master cylinder view is cracked

[joshf123]

i have accidentally cracked the small white plastic circular piece on the master cylinder and now brake fluid leaks from it. i'm not sure what that part is called. it's a little view where you can see your brake fluid level. i'm trying to find the cheapest way to replace this and stumbled upon

http://www.powersportspartsonline.com/S ... 23207.html (http://www.powersportspartsonline.com/SUZUKI-FACTORY-ACCESSORIES/GZ250/Suzuki-GZ250-Chrome-Master-p5423207.html)

i'm thinking that would replace the outside part of the master cylinder and in effect replace the part i cracked. i'm not going to order this until i know it will fix my problem. the guy at my local bike shop said i would need the entire assembly which is $130. i hope he is mistaken :(

[bonehead]

That is just a chrome cap that screws onto the master cyl. If you can find the sight glass seperate, which I really doubt, then you will need the master cyl. Good luck.

[JWR]

Yes, that is the sight glass.

[blaine]

BONEHEAD is right you will need entire master cylinder.Be careful brake fluid will ruin painted surfices.

[Easy Rider]

the guy at my local bike shop said i would need the entire assembly which is $130. i hope he is mistaken :(

Short of putting some epoxy on it......which might not work either.....I'm afraid he is right.

[Water Warrior 2]

Don't go cheap with an almost fixed it idea. You are talking about a front brake that is your first line of defence on the street. Surely your life is worth $130 + tax.

[GZ250]

I park my motorcycle outside so this winter the weather did the job. the same issue with me. one morning the sight glass looked fuzzy and rubbed that small sight glass (rather plastic) with my finger and it cracked. The brake fluid leaked and I cleaned it with a tissue. As others and the local bike guy said you need the whole master cyliner and it is expensive $$$. Or if you can replace the sight glass (plastic).

In my case the original plastic is still there it is just cracked. So I searched my junk stuff where I keep things which mean nothing to others but they are very useful in situations. I cut a small plastic circle (use a penny) and you have to trim that also to make it smaller. I glued it on top of the original plastic with the instant glue and covered with a tissue. The tissue-glue got integrated and now it is not leaking. It is good now. Definitely I cannot see the fluid level any more but you do not need to check level each day. When you need, open the cover and check the level.

This is kind of temporary and when I will have time I will cut a more smooth and right size plastic and glue to that place.

[music man]

Yeah that doesn't sound like a good idea at all. Your brake system is pressurized, what are you going to do one day when you really need that front brake and you squeeze down real hard and your homemade glued on remedy comes flying off of there and you all of a sudden you don't have any brakes, you will be S.O.L.

[patrick_777]

Not to mention your paintjob will be toast.

[blaine]

Yeah that doesn't sound like a good idea at all. Your brake system is pressurized, what are you going to do one day when you really need that front brake and you squeeze down real hard and your homemade glued on remedy comes flying off of there and you all of a sudden you don't have any brakes, you will be S.O.L.


Your brake system is only pressurized from cylinder to the caliber, there is no pressure in the reservoir.This doesn't mean it shouldn't be replaced.

[music man]

Your brake system is only pressurized from cylinder to the caliber, there is no pressure in the reservoir.This doesn't mean it shouldn't be replaced.


Good point, I forgot about that, but the outcome is gonna be the same if it leaks, no front brake on a motorcycle is a bad thing, Especially the GZ and its anemic back brake.

[Easy Rider]

Yeah that doesn't sound like a good idea at all. Your brake system is pressurized,

Ahem. Hate to say it but the site glass and the reservoir of the master cylinder is NOT included in the pressurized part of the brake system. It is sealed but not pressurized.

The worst it can do is leak out all the "spare" brake fluid which, at the end would cause partial loss of braking pressure.

[Edit] Looks like we've already covered that. :roll:

It is still not a good idea even if it doesn't leak because the cover should NOT be removed routinely because that lets in moisture and dirt.......which ruins brake fluid quickly. :cry:

[Water Warrior 2]

Moisture in the brake system may mean a complete rebuild in time.

[alantf]

Yeah that doesn't sound like a good idea at all. Your brake system is pressurized, what are you going to do one day when you really need that front brake and you squeeze down real hard and your homemade glued on remedy comes flying off of there and you all of a sudden you don't have any brakes, you will be S.O.L.

That sounds a bit OTT. While I agree in principle that I would be tempted to buy a new master cylinder, the Whole system is NOT pressurised. The pressurisation comes when the brake lever is squeezed, & forces fluid from the reservoir (which is at +/- atmospheric pressure) down the tube to the piston. When the brake lever is released, the previously pressurised fluid comes back to atmospheric pressure, & thus the piston is depressurised & moves back to its original position.

Hence, a cracked glass will NOT cause fluid to shoot out under pressure. What it may do is to let so much fluid leak out, that there won't be sufficient left to be pressurised the next time the brake lever is squeezed.

Still extremely dangerous, but for a completely different reason to the one you said. :2tup:

[music man]

Still extremely dangerous, but for a completely different reason to the one you said. :2tup:



Go and read up a few posts, we already covered my snafu on that one. The second I read where he said the reservoir was not pressurized I was like :oops: .

I had a brain fart.

[GZ250]

No need to waste your brains on this small issue. Everyone knows that if somethig needs to be replaced you have to replace. what I said is a temporary remedy. Take it that way. I talked about a craked glas not a totally broken glass. If you get a flat tire and purtting some air can take you home I would do thaking all precautions.

If there is fluid in the reservior it is under pressure and if you see there is a very very tiny hole that takes the fluid down to the calipers. so even if you have some fluid it will work.

[alantf]

Still extremely dangerous, but for a completely different reason to the one you said. :2tup:



Go and read up a few posts, we already covered my snafu on that one. The second I read where he said the reservoir was not pressurized I was like :oops: .

I had a brain fart.

There must have been several people on line when I submitted that,because when I was writing it, it was the FIRST reply. It's only now ,when I come back to it, that I see that several other people beat me to the finishing post.

[GZ250]

same as - HOW MUCH ASH IS BAD ASH?

make a sensible decision, if it is really leaking and you see the fluid flowing down on every brake or move, spend the money.

in recent future i will be replacing my brake pads so i am holding until then and i have put a think tissue padding there stuck between the handle bar and reservior in case if a drop come out stays there. i have never seen the fluid really disappear in 5 years. its level goes down as the pads wear but it never finishes so what i am thinking, will try to fix with a plastic cut out or if that does not work will close that for good. will put $130 to some good use. replacement is always an option when i will have spare $$$.

[blaine]

No need to waste your brains on this small issue. Everyone knows that if somethig needs to be replaced you have to replace. what I said is a temporary remedy. Take it that way. I talked about a craked glas not a totally broken glass. If you get a flat tire and purtting some air can take you home I would do thaking all precautions.

If there is fluid in the reservoir it is under pressure and if you see there is a very very tiny hole that takes the fluid down to the calipers. so even if you have some fluid it will work.
Fluid in the reservoir is ''NOT'' under pressure,only fluid between cylinder and caliber is under pressure.There is no pressure in reservoir as I and others have stated.