL OVER my pads/calipers/hands. Once on, I tightened everything down and - despite my best efforts - the rear caliper still wobbled up and down.
Not to mention...I wasn't quite ready to bleed my brakes, but now have to since I broke the seal on the piston and spilled DOT4.
Are these common "growing pains" or do some people just have to realize they're not mechanically inclined and it's cheaper to have the dealer fix things instead of paying for your botched maintenance?
Kudo's to you for pushing on.
First purchase I always make with a bike...the service manual.
With that said, there are some things I would just rather not tackle...most anything can be done with time...but on some jobs I would rather it was someone else's time, not my own.
I would find a local Indy that I trusted before going to the dealer.
First purchase I always make with a bike...the service manual.
With that said, there are some things I would just rather not tackle...most anything can be done with time...but on some jobs I would rather it was someone else's time, not my own.
I would find a local Indy that I trusted before going to the dealer.
__________________
DKCustomProducts.com
DKCustomProducts.com
Road Warrior
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,463
Likes: 12
From: San Antonio, TX
Marinepilot81,
I've botched a few jobs that I have attempted only to learn that in hindsight it would have been cheaper to hire a pro. On the other hand I have succeeded in alot of the jobs I have attempted, some of which I was not convinced I "knew how to complete".
Few expressions that come to mind are. We learn from pain/mistakes and...knowledge is DOING.
I give you credit for taking on that job. I would not have to be honest. I consider myself mechanically inclined but by no means a mechanic.
At this point it's more about how much time the job will take. I don't have a lot of time to allocate to working on my ride at this time, so off to the shop it goes for the time consuming jobs. Seems like you learned a few things along the way. I would have paid someone to deal with brakes because I simply do not have the time to do the job.
Kudos to you.
btw...seems like you got that engine upgrade sorted out. Good for you!
Cheers,
Tom
I've botched a few jobs that I have attempted only to learn that in hindsight it would have been cheaper to hire a pro. On the other hand I have succeeded in alot of the jobs I have attempted, some of which I was not convinced I "knew how to complete".
Few expressions that come to mind are. We learn from pain/mistakes and...knowledge is DOING.
I give you credit for taking on that job. I would not have to be honest. I consider myself mechanically inclined but by no means a mechanic.
At this point it's more about how much time the job will take. I don't have a lot of time to allocate to working on my ride at this time, so off to the shop it goes for the time consuming jobs. Seems like you learned a few things along the way. I would have paid someone to deal with brakes because I simply do not have the time to do the job.
Kudos to you.
btw...seems like you got that engine upgrade sorted out. Good for you!
Cheers,
Tom
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,030
Likes: 195
From: Harford Co., Maryland
I made the mistake of pushing the brake pedal all the way to the floor with the caliper pulled on my Jeep. Even though I made a mental note before starting to not touch the brake pedal with the caliper pulled. Sometimes if you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough. lol.
Marinepilot,
Was your sig pic taken at "The Eye of the Needle" in the Black Hills? Looks very familiar.
Marinepilot,
Was your sig pic taken at "The Eye of the Needle" in the Black Hills? Looks very familiar.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,133
Likes: 125
From: Japan
More than anything, make sure you get the shoes seated into the springs and that they stay seated as you re-install the caliper. I did the job about a year ago with the help of a more experienced friend, but still botched the job. The shoes probably came out of the springs as we were putting the caliper back on. Seemed to work alright for awhile, but as I was screaming down the highway with a bunch of other friends one day on a semi-long distance tour, I (and one of my buds) noticed a ringing sound coming from my bike. Nudging the rear brake stopped it for a few seconds but it came right back. We pulled over and had a look. All seemed fine except that my rear brake rotor was SUPER hot around the edge. We took it in to the closest HD dealer and the took the caliper apart. They were about to put it back on, saying that nothing was wrong, but upon further inspection, they found that the pads weren't seated correctly in the springs and that the spring was rubbing on the rotor. They bent the misshapen spring back with an needle-nose plier, but said I might need a new one eventually. $70 later I was back on the road. I chalked that up to the price of experience. Will I try it myself, again? Absolutely! Won't learn unless you try. Now I know what to look for and be careful of.
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 382
Likes: 4
From: Pacific NW
Was your sig pic taken at "The Eye of the Needle" in the Black Hills? Looks very familiar.
Eh, I live 1 mile from a dealer. I'll suck up my pride and ask the dealer to fix it haha.
Trending Topics
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,362
Likes: 13
From: georgetown ky
There is a easy way to change the brake pads on the non ABS bikes. It shouldnt take no more than a hour for all 3 . I havent tried on a ABS model yet. A Harley mechanic told me how to do this.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 6
From: Kingman, AZ
How do you feel about it today? Over the years if I botched something or ran into a job that stumped me I sleep on it, come back the next day and everything "clicks" after I had a chance to clear my mind.
Road Captain
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 591
Likes: 23
From: Statesboro, GA
Growing pains for sure..... in the past 35 years I have built several bikes and hot rods from the ground up. I still make mistakes, most of them down right stupid! Like last weekend while installing my UltraCool, I managed to break one of the voltage regulator mounting tabs.......UGH! **** Happens! Then we fix it and try not to do it again.....