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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
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Message started by och on 02/17/24 at 13:11:32

Title: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by och on 02/17/24 at 13:11:32

My trusty little Savage is having yet another issue, but this time I really only have myself to blame. I took it out in light snow a few weeks ago, and there was so much salt on the road, it got all over myself and the bike.

Now my rear brake pedal got frozen shut a couple of weeks ago. I pulled the rear drum lever, it moves well, so I figured it must be the cable. It had a small tear in the casing with rust showing through, so I ordered a new cable. It arrived last night, so this afternoon I started working on replacing it, and turns out it wasn't that. The pedal itself is stuck on the bracket. Looks like there it has a bearing and it is pressed onto the rod on the mounting bracket. Salt must've gotten into the bearing, it looks very rusty, and so it seized and now the pedal is stuck.

I tried to hammer it off, unsuccessfully. I will have to bring it to my shop and put the bracket into a table wise and then hammer the pedal off. It also looks like I'll need a press to get the new pedal installed.

Any advice for me before I go on a spending spree?

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by youzguyz on 02/17/24 at 14:18:17

There is no bearing involved. The brake pedal just goes over a pin on the foot rest bracket.
Kind of odd that would rust solid, but possible. Clean it up and use grease on the pin and brake pedal.
A rusted cable is the most common cause for a stuck brake pedal. Had it happen to me a couple of times. Lube up the new one before you put it in.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by och on 02/17/24 at 14:40:04

594F555A4755595A200 wrote:

The brake pedal definitely has some sort of sleeve over that pin, probably too thin to be a bearing, but either way it welded itself shut. I could not press it and I can't hammer it off the pin. I'll do it at the shop - I'll put the bracket into a table wise and hammer the pedal off.

In the meantime, I found a used assembly for $40 shipped on ebay, so I ordered it.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by och on 02/17/24 at 14:44:27

The new cable came in lube applied at the ends, not sure if I need to lube it anymore? I decided to keep the new cable since i already installed it.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by youzguyz on 02/17/24 at 15:38:14

636F640C0 wrote:

Fiche, Clymers, and my experience all say no sleeve, bearing, or anything. I think what you see as a sleeve is part of the brake pedal.

ebay is defintely your friend for those kind of parts.

And, I would lube that new cable anyway... with an actual cable lube product. I use Cable Life.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by och on 02/17/24 at 16:59:07

Found some photos on the internet, looks like there is a copper sleeve in there. I guess once salt got introduced it accelerated the reaction between copper and steel, and the whole thing seized.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the pedal should easily slide off the pin once the cotter pin is removed?

http://https://i.imgur.com/JrEoQge.jpeg

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by verslagen1 on 02/17/24 at 17:39:32

3C303B530 wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the pedal should easily slide off the pin once the cotter pin is removed?

yes
put some pen oil on it or drop it in evoporust

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by och on 02/17/24 at 18:22:56

Good to know. The pedal has never had any sign of sticking in all the years i had the bike, was always working fine. One ride through heavy salt, washed the bike as much as i could, parked it, and two weeks later its completely seized. I know dissimilar metals do not like to be in contact, add salt to the equation and the reaction gets rapid.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by Dave on 02/18/24 at 02:54:50

Most of us never give our bikes the kind of maintenance they should have.

All of the "pivot" points should be removed, cleaned and lubed...the frequency depends a bit on how the bike is ridden and stored. If your bike is stored outside and ridden in bad weather.....it needs it more often than the bikes that are stored inside ridden only on sunny days.

The clutch lever, front brake lever, rear brake pedal and shift pedal should be taken apart and cleaned/lubed to keep them working properly. The cable for the clutch and rear brake pedal should also be lubed regularly.

You will be amazed how much better these controls work when they are properly lubed.

When I was young and raced motocross/hare scrambles, my controls were taken apart and cleaned/lubed after every race as they were filthy.......on my street bikes I do this in the winter while it is too cold to ride. I never ride when there is salt on the road - it is very destructive to motorcycles!

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by Surviving Philly on 02/18/24 at 11:49:14

If you decide to buy a used rear brake/footpeg mounting bracket, check to make sure that the mounting bung for the brake pedal height adjustment is not bent. I recently had to replace mine and MANY of the used assembly's I saw on eBay had a bent bung, presumably due to a minor accident. If that bung isn't lined up properly the adjustment of the pedal gets all screwed up.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by och on 02/19/24 at 12:45:37

Well, I got them apart today, seems to be just superficial rust on that pin. The copper sleeve seems fine. I had to hammer away real hard to get them to separate, but I'm sure I can easily clean this up with some scotch brite, introduce a bit of lube, and it will be fine. There seems to be a little groove in the sleeve, probably machined to capture lube.

Since I've already ordered a used assembly on ebay, I'll wait for it to arrive and then decide which one to use.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by ThumperPaul on 02/20/24 at 09:47:50

File, buff, lube, file, buff, lube. Verslagen mentioned evaporust. I've used Oshpho.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by och on 02/20/24 at 10:27:05

I'm thinking about grinding off the pin/rod the pedal is mounted onto, and welding on a stainless rod of the same diameter and length, should be a lot more resistant to rust.

Looks like the existing bracket and pedal is steel, with chrome plating.

http://https://i.imgur.com/8IxzU9T.jpeg

http://https://i.imgur.com/DqRvAnN.jpeg

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by ThumperPaul on 02/20/24 at 13:36:22

I'm not a welder, so I'd just put the grinder wheel on the drill and get after that rust (I hate rust). Use a file for the hard to reach places. Finish up with some steel wool and grease that monkey real good!

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by Riley_N on 02/20/24 at 14:07:17

I would probably just get a few drill wire brush attachments or even a battery terminal cleaner brush to clean it up. Then lube with your favorite grease. Should be good to go for many miles.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by Dave on 02/20/24 at 15:49:03

What year is your bike? It is highly likely the pedal has never been greased.

Clean it up, lube it....and it will be good for a long while.

Maybe you could drill and tap for a grease fitting! :)

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by och on 02/20/24 at 17:57:40

If you look close, there is a groove in the copper sleeve, probably to trap grease and keep the pivoting parts lubricating. I guess as the pedal swivels up and down on the pin, it eventually wears out the grease, and wears out the chrome off the pin - and then as some salt got in there, it quickly rusted the pin as it was no longer protected with chrome. I am really thinking a stainless rod to replace that pin might be the best idea, it will never rust.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by ThumperPaul on 02/21/24 at 11:14:43

Weld away, Och! More power to ya! I’d still grease the crap out of it!

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by och on 03/01/24 at 07:26:31

Well, I got and installed the used unit, worked great. I took it apart, and applies some Daizen grease to the sleeve that mounts onto the pin - Daizen is a Japanese company that makes sway bars and polyurethane bushings, and they sell the stickiest, longest lasting grease I've ever seen. Works nice and smooth now.

Title: Re: Stuck rear brake pedal, completely frozen.
Post by ThumperPaul on 03/01/24 at 14:06:29

Grease is the Word…

https://youtu.be/8gqiyqu1GVE?si=GhfZPp-j4OYdHcx3