Bleeding brakes
- Thread starter deeko2007
- Start date
I am having a heck of a time as well.
R
Rush44
Well-known member
Drain all the fluid from your master obviously. Connect up the cable from the rear to the front. I'm not sure why I need to, but on the KTM I have to double up on the washers connected to the master or else I don't get a good air-tight seal. Make sure your handlebars are turned to the left so the master is as high as it can be. Take a 60cc syringe (like this one) and fill it with brake fluid. Using some rubber tubing attach the syringe to the bleeder valve and open it while pushing fluid through the system. Push fluid until the master is full and close the bleeder valve while pushing pressure with the syringe so there is no air introduced into the system. Squeeze your brake lever for a while until it starts to harden. If you don't get the lever to start to harden you need to push more fluid to remove the air in the system. Make sure there are no loops or high spots in the brake line. I have also attached a zip tie to the brake lever holding it firm to the bar overnight and the air pushes out of the system and it gets rock hard overnight.
This method has been the easiest one man bleed I've seen so far. Some guys use that vacuum bleeder but this way can be done with a $1 syringe and a $1 section of rubber tubing.
This method has been the easiest one man bleed I've seen so far. Some guys use that vacuum bleeder but this way can be done with a $1 syringe and a $1 section of rubber tubing.
Do u have to have the lid on the cylinder to get pressure
I tried bleeding my regular bike back brake the other night. I get zero pressure. I tried to back fill it with a syringe but still nothing, I tried pumping it and I would get a minor amount of grease to come out the back end. Do I need to replace internals? or possibly try another method? It seemed like there was still air bubbles, coming out the back end, but nothing coming up in the master as I filled it.
R
Rush44
Well-known member
No you don't. It also seems like the ram that pushes the brake pads holds onto air sometimes. What I'll do is slide a flathead screwdriver in there and pry the two pads away from the brake disc and bubbles will flow to the top of the master. I've done that a few times before and BAM, brake lever is as hard as a rock.
Over 5 1/2 years snowbiking and bleed brakes on new kits the way Rush44 EXPLAINED works everytime .
H
hiltz
Member
I had a hard time at first then I did the reverse bleed with a syringe and tube.
Open master cylinder, remove lid
fill syringe with brake fluid
connect to caliper bleed point
open bleed point, inject fluid slowly
air comes up at same time watch fluid level
close bleed screw
remove syringe
replace master cylinder cap
pump up and bleed like normal
works for me every time
Thanks to Rush44! great advice dude
Open master cylinder, remove lid
fill syringe with brake fluid
connect to caliper bleed point
open bleed point, inject fluid slowly
air comes up at same time watch fluid level
close bleed screw
remove syringe
replace master cylinder cap
pump up and bleed like normal
works for me every time
Thanks to Rush44! great advice dude
What about on a used kit that obviously has fluid in the hose already, just drain the master cylinder and still use the same process of pushing it up from the bottom with the syringe?
nailed it!
ABSOLUTLEY GUARANTEED
ok, after trying the absolutely guaranteed bleed and its still soft you just have other issues.
the most common issue is the brake slave cylinder ( down at the disc caliper ) may not be totally square to the disc. When this is the case you can pump for years with all the ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEED methods and it will not happen.
When you run into this problem:
Loosen the bolts holding your caliper to the frame, and leave one bolt loose and remove the other bolt. The problem maybe the caliper does not float like bikes and many sleds, any slight misalignment of the caliper/pads results in the flex in the system taking up the pad movement and when you grab the handle you don't squeeze pads much you just flex the mount and disc and you will aways have a spongy poor system that seems to have no handle after 10 minutes of riding. I just floated the caliper on mine, and rock hard all the time everytime.
ON a pals 2013 kit and talking about this issue while out riding, we pulled one bolt and loosed the other on his caliper and his brakes went to rock hard lever all the time. A year later he said he had never changed anything, no good, float your caliper if you are having issues.
ok, after trying the absolutely guaranteed bleed and its still soft you just have other issues.
the most common issue is the brake slave cylinder ( down at the disc caliper ) may not be totally square to the disc. When this is the case you can pump for years with all the ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEED methods and it will not happen.
When you run into this problem:
Loosen the bolts holding your caliper to the frame, and leave one bolt loose and remove the other bolt. The problem maybe the caliper does not float like bikes and many sleds, any slight misalignment of the caliper/pads results in the flex in the system taking up the pad movement and when you grab the handle you don't squeeze pads much you just flex the mount and disc and you will aways have a spongy poor system that seems to have no handle after 10 minutes of riding. I just floated the caliper on mine, and rock hard all the time everytime.
ON a pals 2013 kit and talking about this issue while out riding, we pulled one bolt and loosed the other on his caliper and his brakes went to rock hard lever all the time. A year later he said he had never changed anything, no good, float your caliper if you are having issues.
I fixed my brake, make sure you don't have air bubbles in the caliper, expand it in the process several times. Took care of my issue.
I also use the syringe method. For tubing, I use aquarium air line tubing. Has worked every time the first time the few times I've done it. I was surprised how fast and easy it was compared to other brake line bleeding I've done.
For tubing i cut off 3/4 inch of my crank breather hose.
This man speaks the truth, tried a normal bleed, no dice. Got a syringe and Roberts your mothers brother, works really well!
Curious about the floating brake caliber method and if there are any possible issues with that idea? Or perhaps float it but with two bolts?
After installing my double row bearing kit, my brake caliper needs to be re shimmed to not only move the entire caliper further out, but to square it up. I have seen them shimmed from the factory to position them, and square them up, and planned to do that...but this floating method has me curious.
After installing my double row bearing kit, my brake caliper needs to be re shimmed to not only move the entire caliper further out, but to square it up. I have seen them shimmed from the factory to position them, and square them up, and planned to do that...but this floating method has me curious.
Those of us who have been riding, KTM for a while, the bleeding is second nature, it's the only way to get the juice clutch bled correctly, I just naturally go for the bleeder now! I use a pump syringe that veterinarians use for giving cows drugs looks like a mini grease gun, bleeds brakes in 30 seconds, I just put lots of paper towels around the master and pump till it overflows, works every time!
M
mxracer299
Well-known member
I do the syringe method as well, push from the caliper to the master cylinder. I push 2-3 master cylinders full. One thing I haven't seen anyone do that I do is pull the brake pads and I press the pistons all the way out, I can usually find a socket or piece of wood to keep the pistons separated. This will keep your brakes return at the right spot so your brakes don't drag and will keep your pads from getting contaminated. I do this same process on pretty much everything with brakes.
