Bleeding the brakes

[Ryan]

well, i got my parts yesterday and now before i put everything back together i need to bleed the brakes and change the fluid. Well, i took the whole rear brake system off, and got all of the old fluid out. I put the hoses back on and then i put it on the bike. I filled the resivwar ( ) with the brake fluid and did what the manual says. the problem im haveing is that i am getting no pressure on the petal, the manual says it will build pressure but that aint happening. Any idea's. And the brakes worked great before i took them apart, i just figured after 4 years it is time to change the fluid.

[Colorado Mike]

when you change fluid, it's a lot easier if you don't drain it, just pump new fluid in until it runs clear. But, you know that now. the problem you have now is air in the master cylinder is preventing you from building enough pressure to pump effecitvely. One thing you can do is buy that Mitey Vac brake bleeder that someone suggested when you were doing your forks. A cheaper and not as nice solution is to go to an auto parts store and get a cheaper brake bleeder kit that has a few tubes and little cone fittings that go into the bleeder valve and allow you to prime the master by pumping the fluid back into the reservoir. It's a slower but works. You might be able to talk your dad into splitting the cost of the mitey vac, if he works on his own vehicle's brakes.

[skipro3]

Here's what I do to bleed a brake system:
Buy a 20 foot length of aquarium hose, the clear kind. Attach it over the end of the bleed nipple at the caliper. Open the bleed nipple. Open the master cylinder reservoir cap and have a bottle of brake fluid handy. Take the other end of the aquarium hose and suck on it, drawing brake fluid through the system. Add new brake fluid as you do so so the master cylinder doesn't run dry. When no more air bubbles show in the aquarium hose at the junction of the bleed nipple while you are pulling the vaccum, close the bleed nipple and cap off the master cylinder with fluid. Attach the master cylinder cap. Pump the brake pedal a few times so the brake pads seat against the rotor and you are done!!!

You can take the aquarium hose and blow it clean with compressed air so you can use it again some day. I bleed my brakes on all my vehicles this way and it works great.

[Ryan]

hmm i think i will try that

[canyncarvr]

See the monkey.

See the monkey ingest brake fluid.

Now you know why the monkey looks like that....

re: One thing you can do is buy that Mitey Vac brake bleeder

..yeah. What he said.

[Ryan]

well i got it without doing either, i just used my tool that takes oil out of the forks. Bleeding the brakes also works much better when your wheel is on. I tired to do it with it off, bad idea, the piston flew right out.

[canyncarvr]

Note to self:

Insert spacer between the pucks when the wheel is off.

[skipro3]

CC: That's why I said to use clear aquarium hose. You can see the brake fluid as it gets near the mouth. Geeeze!!! Now I'm annoyed!!

Ryan: Very McGyver of you to use the fork tool. How I would love to sit in your garage and watch you work on your bike!! HaW!!! No spacer or rear wheel on and the puck went flying!!! Haw HaW HaWWWW!!!!!

By the time you're 21 you will be having all your riding buds begging you to fix their bikes. I think it's great you are doing all these things on your own!!

[canyncarvr]

re: clear

Yeah...I got that part.

re: annoyed

Glad to be of service!

[GS]

"How I would love to sit in your garage and watch you work on your bike!! HaW!!!"

I have made all those mistakes ....and more. Would be pretty good fun as WE KNOW WHATS COMING, and even better, just before it happens. That would be fun...bring a six-pack and chair!
Just kidin Ryan...have fun and don't let a few problems get you down. The alternative to doing it on your own, with all the experiences that entails, is to pay all those wages of yours to someone else and learn NOTHING. You gotta pay for an education...one way or the other.
Just my 2 cents, but I still like your way better