EZ-RIDER - The Delicate Art of Caliper Piston Polishing

Caliper Piston Polishing - Why Not?

As I strive to bring EZ-RIDER back from the brink of oblivion, part of the effort is to try to save as many of the original parts as possible.  

There are many reasons for doing this, but here's my top 3:

- If you replace before trying to fix, you're doing it wrong
- If you fix and then have no choice but to replace later, you're doing it right
- if your fix means you never have to replace, you get to brag and get more stuff

So, there's really no reason why I shouldn't do my best to fix as much of the front brake calipers on EZ-RIDER as I can, which includes (of course) its two pistons - each of which represents one of the most expensive parts of the brake assembly.

The most difficult part of refurbishing the pistons was getting them out - they were completely rusted/seized in place and therefore extremely difficult to manipulate, with only about 5mm of their lip showing.  Copying a technique I saw on YouTube, I used my channel lock pliers to pull them out, but there are some other techniques in existence that someone interested in following my footsteps may be interested in knowing:

1) Some people use piston pliers.  There are specialized piston pliers available that use outward pressing force inside the hollow piston give a person a way to work them out of place.  I have a pair of these pliers on order, but I still don't have the experience of using them, so I cannot speak to their effectiveness.  One thing I know for sure is they won't damage the outer surface of the piston because they do not touch it.  A potential downside is the fact that the clearances in the caliper are very tight, so they may not be usedful to pull the pistons all of the way out.

2) Some people use the braking system itself.  They just remove the brake pads and then pump the brakes to use the brake fluid to pop the pistons out.  This seems like a great way to get the pistons out, but I think it would probably be very messy, so precautions should be taken to prevent brake fluid (which is pretty corrosive) from flying everywhere.  Still, this is a very popular method.

3) Some people use compressed air.  They hook up compressed air to the brake line and use air pressure to eject the pistons.  Putting a piece of wood in the impact area is a good idea, and if you have a multi-piston system, you need to figure out a way to work the pistons out in a way that doesn't eject one piston prematurely, leaving the other stranded in the caliper.

4) Some people use pliers on the top of the piston and just work them out as best they can, inflicting as little damage as possible aside from the lip area, because the main seal of the calipers is well into the caliper body.

In my case I (1) Didn't have the pliers; (2) Had already taken the brakes apart; and (C) Didn't have a compressor, so I ended up using technique #4.

Enjoy!

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Bill of Materials

GLOVEWORKS HD Industrial Black Nitrile Gloves - 6 mil, Latex Free, Powder Free, Diamond Texture, Disposable, Large, GWBN46100-BX, Box of 100
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WD-40 Multi-Use Product Non-Aerosol Trigger Pro Spray. 20 oz. [1-Pack]
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Bondhus 22199 Hex L-wrench DoublePK,Long Length,12137 .050-3/8" & 12199 1.5-10mm
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Felo 0715750274 1/2" Series 800 Slotted Screwdriver, 8"
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Disposable Chopsticks, pack of 40 pair
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Mazbot 6" Cushion Comfort Foam Grip Beading Awl
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15 pieces Scratch Brush (Stainless Steel + Brass+Nylon), AFUNTA Curved Handle Masonry Wire brush Set Bristle for Cleaning Welding Slag and Rust,5 pcs Per Type
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40 Pieces - EPAuto 1/4-Inch & 3/8-Inch Drive Socket Set with 72 Teeth Reversible Ratchet
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BLACK+DECKER RTX-6 2 Amp 3-Speed Rotary Tool
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PHYHOO Polishing Buffing Wheels Wool Felt Mounted Mandrel Grinding Bits Grinder Head Polish Watch Jewelry Rotary Tool Accessories Drill Tools Attachment - 1/8 Inch Shank

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Dry Wet Sandpaper by Heylure, 45PCS 9 x 3.6" Silicon Carbide, 120 to 5000 Grit Sandpaper Sheets Assortment, for Metal Sanding, Automotive Polishing, Wood Furniture, Wood Turning Finishing
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Utopia Towels 12 Pack Dish Towels, 15 x 25 Inches Ultra Soft Cotton Dish Cloths, Blue
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FIXKIT 7-in-1 Portable Workbench, Multifunctional Folding Work Table Scaffold/Dolly/Platform with 4 Wheels for Garage
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Best Value 24-Piece Master Combination Wrench Set with Roll-up Storage Pouch | SAE 1/4” to 1”
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WORKPRO 4-piece Adjustable Wrench Set, Forged, Heat Treated, Chrome-plated (6-inch, 8-inch, 10-inch, 12-inch)
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Channellock 440 Tongue and Groove Pliers | 12-Inch Straight Jaw Groove Joint Plier with Comfort Grips | 2.25-Inch Jaw Capacity | Laser Heat-Treated 90° Teeth| Forged High Carbon Steel | Made in USA
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DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Drill Combo Kit, 2-Tool (DCK240C2)

