How to Remove Front Brake Lever?
 

This may seem like a really daft question, but I've never had to replace a front brake lever myself before.

Obviously, there is the bolt which acts as a pivot, and that is easy enough to remove, but how do you remove the retaining "plug" to which the master cylinder piston actuator pin is attached?

The plug can't be knocked out of its mounting hole in the lever with a punch because the actuator pin seems to be attached to the retaining plug. I suspect the pin might be screwed into the plug, but I didn't want to start twisting it, only to bugger something up inside the master cylinder.

The Haynes' Great Book of Lies was no help whatsoever. The authors obviously didn't feel anyone would ever need to replace the front brake lever. :rolleyes:

Thanks. :)

Not entirely sure what you're trying to describe zhed, if all you want to do is replace the lever then take out the pivot bolt and the lever comes off.
The actuator pin isn't attached to anything, it will just pull out of the rubber seal when you remove the lever.

There may be a tiny little pin which act on the brake light switch - watch out for this falling out cos you'll never find it!

Thanks, that's useful info. I wasn't keen to pull too hard on the actuator pin -I once damaged a rear master cylinder by being a bit over enthusiastic with the actuator when fitting rearsets.

After I've pulled the pin out of the rubber boot, how do I then get the actuator pin off the old lever? Does it just screw out of the cylindrical spigot/plug thingy that is fitted into the lever?

The pin is loose, it should stay in the rubber boot when you remove the lever. All it does is sit inside that cylindrical thing in the lever. Just take the pivot bolt out and all will be obvious.

Maybe obvious, but... there's a 10mm nylock on the bottom of the pin which has to come off before you can unscrew the pin.

It was doing the opposite - the pin wanted to pull out of the boot, but stay put in the cylinder.

I presume the actuator is not attached to anything at the master cylinder end and can safely be pulled out of the boot?


I'd spotted that, but thanks for the heads up.

The pin should literally fall out of that little brass cylinder, there's nothing to hold it in except maybe a few years of grime!

Again, it's not attached to anything behind the boot. The rubber boot locates in the obvious grove in the pin. It can be awkward getting the rubber in the grove, but a smeer of grease will help.