Front Master Cylinder Sight Glass Removal and Replacement
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ธ.ค. 2013
- This video provides detailed instructions on how to remove an aged or damaged sight glass from the front master cylinder used on motorcycles. This particular master cylinder is off of a 1983 Honda CB1100F Super Sport. There are many different types of master cylinders in use - some with sight glasses, some without. The procedure used here can be used on many of the other master cylinders presently in use.
Very nice vid Tom. Quick, concise, & no extra BS! Well, done, thank you
Thanks for the video. I am going to replace my sight glass and rebuild my master cylinder, and your videos explain in perfect detail, what to expect and how to overcome and difficulties. Thanks again. Now I am a subscriber.
Thanks David - I'm glad I was able to help and I hope the rebuild goes smoothly for you.
straight to the point. Awesome video!
So on my Aprilia sx125 the glass is broken and everybody told me i need a new rear brake master cylinder but it is expensive and i went to yt to see if its replacable and found this, you saved me 300€ man ❤
Awesome! Glad to hear that I helped!
Nice little DIY.. Good job.
thanks for making the video. i was in the dark about this one.
Thanks for this and also your stunning performances in The Apostle and Tender Mercies.
Hahaha, so funny! Thanks, and glad you enjoy my movies!
Good video thanks for sharing 👍
The handle is good ingenuity!
On my '85 454 I just tapped my sight glass with my finger and it broke because the thing was so far gone. Definitely took me aback
0_0
Great video...now to find a sight glass locally haha
Yep, Oz is somewhat lacking in these atm and the international postage costs a lot more than the part.
Thank you
where can I get the glass I have tried to fined then at the stores but no one has them and I can't fine them online. one is a Honda and the other is a Kawasaki
where can I buy those glasses to replace the cylinder sight?
What kind of adhesive sealant do you use to install the site glasses? I usually use SealAll but it is extremely hard to work with when only needing small precise amounts and I don't think it would work to dispense with a syringe.
Craig, I use Permatex "66B" Clear RTV Silicone Adhesive Sealant. It's available at most hardware stores and automotive supply chains. Make sure to let it cure for at least 24 hours before filling the reservoir with fresh fluid.
-Tom
Wonder if you can make a sight glass for one that doesn’t already have one??
Great job by the way!
Larry
It could certainly be done. A good machinist could bore a hole all the way through, then a countersink hole just a few mm deep for the sight glass to sit. The other option is to just swap in a master cylinder that already has one.
Ty tom
nice vid man, but may i ask if you can buy that glass from a local mc repair shops? cause here in my location, it is really hard to come by that kinda parts .. thanks man!
You won't find these in any MC repair shops - they won't do this type of repair. I have my own source for the ones I use, but you can also find them on eBay for various bikes.
did you say you had those lexan sight glasses "made" or can I buy them? the sight glass on my left side is broken. glad I found this video I was going to buy a whole new master cylinder and all that's wrong is the cracked glass.. thank you!! :)
Me too🤣
@@thomasd2867 any idea why they even include that little window on the master cylinder? I mean I guess sure you could see the fluid but if you're paying attention you would know if you had a pressure loss and you would be hopefully smart enough to then open up the cover on your master cylinder and check your fluid level. I mean it seems kind of silly to put a little window on there if just by having it sit in the Sun for a few weeks it's going to disintegrate and cause you problems. And anyone that has a bike we all intend on covering them every time we get off but you know how it goes when you're driving it everyday taking the cover off and putting it back on and taking it off and putting it back on and gets to be a real pain in the butt and you end up just leaving the cover off unless maybe it's going to be a rainstorm. So it just really seems stupid for them to include a window so you can see the fluid it doesn't have any other function as far as I can tell and considering that you can just stick a dime in there with some silicone and block the hole and you're good to go I wonder why they even put it there at all. And then another stupid question if they deem it necessary to have that little window there why wouldn't they make it out of at least glass so it won't disintegrate in the sunlight? Seems almost like they did it on purpose as like a scam to make you have to purchase another master cylinder because most people are just going to take it to the shop and I don't know any shop that will tell you we can replace the glass for a couple of bucks rather than we can replace your whole master cylinder for 50 bucks or more of course they're going to take you for a ride and make money on you. Before I found your video and realized how stupid the whole situation was and went ahead online and found myself sight glasses for a few bucks I think I spent like 10 or $15 including shipping for two of them. I had originally took it to the shop and they made it seem like it was a big deal and I told them I can get the parts online why can't they get the part? They insisted that you can't just replace the sight glass you have to replace the whole thing and when I told them that I found the part and fixed it myself they were all interested in where I found replacement cyglasses at and wanted to know the website which I believe it was just eBay. And they came with the whole thing all they had to buy additionally was some silicone. It had the pressure fitted sight glass with an o-ring and it was simple to do I didn't even take the master cylinder off of The handlebar. It took me like 5 or 10 minutes including getting the old one out and cleaning the area so I could put new silicone in there and honestly I don't even think the silicone was necessary cuz it fit in so tightly. If I ever have to replace them again I'm not even going to bother getting a sight glass replacement I'm just going to stick a time in there and silicone it or maybe epoxy or something I had a dime in it before I got the replacement sight glasses so that I could drive and it was just fine it was just a little bit ugly looking having a Big blob of silicone on the master cylinder but I'm not too worried about what my master cylinder looks like over the performance of my brakes. Wow I did not intend on writing that much sorry lol! Again I really appreciate that you had this video available allowing me to see just how simple the problem really was and you saved me a lot of money by showing me that I could do the repair myself very easily.
