RC26 Brake Caliper Pistons..

Does anyone have experience with the "wooden" inserts in the brake caliper pistons? Honda designed them to reduce noise I'm sure, but the pistons are the reserve of what is common. Has anyone removed the inserts and outer contact cap, and reinstalled the pistons in the standard manner, with the enclosed end of the piston going into the caliper first? My thought is that this would reduce the fluid volume within the caliper (it wouldn't need to fill the interior of the piston), and therefor may aid a bit in brake feel. Thanks!

 

Yes, I have done it, but not for that reason. I was missing parts on a quick turn around job for a friend.

But it's a hydraulic system, that difference in fluid volume is not noticeable at all. If you claim you did after doing it, it only meant you got a better bleed that time.

 

I do agree that the brake fluid can't compress, thus making the volume of it in the caliper irrelevant. Was thinking more as to the reversed manner that it pushes the piston out. The surface area is the same, just backwards from normal practice. What difference might I experience with just removing the caps and fibrous puck from the contact ends of the pistons? Might it produce a more solid feel?

 

Placebo effect.

If you are not happy with the VFR brakes (with stainless lines installed), there is something wrong in the system or you need to try different pads.

 

the wood pucks must reduce heat transfer into the brake fluid u'd guess.

 

100% this. The limiting factor on the brakes on the VFR is by far suspension. Sure they're not as good as the best modern brakes but in good fettle they work *very* well.

 

I'm in the final phase of "fettling" I guess. Main thing I'm trying to address is initial feel and response. They feel wooden until, after an intentional hard input, they bite and get to work. I've disassembled & cleaned both front calipers (pistons not pitted/good shape), pins cleaned & lubed, flushed the system with new Dot 4, braided lines, glass bead-blasted both front rotors to clean/deglaze the surface, fresh EBC HH pads. Other than my thoughts regarding the pucks in the pistons, wondering if the MC should be rebuilt, even though it is not leaking and moves smooth and free. I have a '13 CB1100 which has 4 opposed pistons in each front caliper and love they way it works.

 

How many miles on the new brakes? What was your bed-in process? You can't take brand new pads and resurfaced rotors and go out and dynamite them or expect top performance from the get go. You risk glazing your new pads.

What grease did you use on the sliding pins?

While your set-up won't feel as good as a modern system, that combo should work VERY WELL with good initial bite, feedback and power.

 

Personally I'm not a fan of EBC pads. For that very reason that in my experience they work well *once* they've warmed up but need warming up and have almost no bite until they do. For the road I stick with OEM Honda pads.....buuuuut they're NLA for the RC26 (the later RC24 uses different calipers which were then used on various bikes until the mid-2000's, so you can still get them).

The early RC24/26 has very limited pad selection here (due to how few bikes had those calipers) although maybe better in the US.

 

I installed the EBC HH pads to replace what I believe were the OEM pads (bike had 4200 miles on it when I got it). I bed them in carefully, making sure that I didn't over work them, and varied the brake pressure. Been about 400 miles on them thus far. Lubed the pins with synthetic caliper pin grease (after a thorough cleaning, and careful to not apply too much). I'm strongly considering rebuilding the MC, but like I said before, it moves smoothly, doesn't leak, and is clean.

 

I don't think a m/c rebuild is going to change your feel with what you report.

While I don't dislike the feel of EBC HH like Fastdruid does, perhaps they don't suit you either.

If the original pads were wearing evenly and weren't soaked in fork oil, perhaps clean them up and install for a comparison.

Good luck.

 

Should've mentioned this,, Prior to swapping the pads, I did de-glaze the original pads, 320 grit sandpaper on a flat surface, cleaned and reinstalled. They had not been oil soaked. I noticed no difference after the de-glaze, and really no difference after the rotor de-glaze and EBC pads. I'll probably finish out the summer with this set up and see if the feel improves.

 

I thought the inserts were cork?
I assumed their job was to reduce noise.