Rear brakes, Okay,I've not seen this one before...

[AlBaer]

I recently removed the lower brackets on the sides of the bike to install a rubber heat barrier. All of this in an effort to stay cool....
I've now had the right bracket off a few times to get to the rear brake pedal.
I take the bike out and all seems normal, but then the after awhile the rear brake gets pumped up and locks. Actaully not only the rear the front too because of the linked sysytem. The only way to release it is to open the bleed valve on the rear calper. I called a trusted Honda Machanic friend and he says that with screwing around with that bracket I must have messed up the padal adjustment. He says there must be free play so when the brake fluid heat up it's not gonna lock down, like it is.. I've tried adjusting the padal but the only adjustment is to raise or lower the pedal. Is there another adjustment for free play?
I was able to ride it 40 mins. in town today before it happened. I had all the brake fluids changed last year and the bike is an 03. The last dealership that I had it into said he did all the recalls.. Although when I asked which ones, he said they were not for brakes. Did the 03 have the proportioning valve recall? One last thing, the bike has not been ridden since last Sept. Could there be a blockage somewhere?
I'm at my whits end and my week off is now over...... Any ideas?
thanks in advance!
Al

 

[Simmons1]

Hopefully you don't have the same problem I did:

https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7016

 

[AlBaer]

Rear brakes

Hi,
No the fluid level looks correct. Wow, I just read through what another guy went through.. Crap, this bike is no longer under warrenty......
Where should I start??????
AL

 

[AlBaer]

Rear brakes

Hi,
Actually, the rubber that I mounted I did have mounted under the rear master cylinder. I took that out and it sits bone stock..... The rubber is only covering the big hole. It mounts from the top bracket bolt on front an back up to and under the seat mounting gear. The rear brake is not touched..
Atleast that I can see.....
AL

 

[Mike]

I doubt it's air in the system, sounds like you pumped the pucks out a wee bit. Now you have some dirt or corrosion on the pucks and when you pushed them back in some of that crap lodged around the o-ring seals. This is a common problem. Quick fix is to clean around the pucks, proper fix is to take them out, clean them up and use new seals.

I had the same problem with my first tire change, cleaning the pucks before forcing them back in solved the problem. I have done four tire changes since and following the procedure seems to remedy the problem.

 

[AlBaer]

pucks

Hey, what the puck is a "puck" are you talkling about the piston?
Did a brake job on the rear last summer during my long trip. Right after the trip the bike was not ridden till now. Sept- March, OHH way too long!!!
so are you saying take the rear caliper apart remove the piston and clean it out?
AL

 

[Mike]

Nah, I pop off the caliper from it's mount and pump the pucks out just enough to clean around them with hot soapy water, blow dry them with the air compressor and push them back in. Has worked everytime so far but I am sure I will have to do a complete rebuild in the future.

Even though I live in New Mexico we still get the roads salted especially the mountain roads I ride on, the salt dust gets up around the calipers and on the exposed area of the pucks and starts a corrosion process.

I have had this problem on other bikes with dixc brakes but not to the degree the ST has, makes me wonder if the tolerances are closer.

Yeah, I am old school, the puck is the piston.