Rear caliper seals 06 Girly

[Bixxer Bob]

When you changed the piston seals, you did dig ALL the crap out of the seal groove with a scriber or similar didn't you???  Otherwise the seals don't go all the way in and cause the pistons to bind.  It's the number one cause of dragging brakes.  Number two is the wrong grease on the rubber.

[benebob]

I checked all that stuff.  Pedal goes back all the way.  If I burp the bleeder I don't get anything out under pressure either.  Just got back from 348 mile ride today.  Rear brake rotor was too hot to touch.  Fronts cold as the 32 degree weather.  Dust all over the rear wheel.  Any other thoughts I'm at a loss.  Of course there aren't any on ebay now either.  :(

[Sin_Tiger]

Overhaul the master cylinder of you haven't already.

[benebob]

Honestly, I'm at the point that I'm frustrated with the bike and may simply start looking elsewhere rather than throw expensive parts that shouldn''t be failing to begin with at it.  Put a different pad on today only to see that the seals are leaking.  Guess I should have bought triumph ones but the sad reality is coming to light that it is not a honda and will take quite a lot of upkeep in the next couple of years to keep it still worth the $2500 they are going for over hear.  Maybe I'll feel different tomorrow but probably not when I fork over $42 for 4 little triumph seals.

[Timbox2]

Ahh, come on Bob, thank F... its NOT a Honda is what I say. The reason I came back for my second Girly is a number of reasons but top of the list is as Chris C says, Its a bike with few skeletons in the cupboard. Fuel couplings and maybe charging issues, but thats about it. I actually also bought the Gen Triumph seals for the rear caliper earlier in the year before I knew I could get decent pattern ones over here, youve been unlucky, but any older bike is going to require a bit of maintenance, that type of caliper is known to need upkeep on any make bike. I personally will throw money at my Girly if it needs it as in reality there are few bikes with so much for so little.

Take a deep breath mate

[Chris Canning]

Blimey Tim and I must have some kind of crystal ball because this is exactly the conversation we had during the week.

I still view my Tiger just like a did when I wheeled it out of the showroom nearly 16 years ago it's done a lot for us over the years with great trips and experiences and as it slides into old age I'll spend what I have to with no short cuts and genuine parts short of it throwing a rod out of the case.

By comparison the other option is to buy new and change every couple if years I bought my XR1000 in March and if I unloaded it now I'd get a mighty financial kicking hence why I keep them years by far the best value.

Getting back on track my Tiger has 40,000 on it and I've done the same with it as all the other bikes and that is I strip the pads out twice a year and clean the calipers till their back to like new can be done in less than half an hour with a shot of WD and a tooth brush.

[JayDub]

Honestly, I'm at the point that I'm frustrated with the bike and may simply start looking elsewhere rather than throw expensive parts that shouldn''t be failing to begin with at it.  Put a different pad on today only to see that the seals are leaking.  Guess I should have bought triumph ones but the sad reality is coming to light that it is not a honda and will take quite a lot of upkeep in the next couple of years to keep it still worth the $2500 they are going for over hear.  Maybe I'll feel different tomorrow but probably not when I fork over $42 for 4 little triumph seals.

it sounds likely that the seals could be fitted the wrong way, I don't think it's been mentioned but they have a tapered edge which must slope outwards, this would cause it to both drag and leak.

[London_Phil]

Just to be that man from the department of the bleedin obvious

If you've not done calipers before, it's not rocket science, BUT, they need to be done right.

On my Steamer, which I think is the same brake, I had hot disc after the disc was replaced.
It didn't really drag though, but boy was it hot.
I bought a replacement master assy off ebay, stripped and refurbed it with red rubber grease etc, and re-did the caliper the same, using new seals etc.
Still had a hot brake disc, to the point it would burn your skin.
Bought a NEW Triumph caliper assy with pads from Triumph during there last parts bonanza, and still hot, but not dragging.
Finally stopped worrying, and just rode the thing.
Other than hot. it worked perfectly, with no dragging I could feel, so I just left it.
Got better with time, so possibly bedding in issue.
Not sure where I'm going with this, but I do know you need to ensure you're not refitting seals in a gummed up groove, to constrict the movement.
I'm also not sure about the tapered seal mentioned by Jaydub. My understanding was they were square profile seals, if the were tapered, it would restrict movement in one direction, imho.
Hope that's the case.
Happy to be proved wrong if required....

You could be looking at collapsing brake hoses, misalignment and all sorts of other fun stuff too.

[Timbox2]

Some caliper seals are tapered, Im  sure thats not the case with these un's, Ive done all 3 this year and  I would have noticed.

[JayDub]

Some caliper seals are tapered, I'm  sure thats not the case with these un's, Ive done all 3 this year and  I would have noticed.

The seals on my steamer are definitely tapered, I just been to the shed and examined them on my spare set   

@ Phil -every kwak, suzuki, honda and yam I have refurbed brake calipers on have had tapered seals.. I believe its the case on all hydraulics, fork seals too.

[Timbox2]

The seals on my steamer are definitely tapered, I just been to the shed and examined them on my spare set   

@ Phil -every kwak, suzuki, honda and yam I have refurbed brake calipers on have had tapered seals.. I believe its the case on all hydraulics, fork seals too.

But Jay, this aint a Steamer, and I can confirm now, Girlies use square profile seals. Even the Haynes book of lies says profiled seals only fitted to Daytona, Speed Triple etc with 4 pot calipers.

[JayDub]

Sorted Tim! wasn't saying anyone was wrong, just what I knew to be the case, Never had a triumph before and  I thought girlies used the same calipers... OK, database updated.
I checked te service manual and all it said was "make sure the pistons and seals are refitted the same way the originals"

lets hope that benebob bought square profile and not tapered seals for his. 

[Timbox2]

Sorted Tim! wasn't saying anyone was wrong, just what I knew to be the case, Never had a triumph before and  I thought girlies used the same calipers... OK, database updated.
I checked te service manual and all it said was "make sure the pistons and seals are refitted the same way the originals"

lets hope that benebob bought square profile and not tapered seals for his. 

I think its more a case that he may have bought badly manufactured seals, plenty of them on ebay apparently.

[Ossian]

Wierd thing here on the tapered seal matter. I replaced the rear seals on my Girly a couple of months ago and examined them to look for taper, but didn't appear to be any. However when I went to insert the piston I found that the front lip was flush with the bore and the rear sat up slightly allowing the piston to go in easily.
I assumed therefore that the seal was non-tapered but the bottom of the bore groove was, to simplify assembly ?

[benebob]

Bought new triumph seals and pistons for a pretty freaking penny today.  Not taper that I could see at all but the old seals were dragging the way they were.  Now new pistons and seals so we shall see.  Sadly it is the rotors that are stupid money and the soon to need fork overhall that has me as much upset.  Then there is the freaking clutch that is freaking crap and sticks until I let the engine heat up until the fans come one no matter what (I have the 1050 clutch).  Had the Tiger 800 sitting at the shop been an XC not an XR I might have came home with it for 7k with bags and 25k on the odo minus the lump that is proving to being a maint. nightmare.  I say that clearly as the owner of 3 Jags and a TVR.  The tiger takes more time and beer than the other 4 combined and it as 400k less miles than the others.  :)