wera803 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Okay, since I am reviewing stuff this week, I thought I would see if anyone else has installed their Galfer braided stainless steel brake lines from the group buy yet. Overall, they seem to be good quality, but I haven't ridden with them yet. Just a few issues I ran into and was wondering if everyone had the same issues or it is just me. This is on a 5th gen. The crossover line touches the front fender. The old line was secure here, but nothing in the instructions say you should do anything with it. I would think some sort of clamp should be installed. I may end up putting some sort of cushion clamp on it instead of the zip tie. The left caliper requires a double banjo and the stacking of 2 lines. The old lines had a banjo fitting with 2 ports on it so you didn't have to stack them. Now it makes it much more difficult to get the caliper on and off without scratching the wheel for tire changes. It can be done, but you have to be really careful. I didn't care for the clamps they supplied for the rear brake lines, so I reused the stock ones with the stock rubber grommets. The grommets are too big for the lines though, so I had to use zip ties to hold them in place. The clutch line fitting didn't seem to line up correctly. It can only go on one way on the other end, so the master cylinder end had to be twisted to hook up. Now it kind of looks like a pigs tail. In the end, the only thing that really bugs me is the line hitting the fender. I may try to zip tie it to the line above it to see if it will pull it off the paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dgordon Posted January 6, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 6, 2015 Ken, thank you for posting this up. I'll be following closely. Received my kit, looks great but I have not yet installed. Pretty cold up here right now. :-) Hoping the board can provide some answers or direction on this. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Did they actually include instructions? That would be a new bonus from them. The routing doesn't look right. It looks too busy. I would have thought that they could clean it up a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wera803 Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Did they actually include instructions? That would be a new bonus from them. The routing doesn't look right. It looks too busy. I would have thought that they could clean it up a bit. They included a mini CD with instructions on it. With the linked brakes it is messy...no fault of theirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer AnikMankar Posted January 7, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 7, 2015 just Zip tie them together - to just hold them together. Once trick you could try is on the right valve - put a spacer on the top bolt (on the inside), this will put the valve at an angle (outwards) giving you couple of mm's on the top. I had installed Goodridge lines - and they were a perfect fit. Had to retain the old cross overs, etc. since i have now moved to Convertibars - had to get longer lines - which i got from (clutch and front brake only). retains most of the stock connectors and mounting kits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Skids Posted January 7, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 7, 2015 Even with the generous discount, it's disappointing that there are issues that you've highlighted for the money we pay for these things. Perhaps we could approach Galfer and ask what their official solution to these issues is or whether they are happy for us to zip-tie to make up for their incomplete solution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerritt Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Hey AnikMankar I was thinking about getting a set of Convertibars or helibars. How do you like the Convertibars do you recommend them and how is the vibration in the bars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted January 7, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 7, 2015 The clutch line fitting didn't seem to line up correctly. It can only go on one way on the other end, so the master cylinder end had to be twisted to hook up. Now it kind of looks like a pigs tail. Confirm with Galfer, but these banjos look like the kind that can be rotated without breaking the seal. Some effort would be required. Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MBrane Posted January 8, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 8, 2015 Put a piece of tape over the double banjo before you pull the wheel. Your lines didn't come with clamps for the fork mounts? Mine did. I had to modify them a bit, but no fender rubbing. The clutch line can be problematic with aftermarket bars, and raised fork tubes. Best solution is to get rid of the locating tabs on the MC. Then you can orient the line however you want. I had an issue with leaking lines. Galfer CS was very helpful, and the replacement lines have had no issues. FYI I've had my lines for nearly 4 years. They did not come from the group buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dude Posted January 8, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 8, 2015 Now all those issues would piss me off to no (brake line) END Seriously that is just crap engineering from Galfer IMHO . I can say I wont be buying their products in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer AnikMankar Posted January 8, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 8, 2015 The clutch line fitting didn't seem to line up correctly. It can only go on one way on the other end, so the master cylinder end had to be twisted to hook up. Now it kind of looks like a pigs tail. Confirm with Galfer, but these banjos look like the kind that can be rotated without breaking the seal. Some effort would be required. Ciao, i see your pipe is slightly twisted - i would suggest to straighten that out and move the banjo up couple of degrees so there is less stress Hey AnikMankar I was thinking about getting a set of Convertibars or helibars. How do you like the Convertibars