FZX250 Zeal - Getting Familiar

The learning experience is second to none

I'm eligible for P's end of this month, so to also have the bike eligible would be a worthy deed... but I'm thinking another few months before that's going to happen as the carbs are fast approaching and I'm a tad behind on know-how

 

I've removed the front brake caliper, disassembled it, cleaned reasonably well (with brake cleaner), but I'm having problems re-seating the old seals. Seems the old seals have overgrown themselves and damn difficult to reinstall.
I've already torn an oversized grommet too, that will obviously need replacing, but surely it shouldn't be this difficult to just drop a few seals and grommets into place...

The difficult seals in question are the piston seals that seat at the top of the caliper, the thicker bottom seals for each piston were re-seated quite easily and also very quickly...


Maybe the seals have swollen over time, possibly affected by brake fluid maybe?
Is it always necessary to replace all seals/grommets etc. and have them ready before disassembling the caliper?

I've been caught out on this one because it looks like the front seal kit is a little difficult to source

 

It's either fork oil from the leaking fork seals from when I first purchased the bike; brake fluid from disassembly; or possibly somehow from the previous owner/s. Either way I'm quite certain they need to be replaced, but is it common to have oversized seals, that become difficult if not impossible to install, when exposed to petroleum based products?

I disassembled the calipers last night and the seals would have had minimal exposure to brake fluid over a matter of minutes, before cleaning, or possibly a few of hours before actually washing them.

...they have not in any way been exposed to any solvent ... that I'm aware of.

 

Not "...from exposure to brake fluid..." obvious really especially with piston seals as they're forever soaked in the stuff. My mind is awash with all sorts of contradictions at the moment mostly stemming from inexperience with mechanics I'm thinking.

But now I have a much better understanding of my situation:

What I really didn't fathom was your emphasis placed on the high degree of importance to the integrity of the chemical composition of each variant of differing purpose seal. And also not realizing the drastic and varying degrees of chemically composed fluid environments that each seal must be resilient to. There is no 'universal seal'.
But, each seal and fluid pair must strictly meet the specific requirements of each mechanism and its operating components within its environment, to guarantee serviceability, and more importantly to also guarantee its safety. And that is as best as it gets regarding the general serviceability of fluid mechanics.

And so it is just as important to understand the adverse affects of cross contamination.

Adding a solvent crazed hippie to the mix and you've nothing but [bleeping] disaster!
I'm guilty on this part by using oven cleaner, degreaser, carby cleaner, eventually settling on 'brake cleaner' though no seal was exposed to this madness and removed prior.

As simple as it is, thanks for all the info (that I had to go back and carefully read again) as this definitely leads me to discern more adequately the various operating mechanisms and each of their strict environments -- when also considering seals, fluids, and their compositions too.
Finally I actually get that

... as for NBR, Viton, EPDM, Aflas., Tetrachloroethylene, Tetra*, even petroleum <--- I still know about this much regarding chemistry

So I'll have to try and take it up a notch ... and get familiar with a lot more than just tools

 

Seals will definitely be replaced can't get 'em in anyway ... likely a good thing.

Meths on a brake service, noted. I'll have to try it on the rear brake before overhauling it. Will seek out some good marine grade grease too, apparently marine grade is somewhat 'guaranteed'.

Maelstrom, as much as I respect your intellectual prominence I'm gonna have to give you one of these
... before your geeky intellectual fever continues to overwhelm my otherwise blissful, tribology ignorant, plain ego aggressive and consumerist self

"quality", "excellent", "weather resistance" now you have my attention

Ok just kidding. Thanks again for the wake up!

 

The trials of being stuck in the mix between commercialism, professionalism, and just ill fated advise.

No excuse, but I was thinking to use mentholated spirits right before an overhaul, just to see the results...
I'm actually embarrassed so this one is to myself --> <-- Now that's a first!

Though eventually, once I have the front caliper operational I'll then work on the rear caliper (withstanding any form of idiocy), and so eventually by the time I get to the carburetors with your Viton seal kit I should be well tamed and focused because I know it's one of the most difficult and time consuming tasks. Especially when you have four of them to deal with.
Though probably on the lower end of the safety matrix than the brakes


Marine grade grease was probably a misquote from "waterproof grease" I don't how:

Please see 10minutes 25secs

Ugh... my heads about to explode I originally thought all grease was waterproof!

 

Ok, I know what's happened here. My polar vortex is restructuring its newly found composition. So my present mind is currently intertwined with its past references; that are steadily processed in a logical manner into archival snippets to conclude a more comprehensible sanity for correlation with a newly found intellectual environment.

In other words, I understood the theory of oils, fluids, and seals, but in the same breath I neglected to contemplate all aspects of mechanisms at that very instance... referring to grease as a simple, non-factorial, generic product.

But now I'd be more confident to conclude a much better understanding of the technicalities regarding manufacturing and the petrochemical industry... which obviously denotes some resilience from me to that source of information which also becomes privy.

I guess it's too late, I've been Geeked!

 

Sir, you've got me. I surrender. But, this is going to get complicated. Because if patents contradict labeling or the required listings of chemical compositions, then wouldn't there be a conflict of commercial interest, especially international interests? But I guess that's your field, certainly not yet mine.

So gromets = rubber grease. Now that's more easy for me to understand! I'm glad you're on the case!!

Thanks Blair

 

thanks, GI. Brake specific grease. I'll have to be careful with what, where, and all the in-betweens too from now on... already sounded in a thread by Mr. Stu:

http://2fiftycc.com/index.php?threads/howto-fix-a-problem-before-it-starts.2089/#post-21372

... I do my best

 

Heya mate, just got my replacement parts for the front caliper today and am currently in the process of installing them, I should have that task completed tonight.

I don't have the fzx250 electrical diagram, but if you can explain to me which components you're referring to, via part number references, I could attempt to locate and send send you the snapshots. Although, there is a certain problem that prohibits me from tinkering with the wiring and that is the nose fairing. My front(nose) fairing is wired onto the front mount because it seems as if the screw bores of the nose fairing, that connect the front fairing to the front mount, look as if they are broken and have been snapped in half, or entirely snapped off altogether.

So, if I have the time and such I could see what I can pull up without further damaging it, and have a look at my hazard switch while I'm at it...