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EZ-RIDER - Chain & Sprockets Removal

A Panoply of Challenges

After I decided to remove the sprocket from the rear wheel, it was only natural that I would want to remove the front sprocket and the chain.  Here's some of the things that I found out along the way:

Chain

The VT250CR chain is pretty high-tech.  It's a size that's designed for a nice balance between weight and power, and it features some advanced technology to make it long-lasting.  The VT250CR has a 520 type chain, which means:

- There is a 5/8 of an inch gap between the side plates, to accomodate at fairly thick front and rear sprocket

- The teeth of the sprockets are 1/4 of an inch wide, so the gaps between the rivets on the chain are also 1/4 of an inch from pin-to-pin

- The VT250CR chain features o-rings between the side plates and the rollers, which helps to reduce wear and increase the life of the chain

Small Sprocket

The small sprocket is also fairly high-tech, and it connects directly to the engine of the VT250CR and it has the following characteristics: 

- It is stamped 14T, which means it has fourteen teeth
- It is rubber sided, to reduce rattle & vibration
- It uses a very large diameter washer
- It features  14mm bolt @ 40lbs

Large Sprocket

The large sprocket is a piece of stamped metal with the following characteristics:

- It has a 80mm center hole
- It is stamped 38T, which means it has thirty-eight teeth
- It is secured by 5 Bolts spaced at 64mm

This means that the VT250cR has 14:38 (7:19) gearing.

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Bill of Materials

GLOVEWORKS HD Industrial Black Nitrile Gloves - 6 mil, Latex Free, Powder Free, Diamond Texture, Disposable, Large, GWBN46100-BX, Box of 100
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TEKTON 24335 1/2" Drive Click Torque Wrench (10-150'.-Lb./13.6-203.5 Nm)

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40 Pieces - EPAuto 1/4-Inch & 3/8-Inch Drive Socket Set with 72 Teeth Reversible Ratchet

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WD-40 Multi-Use Product Non-Aerosol Trigger Pro Spray. 20 oz. [1-Pack]
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Felo 0715750274 1/2" Series 800 Slotted Screwdriver, 8"
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EZ-RIDER - Front Calipers Disassembly

The Calipers From HELL Finally Surrender!

After three years of being abandoned in the bush and who knows how many years of neglect beforehand, the front calipers finally surrendered to disassembly!

When it came to these calipers, everything that could have been rusty was rusty.  If it was supposed to slide, it was seized.  If it was subject to rot, then it was rotted.    Everything that could have possibly been perished was perished.  In short, they were a complete and total mess!  

After hours of puzzling over how to get them apart, they have finally come apart, but not without some concerns:

- ALL of the rubber parts that composed these calipers were perished
- Everything that could have possibly rusted was totally rusted.
- Everything that was supposed to move was stuck fast.

The three hardest parts of the disassembly were:

1) Initially getting the mounting arm off of the caliper body
2) Getting the hangar pin cover out
3) Getting the pistons out

In all three cases, damage to the calipers was very possible - and in the case of the pistons it may be the case that they are damaged beyond the point of re-use.  My intention is to sand them down and make them smooth again with #600 and #1000 grit sandpaper, so we shall see how that goes in a future video

But for now, enjoy the video of how I got the front calipers apart, which was a triumph in and of itself.

Help a Maker Out?

Did you see anything in this video you want for yourself?  If the answer is yes, consider using one of the link(s) below to buy it directly from amazon.com.  When you do, I get a small commission that keeps me going!

Bill of Materials

Bondhus 22199 Hex L-wrench DoublePK,Long Length,12137 .050-3/8" & 12199 1.5-10mm
https://amzn.to/2Ec80Zs

WD-40 Multi-Use Product Non-Aerosol Trigger Pro Spray. 20 oz. [1-Pack]
https://amzn.to/30h2nmN

GLOVEWORKS HD Industrial Black Nitrile Gloves - 6 mil, Latex Free, Powder Free, Diamond Texture, Disposable, Large, GWBN46100-BX, Box of 100
https://amzn.to/35fifrv

Felo 0715750274 1/2" Series 800 Slotted Screwdriver, 8"
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Mazbot 6" Cushion Comfort Foam Grip Beading Awl
https://amzn.to/2ZjDwOL

15 pieces Scratch Brush (Stainless Steel + Brass+Nylon), AFUNTA Curved Handle Masonry Wire brush Set Bristle for Cleaning Welding Slag and Rust,5 pcs Per Type
https://amzn.to/2rvQFYK

EZ-RIDER - A New **HONDA** Branded Cover!