do you recommend them and how is the vibration in the bars they are very very comfy. I actually moved them quite high (hopefully not like the ape bars), longer clutch and front lines, had to alter the throttlemeister inner cylinder as the inner diameter of the convertibars are smaller. But all in all - very happy. I am pretty upright while ridding. Will post some pictures later on, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rush2112 Posted January 8, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 8, 2015 The clutch line fitting didn't seem to line up correctly. It can only go on one way on the other end, so the master cylinder end had to be twisted to hook up. Now it kind of looks like a pigs tail. (Pic snipped) Confirm with Galfer, but these banjos look like the kind that can be rotated without breaking the seal. Some effort would be required. Ciao, I agree, my Spiegler lines allowed the fittings to rotated to match up perfectly and these look similar. Wrench on the line fitting did the trick... check with Galfer before giving them a twist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer hotshoerob Posted January 8, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 8, 2015 According to their website, they are adjustable. http://www.galferusa.com/brake-lines-for-street-sport-racing-motorcycles/ "Pre-positioned banjos for easy installation, although adjustable as needed by hand" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dgordon Posted January 8, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 8, 2015 Mbrane, would you have a shot of what those front clamps look like? Be good for those of us who got these to verify if the kit is simply missing them or if this is an isolated case. (Meaning Ken should be able to get the provided without cost) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MBrane Posted January 9, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted January 9, 2015 Mbrane, would you have a shot of what those front clamps look like? Be good for those of us who got these to verify if the kit is simply missing them or if this is an isolated case. (Meaning Ken should be able to get the provided without cost) Dave They are just simple steel line clamps with a plastic coating. Nothing special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wera803 Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Once trick you could try is on the right valve - put a spacer on the top bolt (on the inside), this will put the valve at an angle (outwards) giving you couple of mm's on the top. Thanks for the suggestion. Did that today and it seems to be just enough to clear the fender now. I was also able to turn the clutch line fitting so all is good with that now too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mk3dub Posted February 15, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 15, 2015 Guys, sorry for not seeing this post sooner. My wife and I had our first son a month ago and the days/weeks leading up to it were a blur (still are, who am I kidding?). At any rate, I've passed this information along to Galfer and they provided a response. I've copied/pasted this directly and hope it helps... I took a look at your customer’s installation and I see the issues he is describing. All of the issues however should have been addressed by the included instructions. I would recommend that he use the supplied clips not only for positive retention of the lines, but also to provide flex in the intended locations. I have detailed his concerns below and I have included the specific installation photos of each. Let me know if you have any questions. -Right side “T” uses one of our supplied clips to attach it to the delay valve -Left side lines use a supplied clip to attach them to the fork before crossing over the fender. This should keep the lines away from the fender. Fittings can also be rotated to relax lines wherever needed. Let me know if you, or your customer has any questions on how to do this. -It appears the clutch master cylinder line was installed in the wrong orientation. While both ends use the same banjo end, they are pre-oriented 90 degrees from each other to sit on the bike in a relaxed fashion. The line can simply be removed and reinstalled without the twist. Hopefully it was not damaged in the process of originally being installed. They sent me some photos, but haven't had a time to hose them yet. If they'd be useful to you guys to clear up the information provided (above), let me know. Thanks, Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wera803 Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 Congrats on your boy Nick! Pictures would be nice. I read the instructions many times and am quite mechanically inclined, so if I screwed it up, I can't be the only one that has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mk3dub Posted February 16, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 16, 2015 Congrats on your boy Nick! Pictures would be nice. I read the instructions many times and am quite mechanically inclined, so if I screwed it up, I can't be the only one that has. Thank you! Here are the photos... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Skids Posted February 16, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 16, 2015 Thanks for that Nick, nice to know I can find them when I get round to it. Congratulations on the birth of your son. