[Slyder27]

I put on a full set of Spiegler stainless lines, and bought speed bleeders for the front and rear. Well the rear was the wrong one, so stock went back in. I got the rear done then moved onto the front, bled the master, then each caliper. The banjos are tight, no leaks. I tapped the lines a lot to try and knock any bubbles lose.

the problem is, bubbles are still coming out of the bleeders in the front. Tiny bubbles, some larger. I'd not have even seen them I bet if I wasn't shining a flash light into the tube.

So I used almost half a liter of RBF600, is this normal ? I didn't think it would take so much fluid. I have to get another bottle and continue I guess.

[SSearchVT]

Do you have good pressure at the lever, or does it go straight to the grip?

Try pushing fluid backwards from the bleeder to the master cylinder - sometimes forces the air bubble from it's hiding spot. Or bleed the calipers off the bike - hanging from the line with a piece of plywood between them - changes the angle of attack.

Good luck.

[eboos]

So I used almost half a liter of RBF600, is this normal ? I didn't think it would take so much fluid.

I did the same. It killed me to waste expensive stuff like that. I used Prestone Dot 4 in the rear, since I barely use the rear anyway. I have about half a bottle of RBF600 after doing the front.

[stoinkythepig]

Originally Posted by SSearchVT

Do you have good pressure at the lever, or does it go straight to the grip?

Try pushing fluid backwards from the bleeder to the master cylinder - sometimes forces the air bubble from it's hiding spot. Or bleed the calipers off the bike - hanging from the line with a piece of plywood between them - changes the angle of attack.

Good luck.

Yup, you may have great luck if you do what he says. Get the calipers as high as possible so that the air does not need to be forced down the line, rather, it rises like it wants to anyway.

[Doc]

You sure everything is tight and there is no leak?

[Slyder27]

Yea, no leaks. I have only a little fluid left over, thinking I need to get another bottle...so, I said screw it, tightened the last bleeder, pumped the lever and I did notice it felt a lot better than before...but nothing like the older style masters. The newer gixxers have radial masters as OEM....and if anyone has ever pulled the lever on a gixxer 1000, you can pull the thing right to the bar without a problem....I hate that.

So, stainless lines, new pads and decent fluid and I was hoping it would firm the lever up, much like the older style masters. I guess I was looking for a "wall" so to speak, brakes are on, or off, without any mushy feel to the lever.

I did pull the lever quite hard and almost to the bar to pressurize the hell out of everything. I checked banjos, bleeders, etc. No leaks. I took it for a ride down the road a few miles...gotta bed the pads so no hard breaking yet......after the short ride I checked everything again and no leaks.

Maybe also I didn't bleed the master as well as I should have...thanks for the tip on moving the calipers..never thought of that.

[Pigman]

Do a Brembo master and that will give you the Breaking U are looking for....and try and use a Mytivac (sp) Break bleader they seem to help pull out the bubles...

[BMFR6]

engage the brakes as hard as you can and zip tie the lever there for a night. this will fix it. on top of that, if it is leaking, the constant pressure for an extended period of time may make the leak easier to find.

[Slyder27]

Originally Posted by BMFR6

engage the brakes as hard as you can and zip tie the lever there for a night. this will fix it. on top of that, if it is leaking, the constant pressure for an extended period of time may make the leak easier to find.

How would that help? the pressure will force the air bubbles to the bleeders?

I only wish I could afford a brembo master, can't spend anymore coin on the bike for awhile

[R1slowflyer]

I just did the same thing to my bike and i let it sit for about 4 hours before i finished it off and by that time there were no more bubbles.

I read a bunch of different ways to do it, but i ended up doing it without the ez-bleed. I also wasted about 4.00$ worth of brake fluid from bleeding it. considering the bottle was 7.00$

[Slyder27]

Cool I have about enough oil to fill the resevoir one, maybe two more times. I'll have to give the zippy tie method a try.

