Bleeding Non-ABS
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 147
Likes: 36
From: Nebraska
Bleeding Non-ABS
So I removed my non-ABS calipers from my '09 FLHRC as part of my total bike rebuild. Now, re-installed, I cannot get them to build any pressure so I can bleed them. The lines were completely emptied, obviously, and the calipers were mostly, if not completely, drained of DOT4 as well.
Squeezing the lever results in very few bubbles, if any. Cracking the bleeder valves produces no fluid out of the bleeder valve nipple, but it does squirt out around the thread area if I unscrew far enough. Do I just need to wait for gravity to fill the lines/calipers then bleed? Any advice from the group? Thanks!
Squeezing the lever results in very few bubbles, if any. Cracking the bleeder valves produces no fluid out of the bleeder valve nipple, but it does squirt out around the thread area if I unscrew far enough. Do I just need to wait for gravity to fill the lines/calipers then bleed? Any advice from the group? Thanks!
Tourer
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 381
Likes: 122
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Is that a dual-disc setup? I've read that you're meant to bleed the right-side caliper first in that case, but I haven't figured out why yet. The system seems left/right symmetrical to me.
I had a similar problem when I had the whole system dry one time. I actually ended up taking it somewhere because what had always worked before (even on dry systems) suddenly didn't work and I had about a month of riding left. I just could not do it with the vacuum pump that had always worked previously. The next time I went to do it, I tried reverse-bleeding using and it worked perfectly. I'll never go back to the vacuum pump.
I also had the fluid bleed past the threads when it wasn't working. I think air in the system was causing me to have to open them way too far, to the point where they did that. I got new bleeder screws and everything but it did nothing to help. In retrospect, I think what may have been happening was my return port may have been clogged back when I couldn't get it to bleed. Part of what I did differently when it did work with the reverse-bleeding was rebuild the M/C, so that may have taken care of it. I still don't really know why it wouldn't work the first time, but filling it from the bottom up makes so much sense that I'll always do it that way from now on.
I had a similar problem when I had the whole system dry one time. I actually ended up taking it somewhere because what had always worked before (even on dry systems) suddenly didn't work and I had about a month of riding left. I just could not do it with the vacuum pump that had always worked previously. The next time I went to do it, I tried reverse-bleeding using and it worked perfectly. I'll never go back to the vacuum pump.
I also had the fluid bleed past the threads when it wasn't working. I think air in the system was causing me to have to open them way too far, to the point where they did that. I got new bleeder screws and everything but it did nothing to help. In retrospect, I think what may have been happening was my return port may have been clogged back when I couldn't get it to bleed. Part of what I did differently when it did work with the reverse-bleeding was rebuild the M/C, so that may have taken care of it. I still don't really know why it wouldn't work the first time, but filling it from the bottom up makes so much sense that I'll always do it that way from now on.
Banned
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 435
Likes: 320
From: North Carolina
I use a Mityvac brake bleeding kit. Pull the fluid through the lines.Dont let the fluid level get below the port in the master cylinder. Some like to pressure or power bleed but I dont. Some even reverse bleed and Jim's sells the mc covers in order to do that.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 147
Likes: 36
From: Nebraska
The irritating part of this whole thing is that everything worked before o too the calipers off. The MC didn't show any signs of having any issues. I have gone so hard to have tried the Mighty-Vac, but even after building vacuum and then opening the bleeder valves I get nothing. Tried left, right, back to the left side again.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 147
Likes: 36
From: Nebraska
Thus far I've tried the manual method of trying to build pressure at the lever and releasing at the bleeder valve. Won't build pressure so that's not working. Tried the Mighty-Vac too. It builds vacuum and when I crack the bleeder no fluid or air escapes and the vacuum remains. Same issue on both sides. Tried 2 different sets of bleeder valves with the same results.
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Road Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 773
Likes: 124
From: Between purgatory and retirement
I have gone so hard to have tried the Mighty-Vac, but ... I get nothing.
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From: England
Thus far I've tried the manual method of trying to build pressure at the lever and releasing at the bleeder valve.
