Tech Tip - Brake Pad Pins - Gen2 & 3

[raYzerman]

+1 on Chuck's post.... The calipers are aluminum and the pins are steel of some kind. The tapered seat provides a lot of surface contact area, and a bit of bi-metal corrosion can help lock it in there. I doubt the threads get locked, but who knows. If you initially can't get it out, use a newish sharp hex and an impact driver... otherwise make sure your hex is seated right in as deep as it will go... if you round it out, go with a Torx bit that you may be able to force in there, but.... you're gonna need a new pin at some point. Anti-seize good on the tapered seat part.......
Best time to loosen these is while the calipers are still mounted on the bike. As a prevention measure, loosen/remove once a year.......

[Hppants]

I had good luck with breaking the OEM pins loose. I shot a squirt of PB Blaster and waited an hour for it to penetrate. I had a good allen socket and all 4 pins broke loose real easy. New pads for the front brake arrive tomorrow and I'll swap them out.

[Hppants]

Update - changed my front brake pads (all 3 sets) this afternoon. Just like my Gen 1, for each pair of caliper pistons, one pad was worn significantly more than the other. I suspect the pins get some gunk on them and the pad doesn't slide easily. Thoughts?

I cleaned up the pins real well and re-installed them dry. I figured that if I put anything on them, while it may make the pads slide better at first, over time, it would be worse because of the lubricant attracting dirt/gunk.

I took a dry soft toothbrush and cleaned up the exposed caliper pistons before I installed the new pads. I would think the dust seal would do it's job, but I guess it can't hurt.

Finally - excellent tip to vacuum out the m/c reservoir before pushing the pistons back. Since I flushed the brakes with fluid and topped it off full while the pads were wearing, I think I would have ended up with more fluid than space for fluid. Maybe that would have resulted in a blown caliper piston seal or something else.

[baowow]

Just ordered these last night. The lower left side is seized on my 2015 with 20k miles. Thanks for sharing!

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[raYzerman]

Bump for CAV............

[escapefjrtist]

Thanks for the link and bump Ray...looks like a very worthwhile update!

~G

[Steel_Gin]

Thinking about making this change but I have a silly question. When looking for this part# 43215-KZ4-J41, does the package come with one or two pins? I have checked a few sites and haven't seen a quantity of how many are in a package. Price range I have found is $3.55 to $4.50 and $10 shipping seems to be the over priced standard.

[ionbeam]

...Price range I have found is $3.55 to $4.50 and $10 shipping seems to be the over priced standard.

I can get the pins across the counter at my local Honda dealer for ~$3.55. The Honda dealer matches online pricing. The qty is 1. The only problem is that the dealer is only 8 miles away and it isn't much of a ride to go there Ron Ayres has them for $3.39 each.

[FJRoss]

Apparently, there is an aftermarket titanium version of this pin available
https://www.wcestlonline.com/index.php? ... _id=858744

[raYzerman]

Ross I think that one is a bit too short.... needs 10mm more "pin".

[FJRoss]

I just looked it up with a Google search and that part number. The equivalent is apparently available in titanium but that might not be the right photo. If I was replacing mine, I would definately look into it further and get the titanium, if available. Better strength and corrosion resistance.

[Red]

I just looked it up with a Google search and that part number. The equivalent is apparently available in titanium but that might not be the right photo. If I was replacing mine, I would definately look into it further and get the titanium, if available. Better strength and corrosion resistance.

FJRoss,

Aluminum and titanium really do not play well together. The further apart two metals are on the Galvanic Series list, the worse the dis-similar corrosion problem will be. Titanium stuff is for racing, because it gets changed out for new, frequently. Click the link, and scroll down to the list. The correct anti-seize compound for the job will be made with a metal that lives in between the two metals, on the list. Special bronze valve seats are made for titanium valves in aluminum heads, for example.

http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Defini ... series.htm
.

[FJRoss]

Interesting... I was aware that they were far apart on the electromotive series but both metals protect themselves by forming an oxide layer. I thought that the oxide layer, the relative low reactivity of titanium and the use of a suitable anti-seize material would keep things happy. I did a small amount of reading on the subject and the jury is still out with respect to applications in marine and automotive.

I suppose that there really isn't that big a difference and I haven't had a pin freeze up to the point where it was damaged upon removal in the 10+ years and 200,000+ miles I have put on FJRs. Guess maybe I won't try to solve a problem I don't have - at least not without further research.

Thanks

[raYzerman]

You'd need to use anti-seize, especially at the chamfered part of the pin where it seats, that's really where they seize in there.

[Powerman]

Three out, fourth stripped but extracted easily. Turned out to be a rock causing my brake noise.
Gonna try the Honda part. Dumb ass didn't see the tar ball in the hex hole when I pushed the hex wrench in.

[Cav47]

Honda part on top. OEM on bottom. For comparison.

If you zoom in on the OEM part, you can see the teeth marks from the vice grips that I used to turn it while applying pressure to the head as well as the pin part.




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[raYzerman]

Those regular hex type are used on Honda dirt bikes and maybe a coupla others. Oddly enough, my VFR and CBF have Nissin calipers like the FJR, and have the internal hex screws... difference is they countersunk them deep and put a weather resistant rubber plug into the threaded recess. They too can be fun to get out but at least they haven't been exposed to weather, haven't stripped one yet. Recess is too deep to use the external hex type.... as mentioned before a smidge of anti-seize on the tapered seating part will help.

[ionbeam]

Those regular hex type are used on Honda dirt bikes and maybe a coupla others...

Click on Where Used to the right of the red ADD button.

[Steel_Gin]

I haven't changed the pads on my bike yet and doesn't appear right now I need new ones right now. If I wanted to swap the pins out and not wanting to change the pads, if I removed and replaced one at a time would that be a problem?

[Cav47]

I haven't changed the pads on my bike yet and doesn't appear right now I need new ones right now. If I wanted to swap the pins out and not wanting to change the pads, if I removed and replaced one at a time would that be a problem?

Shouldn’t be a prob at all. I actually think it will be a good idea to “break” the seal of the old pins anyway. If you leave it too long, it won’t be easy getting them out. Every tire change, I am going to pull mine out and clean them up. Put a little anti-sieze on them and re torque.