If that doesn't pan out, another $14 bottle of fluid

I'm guessing you bleed from the calipers when using this method?
cut the zip tie, pump them again and bleed the other side? (it's a 2 line set up, from the master)

[BMFR6]

well i don't know the actual physics behind it, but trust me.... it works.
like mentioned above, you can zip tie them for a few hours and try it out. you will notice a difference.

[bergs]

Easiest way is to vac pump until you see fluid; close bleeder; pump lever and hold; break bleeder; close bleeder and repeat pumping/ bleeding pattern.

It's helpful to have a clear hose coming from the bleeder so you can see what you have for air bubbles.

Big bubbles = lots of air in the system

Tiny bubbles (I mean "nearing microscopic") = small amount of air in the system

Also, if you vac pump and see bubbles remember that some of the air bubbles you see are being introduced through the threads of the bleeder when it's cracked open.

I've found that the good ole fashioned method of pumping, holding and cracking the bleeder works best.

[SSearchVT]

I'll ask the stupid questions - just to make sure it didn't happen... You didn't mix DOT3/4 fluid with DOT5, or squeeze the lever with the calipers off the bike (extend the pistons too far) - right?

[Slyder27]

I have tiny bubbles, I probably wouldn't have seen them without using a flashlight holding it right up to the tubing.

The bike had DOT 4 fluid from the factory, it has Motul RBF600 in it now (dot4)

Also as I mentioned I got speed bleeders, they have the spring / ball inside them, a one way valve so to speak. The speed bleeders came with a gray sealant / loctite? on the threads and it was put on pretty thick. I really don't think air is getting back in through the threads because of the sealant.

The big bubbles are gone, the small bubbles are present.

[akira700]

It always takes me much longer than I think it will.

Be patient it will come true after much work.
Try the wrap the brake lever to the grip
method, then tap all places you think air will trap and let it sit overnight.
Then when you return tap again and bleed again...

I find it takes me a couple days of work to get it really firm.
If I find myself wasting alot of fluid. I use a clean container
and just pour it right back down after it comes out. But dont give it
much time to absorb moisture.

I have heard of those who fill it from the bottom having success
but for this you'll need an industrial type syringe and some clear tubing.

[Wishbone]

To do the zip tie trick the resivior cove needs to be off.

Open cover
place rag over open resivior
squeeze lever to grip
secure with tie rap
come back hours later and all remaining air will be out.

[Slyder27]

Originally Posted by fasterthanu

To do the zip tie trick the resivior cove needs to be off.

Open cover
place rag over open resivior
squeeze lever to grip
secure with tie rap
come back hours later and all remaining air will be out.

So for the zippy tie trick, the resevoir cap needs to be off and the bubbles will come up through and out the res?

[Wishbone]

Yes

If you do a search for brake bleeding it should come up. I think Degsy, Randyo or Beet posted it originally. I'm not that smart to figure that out myself.

[schleppy]

I used a crapload of fluid when I put stainless lines on my SV. If you have access to a mityvac (or other power bleeder) it will GREATLY speed things up. I kept bleeding, and bleeding and still bubbles came out. Went and bought a mityvac, two pumps and it was close to done (the brake lever was finally hard again). I did a couple more traditional bleeds and was good to go.

[BMFR6]

[quote=fasterthanu;493344]To do the zip tie trick the resivior cove needs to be off.
QUOTE]

ahhhh. sorry i forgot to mention this part.

[Doc]

Originally Posted by BMFR6

engage the brakes as hard as you can and zip tie the lever there for a night. this will fix it. on top of that, if it is leaking, the constant pressure for an extended period of time may make the leak easier to find.

[bergs]

Originally Posted by Slyder27

The big bubbles are gone, the small bubbles are present.

You must make those go away. 100% fluid is what you're after, not 99%.

You may want to consider the zip tie method for a few hours and see where you're at.


FWIW (and I know it's apples to oranges) it took me 2 hours to bench bleed the master on my truck and then the better part of 4 hours to purge the rest of the system of any air.

Point is, brakes can be a real pain.

[Slyder27]

Kickass, thanks fellas I'll do a combo of the above and see if I can't melt my fairing off

[BMFR6]

let me know how the zip tie trick works out.