I dont seem to be making progress on bleeding my 09 FLHT front brakes.

I installed a new master cylinder and did not bench bleed it. I didnt even think about it, I havnt bled brakes in years.

As soon as I crack the bleed screw on the caliper fluid dumps out of the banjo fitting. I have a hose attached but fluid isnt coming out the top of the fitting.

Am I doing something wrong?

 

Do you have anit-lock brakes?

 

no abs

 

They can be a ***** to bleed. Light little taps of the lever with the cover off and the bleeder closed. See if you can see and bubbles coming up in the master cylinder. Takes a long time, once you start getting some lever you can bleed at the caliper.

 

Where is the banjo fitting that is leaking? Is it the one on the new master cylinder?

 

I had rusted brake lines on my 99 gmc pickup. Replaced all the lines with stainless.
New calipers, rotors, everything new except matercylinder.
I bought a motive power bleeder so I could do a multiple bleed by myself on the truck brakes.

They had a harley adapter for just the front. Got that and bled the vtwin with that.
Worked good.
Dont know what I will use on the back. Maybe a vacuum bleeder?


So maybe try a power or vacuum bleeder.

My power bleeder is a motive. My vacuum bleeder is a craftsman.

I heard a mechanic tell me he used a turkey baster with a hose on the end. He would suck up some fluid and put the hose on the end of the bleeder and crack the bleeder and reverse bleed it. Said it worked for him.

Could put alittle bit of axel grease around bleeder screw where it goes into the caliper. Turkey baster and hose would be a cheap make shift way to do it.
You could crack the bleeder and run the fluid in and before it got to the end close the bleeder. You would need another person sucking out the fluid from the resovior as it filled up.
I like the sound of it because the air would travel up.



Straightleg

 

Maybe order some speed bleeders? Bleeding should be five minutes each caliper and no vacuum pump needed. Just did mine before the end of the season. Real easy.

I think I bought mine from speedbleeder.com

 

I put a new front brake line on my old '90 Softail this summer. It was a b*tch to get bled for some reason.

I bought the speed bleeders for my old truck when I had to replace a brake line and they were SWEET!!!

 

Should have bled the master before you put it on the bike. Just makes things easier.
It'll take more time, but you'll get there.