bleeding brakes

[Anonymous]

after cleaning the master cylinder and filled with fluid Icannot get the fluid to come out when i pull the lever do i need to prime the cylinder?

[saaz]

You have an air lock. One old trick is to pull the lever back to the bars and keep i there overnight with a rubber band. If you are ina hurry, connect a hose to the bleed nipple, open it and suck on the tube while compressing the lever. Stop once you can feel some pressure from the fluid going through, unless you like the taste of brake fluid!

[QuaiChangKane]

You have to bleed the air out in steps. With the bleeder valve closed, pump the handle a few times and hold it in. Open the bleeder valve, then close it, keeping the brake handle squeezed the whole time. Pump the handle a few more times, and hold it in - open the valve, close the valve, repeat.

It shouldn't take more than a few cycles to get the fluid to start coming out. If you just open the bleder valve and start pumping away on the handle, you'll just keep sucking air back into the line every time you release the handle. If you're in a hurry, you can just get a syringe and squirt brake fluid direcly into the brake line from the banjo fitting.

And if you have anti-dive forks, don't forget to bleed each fork leg as well as each caliper.


-Q!

[KGB]

Or for about $15 you can get a pump that bleeds the brakes for you.

Hooks a hose onto the nipple and pump......when you see fluid coming out, air is gone.

Worth the money. We handle about 90 bikes for the MSF courses here in MA, and it is a time saver.

[SqDancerLynn1]

If you use a pump make sure to clean it afterwards

[Anonymous]

Bleed the brake in sections. pump the lever several times then crack open the bolt that connects the hose to the master cylinder.(with a rag rapped around so you don't get b-fluid everywhere)You will get a lot of air and the fluid will start to move down the line. Keep doing this until you get just fluid.(make sure to keep the fluid topped off) Then try the bleeder a few times. if not go to the next bolt in the line and repeat.

[Anonymous]

i just attempted to bleed my brakes. Since my tank is in the process of getting painted, i decided to bleed the brakes. i dont think i did it right. i did the cycle a few times but my brake lever is stilll soo squishy it seems like its doing nothing. Also, in the master cylinder, is there supposed to be a huge rubber dip type thing. cause when i took off my cap, all i saw was this rubber casing that was a bout 2 inches deep, with no holes in it. i took that out and found the bottom of the master cylinder with 2 screws. my brake lever has no compression anymore. Am i doing this wrong? whats with this rubber boot thing inside the master cylinder, HELP PLEASE!

[frosty5011]

Tanner,

What you're looking at is the diaphragm that you took out of the master cylinder reservoir.

Did you take out the diaphragm "before" bleeding the brakes?......or did you add brake fluid into the diaphragm itself. If you didn't remove the diaphragm, that would explain why you now no longer have pressure in your brake system....the reservoir ran out of fluid and you got air in your system.

Take out the diaphragm, fill reservoir with brake fluid, then perform the bleeding procedure. If you don't know the bleeding procedure, and can't find it using SEARCH, then post again. I'll find it for you, and post it, instead of typing all of it down now. It's been explained a few times in depth, by various members.....easy to follow.

Good Luck,
Ron

[Anonymous]

i tried bleeding the brakes when i filled the diaphragm with brake fluid. But it didnt seem like it was doing anything b/c no fluid was getting down to the bottom of the master cylinder, so i took it out and filled up the master cylinder. Im pretty sure im doing this all wrong

[frosty5011]

2 links, where the brake bleeding process was already typed out are:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=4645&highlight=brake+bleeding

and

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=735&highlight=brake+bleeding

[Anonymous]

does this work for the rear breaks too????

[Anonymous]

The rear brakes won't gravity bleed themselves.