Thanks for the info ! Im overhauling my 2004 honda vtx 1800c brake and clutch mastercylinders and whant to powder coat them black , where do you suggest I can get my replacement lexan sight glass ? Any help would be greatly appreciated !
Measure the diameter of the opening. I may have what you need. You can contact me thru my Web site that appears at the end of the video. Thanks.
Tom Kerxhalli how would you like the messurements in inch or mill ? And what tool would you rather use ?
Paul, metric is best in mm.
Tom Kerxhalli ok thanks will do , ill comunicate with you when im ready !
Hi Tom, I am getting an '87 xj700 Maxim up and running for my son. I ordered a new/old master cylinder since the sight glass on the original was disintegrated. I'm pretty sure the one in the mail doesn't have a mirror with it so I attempted to remove the old one so I could swap it out when the new one arrives. I'm having zero luck here. I was able to get the lock nut to turn but it's not coming off like I would expect and the shaft of the mirror is still not loosening. Can you possibly shine some light on this for me? I am by no means a rookie mechanic, but this one has me stumped. Thanks. Don
If you got the lock nut to turn, get it high enough up so you can spray some PB Blaster or a good penetrating oil into the hole that the shaft turns into. Let it sit overnight and then try braking it loose. This will be easier to do with the master cylinder still on the handlebars clamped on nice and tight. There's rust and/or corrosion in there that has bonded the shaft with the MC. Give it a try and let me know how it goes. Good luck Don!
I bought a cheap watch with a glass face an it's worked fine
Did the same, unfortunately after buying 30€ lexan round glass that ended whitish... Wish I had used mineral glass from the begining
how do you get the silicone to withstand the brake fluid?
Exactly the problem. After watching this I have redone the same master cylinder twice, both times the silicone (top brand RTV) has leaked. All over my perfectly refinished exterior. Of course I was extra careful the 2nd time to ensure the glass was well bedded in silicone bead. But alas, over the following weeks (cautiously watched on my workbench), there it goes weeping brake fluid again. I'm convincing silicone is not the satisfactory adhesive for this job
Hi Tom would you have any idea where I can obtain new sitre glass for a BMW R850R 97 Model. I am in Australia and cannot find here? Regards Chris Rogers
Hey Tom great video. I almost despaired when I picked at my crusty sight glass the other day and saw fluid escape. Doh !
I am restoring an '83 Honda VT 250F and will need to do both sides.
Do you know what size replacement glass/ lexen glass I will need for that "press" fit ??
I guess i can measure mine but I'm not sure if this will be accurate for a press fit. I have never done this before, but I am handy.
Can you advise please ?
Thanks
+Royalbigness try getting a sheet of lexer and a hole saw with an interior diameter slightly larger than the sight hole (use calipers to measure this and the hole saw) aim for too large and sand down accordingly.
Ok, I'll try that Sam
Thank you.
You can tap the glass in the with a socket dude.. That's why most guys use the lexan sight glass. You can tap that with no fears of busting it.
Thanks Tim.
Don't forget for lazy pukes like me. I found an entire master cylinder on E-bay for like 30 bucks.
I have a 1896 honda nighthawk and the main front light doesn't work. I check the wieres and don't have power. Any suggestions on that or how can I replace it?
