1981 GPz 550 front brake pads and guides question.

My new to me 81 GPz had a front brake dragging, when i took it apart fo clean it up i found one caliper was missing the brake guide (circled in attached picture)
Will new brake pads include this guide or do i have to try and find. It seperatly?
It seems the oad kits I've seen are just the pads.

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationI do not think pads will come with the guide since it has a separate part number. Here's a pair of new old stock guides on eBay -


Ed
For part number see: www.powersportswarehouse.com/p/Kawasaki#...0-D1-1981/070086E-13

Thanks!

your local kawasaki dealer might be able to order them in ,might be cheaper then NOS on EBay just rock up with the part number and see what happens,

Sometimes, even with the guide the brake can drag a little. After many years the guides will get a detent from where the pads sit. This likes to pull the pad toward the disk when you put in a thicker pad. You can sometimes clean the guide and polish it to make it better, or sometimes swap them around with other guides so hopefully the detent is in a different location.

Another cause of brake drag is when the piston seal, on the caliper, gets crust in it and can't flex. The seal flexing in the groove is what normally retracts the piston a tiny bit. If there is a buildup of crust, the seal doesn't flex.

(If a guide is missing, you definitely have to find a replacement, to prevent the pad from gouging the aluminum caliper body, of course.)

They do not come with pads. You will have to order it separately. I would replace all four in front at the same time. (Or all six to cover the rear as well.)

If the brakes don't retract like they should I'd do the following:
- pull the pistons and clean out any crud inside the caliper and seal groove
- Inspect the pistons and replace if there is any pitting
- replace the caliper piston seals
- Grease sliding pins w/heavy black moly caliper grease
- Install new brake lines

And of course, order that missing part and replace the pads too if they are excessively worn and/or fluid soaked. Get organic pads, not metallic, if you value disc life.

Thanks for the help guys!
I've ordered 4 guides, taken both calipers apart, cleaned the pistons (one had a small pit towards the back of it).
Cleaned the brackets and caliper bodies in a parts washer along with the seal and pin dust boots.
Relubed the slide pins and fill and bled with fresh fluid.
Testing in the garage (freezing outside here) the brake no longer drags even with the missing slides, won't ride it until everyhing is in.

Bike rolls much better, thanks for the help.

I've just fixed a leaky carb that had a small crack in the brass tube inside the float bowl.
Took the better part of the day to figure that one out, a little solder took care of it.

Next up are steering neck bearings, got a set of tapered bearings coming in the mail.

I'm sure I'll have more questions!