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wera803 Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 -Right side “T” uses one of our supplied clips to attach it to the delay valve -Left side lines use a supplied clip to attach them to the fork before crossing over the fender. This should keep the lines away from the fender. Fittings can also be rotated to relax lines wherever needed. Let me know if you, or your customer has any questions on how to do this. -It appears the clutch master cylinder line was installed in the wrong orientation. While both ends use the same banjo end, they are pre-oriented 90 degrees from each other to sit on the bike in a relaxed fashion. The line can simply be removed and reinstalled without the twist. Hopefully it was not damaged in the process of originally being installed. http://www.galferusa.com/brake-line-instructions/ts-3-h2.pdf - Page 12 of the instructions show the "T" and there is not a clamp on it. There also was not a single line clamp in the kit. All of the clamps in my kit were dual line clamps. The other issue I have with this clamp and the ones for the rear lines are the stock bolts won't work with them. The "T" would require a shorter bolt than the 1" that gets removed from that spot. The rear lines would require longer bolts and some sort of nut on the underside. The stock hardware won't work. - I used the clip on the left side, the lines still touched the fender. The stock metal lines have a curve upward and they are smaller diameter which keeps them from touching. The washed under the upper mounting bolt of the valve worked. - I thought I mounted the clutch line how the show it in the pictures (B is upright on both ends) but maybe I didn't.....or maybe the 90 degree rotation he speaks about doesn't match the labeling of how they ship it out the door. The line is kind of a pain to run (thru the neck, under the tank, etc) so doing it twice wasn't going to happen. Rotating the fitting was much easier. Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention. On page one it says it includes a single bleeder bolt (which it does) but never tells you where to use it in the instructions and never shows a picture of it being used. Part of my daytime job is writing technical instructions on how to fix or retrofit reefer units, so I probably read them with more criticism than most people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mk3dub Posted February 17, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 17, 2015 Galfer's reply: “Page 12 of the instructions show the "T" and there is not a clamp on it. There also was not a single line clamp in the kit. All of the clamps in my kit were dual line clamps.” -While page 12 doesn’t show the C-Clip installed on the delay valve, the picture I sent previously should have cleared this up. If a single clip was not included in the kit, I would be happy to mail one out at no charge. “The other issue I have with this clamp and the ones for the rear lines are the stock bolts won't work with them. The "T" would require a shorter bolt than the 1" that gets removed from that spot. The rear lines would require longer bolts and some sort of nut on the underside. The stock hardware won't work.” -While I don’t have photos of the stock mounting hardware at my disposal, the clips should work with them. If they are not as pictured in the instructions, I would appreciate photos so I can investigate this further. What is the actual year of your customer’s VFR so I can see if there was a change to OEM hardware somewhere along the line?“ I used the clip on the left side, the lines still touched the fender. The stock metal lines have a curve upward and they are smaller diameter which keeps them from touching. The washed under the upper mounting bolt of the valve worked.” -I wouldn’t recommend unnecessarily shimming the delay valve as it may cause other issues. A combination of using a clip on both sides, and relaxing/rotating the line (as detailed in my previous email) should do the trick. “I thought I mounted the clutch line how the show it in the pictures (B is upright on both ends) but maybe I didn't.....or maybe the 90 degree rotation he speaks about doesn't match the labeling of how they ship it out the door. The line is kind of a pain to run (thru the neck, under the tank, etc.) so doing it twice wasn't going to happen. Rotating the fitting was much easier” -While the lines are marked for placement (such as A, B, C) and the master cylinder ends are typically marked, the labels are in no way an indicator of which orientation the lines should be installed against the master/slave. A banjo fitting is capable of being installed in 2 different orientations (180 degrees off from the alternate mounting surface). This is one of the reasons we include install photos with the line kit, so the orientation is clearly visible at both the master and slave. It is very possible that with the line installed in the proper orientation, the label (in this case B) is not readable or facing a particular direction.“Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention. On page one it says it includes a single bleeder bolt (which it does) but never tells you where to use it in the instructions and never shows a picture of it being used.” -The included bleeder bolt is for the rear proportioning valve and is a direct replacement for the OEM one. While not detailed specifically in the instructions it is visible on page 5 towards the top right of the diagram. Tech writer or not, your criticisms aren't unwarranted. If there is a question or issue in the kit/instructions, Galfer is committed to making it right. These are great guys to work with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer MaxSwell Posted February 17, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks all for this thread. I intend to have my dealer do the install and he'lll certainly appreciate the guidance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wera803 Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 I finally got a chance to pull the rear brake line clamp and get some pictures. With the stock hardware, the new clamp is difficult to impossible to install. By the time the screw goes through the new clamp (double thickness) plus the plastic chain guard, there isn't very many threads left to actually go into the bracket on the underside. This is on a 2001 VFR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mk3dub Posted March 9, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted March 9, 2015 If you reuse the stock grommets, you can reuse the stock clamps. I used a bit of rubber hose between the new line and grommet to take up the diameter, but the fit is great. I'm not a huge fan of those p-clamps... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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