Front brake help needed for newbie!

Hi all, the name's Chris.

I'm new to the forums and new to riding. I was given a 1982 XJ750 that I have been working on but I really need some assistance with the front brakes.

I was told that there was an issue with the front brakes when I got the bike. The brake lever is spongy and when we bled the brakes we found that they now won't fully disengage, even when adjusted all the way out on the bars. I've read that the small relief port may be clogged, so I'm going to rebuild the master cylinder and both calipers to be safe.

Another weird issue is that the brake warning light is on. The fluid level in the master is fine and the float on the sensor moves freely. The wiring also looks ok from what I can tell. Any idea what the problem might be?

Thanks for any assistance!

 

I'm not sure if this would help but at some point earlier in its life the bike was dropped and some minor cosmetic damage occured to the corner of the plastic headlight bucket and plastic around the instrument cluster. I pulled the headlight out and the brake fluid level sensor is plugged in securely...could the sensor itself have gone bad?

 

Chris, welcome aboard, you will learn a lot here and end up with the sweetest ride on your block.

You should throw out the 32 year old rubber brake lines and get stainless braided replacements.

Check your rear for THIS.

 

Does anyone have an idea as to what could be wrong with my brake fluid level sensor?

 

I would grab a mutli meter and test the leads coming from the sensor to make sure it is reading as full. I forget what it is supposed to read at full and empty, if it follows the logic of the oil level sensor on my bike it should have infinite resistance at empty, and some resistance at full. You can find the exact readings in a shop manual I believe, I would suggest picking one up if you haven't. I would check mine but its currently in a friends garage.

Best of luck and welcome.
Mike

 

You never want to guess when it comes to brakes. Rebuild MC, remove and ispect caliper (rebuild if scored and rubber disintegraging), replace brake lines if they are not new. And lastly check electrical warn circuit.

I have problems making my bike go good ...... but I want stopping guaranteed.