1997 FLHTC.

I am restoring this bike. All new brake lines, I put DOT 5 in it today to bleed brakes and I cannot draw fluid through lines...I started with front brakes..anybody help me out? What's my problem?

 

Fill the reservoir, open bleeder and let sit for a while to gravity feed into container, some leave over night.
OR....Fill, very slowly work the lever and watch for bubbles rising, keep master cylinder level also, it takes a while sometimes and patients.
Or use a bottom bleeder that will pump the fluid from caliper to master.

 

Use a syringe and push fluid up to the MC via the caliper bleeder.

 

Thanks it is finally working through, I knew I'd find a use for that syringe. One side at a time on front is how to do it?

 

On mine (when I added a dual front brake system) I just cracked the bleeder on each caliper till brake fluid came out then taped the brake leaver 1/2 way back and left it over night to let all the small bubbles bleed out.

 

Just like a car with power drum brakes. Just do one side at a time. And start with the side that is the farthest away. You wan to make sure to get all the air out.

 

After bleeding, can I open mater cylinders to top off ?

 

Yes.

In fact, you'll have to.

 

What Omaha said! Most definitely YES. And while bleeding them make sure to keep the master cylinder toppped off. If it goes dry, you are introducing air back into the system and you will have to bleed them all over again.

 

I don't put the reservoir cap on while bleeding, the front usually needs a top up part way through. Up front do the left caliper first, as that has the easiest run from caliper to master cylinder.