Brake Caliper Overhaul

[MrWasabi]

Thanks Wullie but i just realised you are in brissy, so i will probably get it around the same time
thats cool mine still stops as long as you pump it 3-4 times before you want to stop

[wullieb1]

Thanks Wullie but i just realised you are in brissy, so i will probably get it around the same time
thats cool mine still stops as long as you pump it 3-4 times before you want to stop

No worries bud.

[oldman]

Your brakes just need a proper bleed. You need two, (2) people. make sure the master cylinder is full and the brake bleeder valve, (s) are closed at the caliper. Pump the shit out of the brake involved, then hold it closed. have your helper release the bleeder valve on the caliper. Do not release the brake lever. Have you're helper tighten the bleeder valve, then pump it again 10 or 20 times and do it again. If you have two calipers bleed the furthest one from the master cylinder first. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER OFTEN, IF YOU DON"T AND YOU RUN IT DRY YOU HAVE TO START OVER AGAIN!!! The key is aggressive pumping. I've used this method since they first went from mechanical brakes in the mid sixties to the clumsey hydraulics of the first M/C's of the late sixties. A good shot of Jim Beam and a brew increase your chances of success. If this method fails you either have a bad master cylinder or you are as dumb as me.

[wullieb1]

Your brakes just need a proper bleed. You need two, (2) people. make sure the master cylinder is full and the brake bleeder valve, (s) are closed at the caliper. Pump the shit out of the brake involved, then hold it closed. have your helper release the bleeder valve on the caliper. Do not release the brake lever. Have you're helper tighten the bleeder valve, then pump it again 10 or 20 times and do it again. If you have two calipers bleed the furthest one from the master cylinder first. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER OFTEN, IF YOU DON"T AND YOU RUN IT DRY YOU HAVE TO START OVER AGAIN!!! The key is aggressive pumping. I've used this method since they first went from mechanical brakes in the mid sixties to the clumsey hydraulics of the first M/C's of the late sixties. A good shot of Jim Beam and a brew increase your chances of success. If this method fails you either have a bad master cylinder or you are as dumb as me.

lol probably the dumb part is right

Done the pumping last night and didn't get any pressure from the Master Cylinder at all.

Will try the back bleeding tonight and see how i go.

[oldman]

You will not feel any pressure until the 3rd or forth bleed. Air compresses in the brake lines for, sometimes the forth or fifth bleed. If when you open the bleeder you are getting air then all is well, if not something else is amiss. I'm glad you took the dumb comment with a grain of salt, as the U.S. forum I belong to has no sense of humour. Probably due to a low IQ and to much propaganda such as "We are the greatest country in the world". If a person said that about themselves I personaly would kill them and eat their flesh. By the way the key too this bleeding bullshit is to hold the pedal or lever down until the bleeder valve has been closed also pump the shit out of it before you hold it down. Easier if you have an assistant, preferably a naked ladie who will take all this pumping to heart and become your good friend after all is done. Good luck.

[wullieb1]

Cheers bud.

I'll give it a bash later tonight and see how i go.

[Mike]

Got the master cylinder kit from Kwaka today and fitted it. The old piston and spring literaly fell out when i tipped it over lol.

Got it all back together and can't get no fukn pressure whatsover on the lever.

Ah yes, I ran into the same problem when I did my brakes. You'll just have to bleed them *alot* until you get pressure. It sucks but it's just one of those things.

[wullieb1]

Got the master cylinder kit from Kwaka today and fitted it. The old piston and spring literaly fell out when i tipped it over lol.

Got it all back together and can't get no fukn pressure whatsover on the lever.

Ah yes, I ran into the same problem when I did my brakes. You'll just have to bleed them *alot* until you get pressure. It sucks but it's just one of those things.

Cheers Mike.

Leaving now to get cracking on with it lol.

[freestyler]

as the U.S. forum I belong to has no sense of humour. Probably due to a low IQ and to much propaganda such as "We are the greatest country in the world". If a person said that about themselves I personaly would kill them and eat their flesh. By the way the key too this bleeding bullshit is to hold the pedal or lever down until the bleeder valve has been closed also pump the shit out of it before you hold it down. Easier if you have an assistant, preferably a naked ladie who will take all this pumping to heart and become your good friend after all is done. Good luck.

All that left me smiling

[Kev]

I had the exact same problem on my 9 a few weeks back after I replaced all the seals in the calipers and put a new set of braided lines on. In hindsight I should have put a M/C rebuilt kit in as well, the bike has done over 90,000kms after all. We spent over 3 hours bleeding them and tried every trick in the book. What worked in the end was to remove the calipers from the forks and with all the bleed nipples closed, pump the shit out of the lever to get the pads to come in contact, don't forget to watch your fluid level as it may need a top up. Once contact is made you can give each caliper a quick bleed. Give the lever another few quick pumps and then push the pistons back into the calipers with a big screw driver, make sure you place the screw driver behind the back of the opposing pad so you don't damage the brake pad material or the Bakelite inserts in the pistons and use the edge of the caliper as the leverage point. You will probably need a second person to keep an eye on the fluid levels again because it will probably go everywhere as its being pushed back into the reservoir, be prepared for it to squirt out like a fountain. Once all the pistons are pushed back, pump the lever again to repeat the process. After doing this twice, we went from having no pressure to full pressure, it really worked a treat. Good luck and hope this helps.

[wullieb1]

Well we've managed to get pressure into the brakes after about an hour of bleeding them.

Still a bit of air in them but we can get that out now we have pressure.

WIP lol

[Gosling1]

The easiest, quickest, and most effective way to bleed motorcycle brakes is this - forget the bleed nipples on the calipers. They are the Spawn of Satan.

Just wrap some rags around the m/c up on the bars, pump the lever, hold it closed - and 'crack' the banjo bolt open / shut , at the top of the brake lines. Repeat this a handful of times - you will be amazed how quickly this works......

You will get excellent lever pressure within a minute or 2. The rags keep any brake fluid from damaging painted surfaces / body panels.

I have bled bike brakes using this method since 1979 - bleeding from the caliper nipples, as Mick C would say - SUCKS DONKEY BALLS. !!!

This is why most radial m/c now have a bleed nipple at the top - air rises in a trapped system. Bleeding at the bottom of 2 or 3 brake lines is just a slow agonising death really.....