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Tips for bleeding front brakes

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Old Jul 1, 2024 | 08:56 AM
  #11  
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No it looked good.
 
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Old Jul 1, 2024 | 06:07 PM
  #12  
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I assume you cleaned and rebuilt the caliper and the master cylinder. Also, the brake line is good.

You want as straight vertical line for bubbles to flow from the hose connection at the caliper all the way to the master cylinder. Pull the caliper off the bike and rotate it so the hose connection is straight up at 12 oclock. I put a piece of plywood the same thickness as the rotor on mine (cut it out to be half round too). Mount the caliper any way you want so long as the brake line is vertical. Pull the cover off the master cylinder and make sure you have plenty of brake fluid. Now very slowly, VERY slowly, pull the brake lever all the way back. When it gets up against the handlebar, let it snap back. What you're doing is sucking the air bubbles up from the caliper to the master cylinder. Wait a minute or so and then crack the brake lever open just a hair. You should get a bunch of bubbles. Repeat the procedure until you get no bubbles. It may take awhile. At one point, the bubbles are going to be really tiny. That's getting close. There is one short problem area with the brake line where a few bubbles can linger. The steel section of the brake line where it connects to the master cylinder. As you pull/snap/crack the brake lever, tap that short steel section with a wooden hammer handle to help the bubbles in that section move up.

After all the bubbles completely disappear, repeat the pull/snap/crack open procedure another 5 times just to be sure. When you're satisfied there are no bubbles, button the caliper back up on the frame and don't forget to lubricate all the contact points with a little grease. Make a new master cylinder gasket out of an old inner tube or plastic jug, ect. The replacement ones you can buy are absolute crap and turn to goo within 2 months. Don't forget to drill the little hole in the center.

After performing this procedure, your brake lever should be rock solid and capable of launching you over the handlebars if you yank the lever too hard.

carl

 
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Old Jul 4, 2024 | 05:47 AM
  #13  
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I got it. I took off the caliper and let it hang (I know this is extra stress on the hose). The air worked its way to the top. Then did a reverse bleed.
 
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Old Jul 4, 2024 | 09:23 AM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by va_samiam
It is holding a lever now. Not that great but it is holding a lever. I am going to compress the piston in the caliper soon and see if I get a better lever.
I may try gravity bleeding. Hard to setup. Vacuum bleeding was difficult because the bleeder is a weird size.
I have one that the bleeder is Broken off...still bleeds OK..If ya Hurry, it won't...if ya take yer time, it always comes into it..
Sometimes that last bit is accomplished rather well by Compressing the Caliper.. forcing fluid (and Air) into MC
Best done Last...when you think you gots it, but it is still that Tad Mushy!!
 
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