This was my very first online purchase for the 12¢ motorcycle. A **HONDA** branded cover to both protect it from the elements and prevent BOTH the curious and the malevolent from messing with it. I bought the cover on Carousell, an online marketplace that is somewhat like eBay here in Hong Kong. It was very inexpensive. The cover turned out to be very nice and it was a perfect fit!

VT250CR - How to Use a SHENGXIANG 12v 2A Motorcycle Battery Charger

In a motorcycle, it is the the battery that provides a massive shot of voltage / current to the starter motor in order to turn the engine over and start the internal combusion engine process.  

This is typicall called "battery cranking power".  A healthy battery can provide several shots of cranking power.  Depending on how bad it is, an unhealthy battery can provide some, sometimes even none.  This is called a flat or dead battery.

Batteries lose their charge over time, and the VT250CR had been sitting in the bushes for a few years, exposed to the elements, so my guess was that it's battery was flat.

So I bought a battery charger on Carousell, a local Hong Kong Buy & Sell website, for HKD100, or about USD12.50.  Of course, it came without any instructions in English:

Here's what I got:

Description:

Here's what the unit looked like and some of its associated images:

Specifications:

Vendor Provided Instructions:

Proper Instructions:

I'm not really keen on battery charger instructions that just say:

"automatically stop when fully charged, no need to care"

Especially when it comes to high-current, no-name products.

So, for anyone who has ever bought a SHENGXIANG 12V 2A Battery Charger, I thought I'd provide some proper instructions in English, so here you are:

Method:

01.  Unplug the charger

02.  With the charger unplugged, connect the BLACK clamp to the NEGATIVE pole of the battery (-).

03.  With the charger unplugged, connect the RED clamp to the POSITIVE pole of the battery (+).

Your setup should resemble this:

04.  Turn the charger on and inspect the charger interface to make sure there's no fault light illuminated.  If there is a fault light, unplug the charger!

05.  Use a multimeter to directly measure the voltage coming out of the charger when it is under load:  The value should be ~15VDC.

06.  With no fault lights illuminated, let the battery charge in a well-ventilated place for about 10 minutes.

07.  Turn off the charger.

08.  Measure what the battery is putting out after a 10 minute charging session:  

I got 5.26VDC but you may get a diffferent value, which is not that important because we are using this measurement to establishing a baseline reference value.  What really matters is that the next measurement will demonstrate that battery voltage is increasing, which is what we want.

09.  Turn the charger back on.

10.  Leave the battery on charge for 1 more hour.

12.  Turn off the charger.

13.  Measure what the battery is putting out:  


I got 7.62VDC but you may get a diffferent value.  What matters is that the value is going up.

14.  Turn the charger back on.

15.  Leave the battery on charge for 1 more hour.

12.  Turn off the charger.

13.  Measure what the battery is putting out:  

I got 7.82VDC but you may get a diffferent value.  What matters is that the value is going up.

14.  Repeat the off-measure-on process  

14.  If your voltage is what it should be (12.6VDC), disconnect the charger from the battery.

15.  Wait for a total of 190 minutes (60 more, 130 have already passed).

16.  Measure what the battery is putting out:  

At this point, the battery should be putting out ~12.6VDC.

17.  Wait for a total of 250 minutes (60 more, 190 have already passed).

18.  Measure what the battery is putting out:  

At this point, the battery should be putting out ~12.6VDC.

Here's the readings I got:

010 minutes:  4.98VDC
070 minutes:  6.95VDC
130 minutes:
190 minutes:

250 minutes:

Conclusion:

In the end, my motorcycle battery charged up to 12.6VDC, and was able to hold its charge for several hours, which is exactly how a motorcyle battery should behave.

