Does anyone know anything about forumla R1's ?

Discuss light weight issues concerning mountain bikes & parts.

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Steve Curtis
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Location: Hampshire UK, Dublin Ireland and Geneva Switzerland.

by Steve Curtis

Hi all.

I have some early 2009 R1's which leak from the rear cap. I know this is a well documented issue but the Uk importer Silverfish aren't helping me.
The rubber diaphragm and cap have separated so need to be replaced. what cap do i need to order ?
I have the part number for the diaphragm FD-M062-25

Any help would be appreciated .

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legsrburnin
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by legsrburnin

A distributor is Oz is- http://www.eightyonespices.com.au

He's a friendly guy passionate about MTB's and may be able to help.
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jekyll man
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by jekyll man

Maybe give windwave a call?
I'm not sure if they are still a formula importer, but they've been more than helpful in the past, when i had evo's :)
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Steve Curtis
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Location: Hampshire UK, Dublin Ireland and Geneva Switzerland.

by Steve Curtis

Im still no further forward with this.

to the people who had the leak issues with early brakes. did Formula replace the rear caps with the 1 hole version or the 5 hole version?

Thanks

1415chris
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Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:59 am
Location: Surrey UK

by 1415chris

I was in touch with the previous formula rep Propel. Toby was always very helpful guy!
I had the same issue with the first R1s. At that time Silverfish took over formula rep. Have to say no good experience at all. Replacing the cup took them about 3 weeks.
Speaking of which, I do not remember the number of holes, but the new one is black.

lowpsihighspeed
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 8:52 pm

by lowpsihighspeed

I've had 2 sets of R1's leak. Sent them to back to the US hq and without question, fixed up, sent back and hooked me up with sweet Formula tshirt. Great guys over here.
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sfer1
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2010 3:11 am

by sfer1

lowpsihighspeed wrote:I've had 2 sets of R1's leak. Sent them to back to the US hq and without question, fixed up, sent back and hooked me up with sweet Formula tshirt. Great guys over here.

I did the same, but mine started leaking again after they fixed them. Between that and the annoying pad rubbing issues, I gave up on them.

lowpsihighspeed
Posts: 60
Joined: Wed May 19, 2010 8:52 pm

by lowpsihighspeed

sfer1 wrote:
lowpsihighspeed wrote:I've had 2 sets of R1's leak. Sent them to back to the US hq and without question, fixed up, sent back and hooked me up with sweet Formula tshirt. Great guys over here.

I did the same, but mine started leaking again after they fixed them. Between that and the annoying pad rubbing issues, I gave up on them.


Can be tough without pad adjustment capability..
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Steve Curtis
Posts: 1316
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:20 pm
Location: Hampshire UK, Dublin Ireland and Geneva Switzerland.

by Steve Curtis

After a long slog I have some information.

Apparently a new replacement MC (master cap) and diaphragm will solve any leakage issue (these parts are bonded together, so if they have separated they will no longer be 'fluid tight').

Regarding a redesign, the 2011 R1 and The ONE master cylinder did see a massive redesign which although they look identical only share the MC piston and clamp. these redesigned parts are not a retro fit for the older model.

The MC diaphragm should ideally be replaced yearly as part of a regular service, this clever little bit of rubber is responsible for the keeping the lever feel the same through heat and pad wear etc so really does have a lot going on.

The part numbers for the replacement items is FD-M053-25 and FD-T031-05.

cws196
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Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:43 am
Location: Cambridgeshire - UK

by cws196

I've also gone through the pain/costs> of having to replace the diaphragms/caps!

To remove the old cap, you need a pair of pin-nose pliers, to insert in to the holes, then undo anti-clockwise. Once the caps are removed, my advice is as follows:

-remove some (if not all) brake fluid from the lever/MC
-with a toothbrush, give the threads on the lever body a clean
-take the new cap/diaphragm and smear a tiny amount of silicone grease on to the cap threads
-place the cap in to the opening on the lever and thread it anti-clockwise > do this to find the start of the thread (you'll feel a very tiny 'notch' where the threads start) - this minimizes the chances of cross threading
-tighten the cap clockwise with the pin nose pliers - keep the pliers level and pushed-in hard, so stop them coming out of the holes. At the end of tightening, the cap gets really tight - keep going until it is in the correct position

Once replaced, give the brakes a full bleed. Another tip is when pushing/pulling the syringe attached to the lever (to remove trapped air) , do not push the syringe too hard, otherwise you can over-pressurize the system and blow the membrane.....

Good luck!

TheRookie
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by TheRookie

Wow, good info, given all that I'll stick with Shimano! :D
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Steve Curtis
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Location: Hampshire UK, Dublin Ireland and Geneva Switzerland.

by Steve Curtis

I figure I've put in the region of 5,000 miles on these brakes with no maintenance. I think they deserve a few £ spent on them so new pistons and the bits mentioned above :D

cws196
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:43 am
Location: Cambridgeshire - UK

by cws196

With Formula EVERY part is available as a spare to buy - unlike Shimano (which I why I ditched my XTR discs after the caliper pistons seals leaked, and was told I'd have to buy new calipers as the brakes were out of warranty...yeah, that's a real world solution!).

Formula are excellent brakes, they just need a bit more attention to detail when working on them.

If you're replacing the caliper piston seals as well, the best way to do it is to blow the pistons out using compressed air. This gets around the fact that you can't remove the bore cap as the tool isn't available to buy (however, Silverfish are offering brake servicing now, and they have all the tools).

andrewh8877
Posts: 79
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2009 8:51 pm

by andrewh8877

Uk importer Silverfish aren't helping me.

There's a surprise!
.
Go on french ebay (ebay.fr oddly enough) and type Formula R1 into the search thingy. Lots of spares come up in the results, all kinds. Pick a couple of suppliers and send them an email, that part number would help a lot I expect. I did this and managed to get a clamp for the lever, about £15 including postage.
Don't know why but there seems to be lots of R1 bits on the french site.

Steve Curtis
Posts: 1316
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:20 pm
Location: Hampshire UK, Dublin Ireland and Geneva Switzerland.

by Steve Curtis

I managed to get hold of t he parts needed so its just a case of a rebuild.
I hope they respond well to new diaphragms and pistons............ To be continued

by Weenie


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