so my front brake continually changes from loose to really tight. what i mean by this is that sometimes the brake will start grabbing with me pulling back the lever about a 1/8 an inch and then other times it needs to be almost all the way to the handgrip before any useful braking is available. and then even worse sometimes the brake is soo tight that even with the lever all the way out the brake is still engaged a little bit. i tried playing around with the adjustment disc but it soesnt really turn. im thinking low brake fluid is one of the problems. how do i add fluid and what do i use?
thanks

 

You might have air in your lines if it's acting up that badly. I would replace your lines with steel braided ones, they're not to expensive. That will eliminate any flex in your lines and give you better braking feedback. Then your reservoir is located on your right handlebar, you'll have to open that, replace fluid and bleed both front brakes to get any air out of the lines.

 

It sounds like you could have multiple issues at the same time. For a brake lever to be working well at one moment and then not working at another is an indication of either low brake fluid, or air in the lines. Usually when you get air in the lines, it usually feels spongy all the time. How does the color of the brake fluid look in the little window of the reservoir? Brake fluid in good condition should look clear and without color for the most part. Over time the fluid is prone to contamination and the absorption of moisture. In time the color will look a dark brown in color. It really is an easy task to rebuild both the brake calipers and the master cylinder. It's something easily done in an afternoon. The seals are relatively inexpensive, less than $20 per caliper.

I would suggest in the short term, at least flush out the brake fluid with fresh fluid. The 600 F3's use DOT4 type brake fluid. Do not mix with any other type as they are not the same. IMO it doesn't make any difference what brand you use. You should also use fluid from a new container. You'll notice that the new container has a foil seal when you open it. This is to prevent it from absorbing moisture (which brake fluid likes to do).

Rebuilding the master cylinder (where the brake lever and reservoir are) is a little more expensive. Honda is pretty proud of those parts. The rebuild kit is around $40.

If you decide to do the work, get a copy of a shop manual and follow the instructions. When I work with brake fluid, I cover the areas under the reservoir, like the tank and fairing with aluminum foil, and then a drop cloth or shop rag. The rag helps keep drips from splashing and the foil keeps it from soaking through the rag to the painted and plastic parts.

Good luck...

 

thank you for the informative responses. my brake fluid is definatly a dark amber color and i will be doing the work. feeling very appreciative right now...

 

You should also check your calipers on the disc. Sometimes the tend to get stuck due to some dirt. Since your going to flush the system, you might as well take them apart and give them a decent cleaning and check there rubbers as well.

I must stress something that nobody else has mentioned:
If you haven’t done brakes before or you don’t feel confident in doing this, rather get somebody that knows, to help you or take it to someone that knows what there doing.

You can play around with anything else on your bike but messing up brakes is messing with your life!