REFERENCES:

https://www.gnbsystems.com/faq.php

https://www.amazon.com/Bulary-Battery-Portable-Maintain-Damaging/dp/B07MKNG9GR

https://www.autobatteries.com/en-us/battery-testing-and-maintenance/car-battery-voltage-and-testing

VT250CR - How to Use a SHENGXIANG 12v 2A Motorcycle Battery Charger

VT250CR: How To Prepare for An Oil Change and Putting in New Spark Plugs

VT250CR - Oil Change and New Spark Plugs

Preparing the EZ-RIDER for its first oil change turned out to be a pretty difficult task.

This is because of the following factors:

1. I was totally new to this motorcycle
2. It didn't come with an owner's manual (Found one!  See below) 
3. It didn't come with a service manual (Found one!  Click here)
4. It is 22 years old and information about it is starting to disappear.
5. It is not a popular displacement (250cc) compared to others (750cc)
6. It is relatively rare, having mostly been sold (apparently) in Japan and the UK.

Without an owner's manual, it was nearly impossible to research even the most basic things about the VT250CR, like what parts were needed to perform a service maintenance that included changing the spark plugs and changing the engine oil and oil filter.

Thankfully, I was able to find an online user manual for the VT250C early on in this process. as well as a bunch of online resources that I hope to share in this post.

In the end I was able to answer all of my questions, which were:

1. What is the Size and Location of the Oil Drain Plug?
2. What is the Size and Location of the Oil Filter Housing?
3. What Type of Oil Filter Should I Use?
4. What Type of Engine Oil Should I Use?
5. How Much Engine Oil Should I Use?
6. What Type of Spark Plugs Should I Use?

While searching online for information, I found a really useful diagram online that showed an exploded parts view of the 1997 Honda Magna VT250CR oil pan, as well as links to all of the parts:

What is the Size and Location of the Oil Drain Plug?

Part #23, the Oil Drain Plug on the 1997 Honda Magna VT250CR is located, logically enough, on the very bottom of the engine.

It is a 12MM bolt:

Here's the diagram from the Online Owners Manual I found:

What is the Size and Location of the Oil Filter Housing?

Part #11, the Oil Filter Housing is also located on the bottom of the engine, adjacent to the Oil Drain Plug.  I modified the above drawing to show where it is:

It is held in place by Part #14, the oil filter bolt (15420-KE8-000).  The oil filter bolt is specialized and its head is 12mm in size.

What Oil Filter Should I Use?

Part # 29, The Oil Filter (15410-KEA-305) looks like this:

Here's how it sits in the Oil Filter Assembly:

Wait!  What About the O-Rings?

It's important to note that when you change the oil, there are two o-rings that also need to be changed.  

Part #22, the Large O-Ring (91315-MA6-003) fits inside the lip of Part #11, the Oil Filter Cover (15411-KE8-000).

Part #19, the Small O-Ring (91302-377-000) fits on the Oil Filter Bolt (15420-KE8-000).

Here's their location in the assembly:

What Type of Engine Oil Should I Use?

According to the online VT250C user manual I found (thank you!) the proper Engine Oil for EZ-Rider, given the fact that the temperature in Hong Kong ranges from about 10C to 40C, is any one of the following:

• 10W40
• 15W40
• 15W50
• 20W40 
• 20W50

Why are there so many choices?
Because motor oil is a highly engineered product designed to behave differently when it is hot or cold.  There are entire articles devoted to how to choose the right motor oil.

In my case, because the engine rings are almost certainly worn, causing the motorcycle to "burn oil", I will use a thicker oil because it will probably slightly reduce my oil consumption:

Because EZ-Rider is "burning oil", I will probably go with a 20W40 or perhaps even a 20W50.

How Much Engine Oil Should I Use?

According to the online VT250C user manual I found, the proper amount of engine oil to add after an oil and filter change is 2.1 liters

What Type of Spark Plugs Should I Use?

According to the online VT250C user manual I found the right kind of spark plugs for the VT250CR is NGK CR8EH9, which are factory gapped to .9mm:

That's it!  All my answers found.  

I can now buy my parts and service EZ-Rider.

Thanks!

To see how the oil, filter and spark plug change went, visit my YouTube Channel and take a look around.  I have recorded dozens and dozens of videos about rescuing EZ-Rider, a 1997 Honda Magna VT250CR that you might find educational and entertaining.

REFERENCES:

https://www.bike-parts-honda.com/honda-motorcycle/250-MOTO/VT/1997/VT250CV_II/Engine/OIL-FILTER-OIL-PAN-OIL-PUMP/80311/E_11/1/18770

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQNabPULZi8

http://www.motorbikespecs.net/index.dyn?flag=2&model_id=25024&make=Honda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUHH_1DyDRI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U65AtoYRiF8