Well there is also a fuse panel not exactly sure usually left side of the bike. Check that first. If not remove the fuse box and make a jumper connection with a jumper connector. You can easily follow the wires across the bars to down the fork back to the fuse are on those old crates. now the new bikes you may need to see a shrink after having a problem like that...
I'm sure too late, but I had the same issue on my 85 nighthawk 650. Turned out to be the switch itself: the contacts were very gunked / corroded and needed cleaning; good as new. th-cam.com/video/tIN49GFiLWo/w-d-xo.html
Is that standard powdercoating that you refinished the MC with?
Yes. I usually use a 40% gloss satin black that's close to what Honda used for paint.
@@tomscyclerecycling8242 Thanks!
Can I send both my clutch and brake to be redone? 2006 Honda VFR800i. If not where can I get the parts to try it!
Please email me a tomk1960@yahoo.com and we can discuss in more detail. Thanks.
Hi tom is it possible to Bake the paint with the glass in the Master cylinder? Is the glass actually glass or perspex?
David, the older sight glasses were plastic and will melt in an oven. If it's glass, you might be ok, but I don't know if the adhesive holding it in place would fail.
@@tomscyclerecycling8242 Hi Tom, can you please tell me where I can find a 17mm sight glass. I can only find them with an oring. Im restoring an RG500.
Check on Ebay. There's a guy who sells a lot of different sizes there.
David, try checking on eBay. There's a vendor there called "New River Cycle Salvage" that sells many different sizes. They should have what you need.
Can I buy a few of those glasses from you ? 3 to be exact ? I see you had a few available. thanks
The ones I have are for the 1983 CB1100F. Other master cylinders take different sized glasses. Contact me through my web site at www.tomscyclerecycling.com and I'll try to help.
Ok I will , thanks Tom
they are all 18mm
hi i was wondering where a guy could fined a sight glass for a 85 Kawasaki 1100 zn
try new river cycle salvage they are in West Virginia I found them on ebay they claim to be the best for all sight glass if you have a problem let me know
E-Bay there are many retro fit master cylinder kits. Kawi is one that also uses the proto Bendix master cylinders..
Hey All, I just found this seller on ebay. This link is to my bike specifically but it seems to be what Tom is using in this video. The seller offers different kinds as well. www.ebay.com/i/361997600672?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=361997600672&targetid=885732117796&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9029757&poi=&campaignid=9343998933&mkgroupid=100238949571&rlsatarget=aud-412677883135:pla-885732117796&abcId=1139336&merchantid=8543584&gclid=CjwKCAjwgbLzBRBsEiwAXVIygBFVyH9dOjzO-kTEfM_FtVKyiA81a_OQtCopAPeA7UV66hWa635rGRoC2JkQAvD_BwE
Hello , deos anybody have a link or an idea how to find an 21mm glass sight for BMW R1100GS?
I have ruined mine and cannot find anything in the market. And BMW sells the master cylinder as one... €€€€€€€€
Try www.Bikebandit.com.. might have something.
jb weld ?
Where do you buy the glass from ?
I have a private source that makes them for me.
Why do not use air heat gun ?
Good point. Some of these sight glasses just pop out intact. Others can be more work to remove and sometimes I end up using a heat gun to soften up the plastic. Every one is different. Since I did that video 6 years ago, I've done dozens of these and have switched to real glass instead of Lexan. And the process itself is more refined now. Thanks.
Contact me via email - tom@tomscyclerecycling.com and I'll do my best to help out.
Tom's Cycle Recycling morning what are missing om this quad can you help plz
you change for a new one pump not put out the sight glass on a old pump
After I disassembled the master cylinder, I media blasted and powder coated it. This is why it looks brand new, but it isn't. This is how I restore all motorcycle parts.
es un fraude primero detallen al principio la bomba esta usada fea por su huso obviamente despues mas adelante cuando coloca el visor es una bomba totalmente nueva vean la pintura y las roscas
This is not a fraud. When I replace a sight glass, it's usually included as part of a total restoration of the master cylinder. I remove the old glass, then strip and prep the master cylinder for powder coating. After that's done, I install the sight glass as well as new internals. When I'm finished, the unit is as you see it - almost like new again.
You need shave your head hair. Full bald is suit you. 👍🏻
Hahahaha! I just laughed out loud - too funny. I buzz it very short now.