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Help Any special trick to bleeding brakes?

Discussion in 'Tyres Wheels and Brakes' started by DamnitLaverty, Sep 8, 2016.

  1. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    Went to my friendly Local Moto Shop today and got brake pads for the bike. Swapped front pads, bled the system and fed it some Motul 600.

    Now I can't get pressure back in the master. Looks like the line length is equal, not counting the manifold/splitter, so I started on the left and did the right. I've now done both of them multiple times, and while the calipers are compressing hard enough to flex the rotors, the lever isn't feeling any pressure. Is there a special trick I should know?
     
  2. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    I should clarify. I know how to bleed brakes. I'm looking/asking about model-specific tricks. :)
     
  3. kiffsta

    kiffsta Senior Member

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    ZXR brakes are usually pretty easy, if your not getting pressure up, then maybe pull your bleed nipples and clean \ blow them out or replace them.
     
  4. my67xr

    my67xr Bike Enthusiast Staff Member Premium Member Contributing Member

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    Have you tried tapping the brake hoses especially up near the master to see if there's any air bubble's going back into the masters' reservoir ?
    Sometime's using a big syringe full of brake fluid and forcing back from the bottom up through a slightly open bleeder valve can help to get rid of air.
    Watch you don't spill it over your bike from the reservoir though.
     
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  5. Linkin

    Linkin The Mechanic Premium Member Contributing Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    A good tip I learned on youtube... for dual front calipers, bleed the left side first, then the right. It makes a world of difference.
     
  6. ruckusman

    ruckusman White Mans Magic Master Premium Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    putting a strong rubber band/clamp on the lever overnight can help also - the pressure in the system shrinks any air bubbles and they can navigate there way up the lines more easily
     
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  7. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    So far I've :

    Strapped the lever down and went to dinner to try and let whatever air out.

    Vacuum bled from the caliper (and the left one keeps bubbling under vac but doesn't seep fluid or bubble with a conventional bleed).

    Cracked the banjo at the master to simulate a bench bleed just in case I went dry- no air came out.

    Bled through half a bottle of Motul conventionally.

    Pushed fluid back upwards when I compressed the calipers.


    I know fluid is moving to all places- it's much cleaner and brighter now than it was when I started.
     
  8. ruckusman

    ruckusman White Mans Magic Master Premium Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    vacuum bleeding was going to be my next suggestion
    I have wrapped the bleed nipples with some telfon tape to seal the threads as I found the threads leaked too easily when just opened meaning air would just loop down the threads and back up the nipple leaving the fluid static or continually revealing bubbles
     
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  9. GreyImport

    GreyImport Administrator Staff Member The Chief Contributing Member

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    Like on a car .... always start bleeding from the furthest wheel from the master
     
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  10. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    Which is why I started on the left one... But the lines are equal length lol. Anyhow. Anyone know the thread diameter and pitch on the bleeders if I wanted to go get a pair of new ones tomorrow without leaving a caliper leaking fluid all day?
     
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  11. aky141

    aky141 Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like mc needs rebuild,
     
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  12. tarmacsurfer

    tarmacsurfer Well-Known Member

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    Air in line at m/c was my guess but you tried that. I'd also unbolt calipers and try bleeding with them raised above m/c.
     
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  13. 2smokeRonin

    2smokeRonin Active Member

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    I had similar problems on my rg gamma. I tried most of the techniques suggested above.
    I finally got rid of the splitter and put a dedicated brake line to each caliper from the master along with a longer banjo bolt to take 2 lines instead of 1. Problem solved for me.
     
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  14. Damus

    Damus She is a BEAST and riding it is comparable to sex Dirty Wheel Club

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    About 2 weeks ago I put on 1 mc22 braided front line and 1 cbr929 braided line because it fitted better than the x2 front braided lines goodridge made.
    But for some reason I was having a nightmare of a time trying to bleed them with my usual method of squeeze fast 20 times then 5 slow then squeeze in release nipple for 3 seconds, tighten nipple and then release the lever.
    I think i was there for 2 hours doing this on both calipers and getting nowhere! I was like wtf is going on!

    Out of frustration the trick that allowed them to actually bleed up was make the nipple seriously open and leave it open then REALLY fast just keep pumping through brake fluid as hard and fast you can, I was pretty much just recycling the bottle through the line and had to keep topping up the master cylinder about 30 times but after a while the pressure builds up and it bleeds up something fierce, I did this method on both caliper's and it took about a week for the calipers to finally fully release the front discs as they where always ever so slightly engaged before hand. Weird but that was my "secret trick".
     
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  15. Joker

    Joker See "about me" for contact details. Contributing Member

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    Good advice here methinks. If you've done everything to get the air out and you're sure everything is correct then your pressure seal might simply be gone. Especially with older bikes diving in and bleeding brakes should be easy but there's that risk you won't be able to get the pressure back and a full rebuild is on the cards.

    You might find another way around it but it looks like you've done everything I can think of bar the above. Can't think of any specific "tricks" most systems are bled through the same principles/methods.
     
  16. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    With enough fluid or a short enough line, you shouldn't even have to pump fast- as long as the far end is submerged, it can't suck air back up. I might give this a try tonight after I try and get new bleeder screws (I just need to figure out the pitch of the bleeders still!)

    I really wish the master and that cast manifold that the lines go into had bleeders on them- i'd love to know for sure there's not a bubble trapped in that manifold... Long term I think a double banjo and braided lines are my solution of choice- but for now... i'd really just like brakes back!
     
  17. ruckusman

    ruckusman White Mans Magic Master Premium Member Dirty Wheel Club

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    something to consider - there may be dried fluid crud between the inner and outer seal on one of the the calipers making things difficult
     
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  18. GreyImport

    GreyImport Administrator Staff Member The Chief Contributing Member

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    http://2fiftycc.com/index.php?threads/useful-upgrades-for-brake-bleeding.1067/
     
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  19. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    Oh, word! I think i'm buying one of those for the duc, too!

    I hate speedbleeders tho. Never gotten a good bleed out of any car i've had 'em on.
     
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  20. risky

    risky risky

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    are your wheel cylinder seals old and hard??may need to replace.
     
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