front brakes

[cookie]

i just replaced my front pads and put new brake fluid in. i bled the brakes and everything was fine until my lever started getting soft. i noticed it was leaking a little bit from the bleeder on the handlebar. it was tightened enough. any ideas on what it could be? did i add to much fluid?

[OreoGaborio]

The fluid on the bleeder was probably just seepage from the bleeding.
The only way you added too much is if there reservoir is completely full (this would be bad... leave some space in there.)

Bleed again from the bottom up.

[Danz19899]

if you crank the bleeder down to hard it can leak seen it happen. best case scenario replaced that screw worst case scenario get a new master

clean it off really good and see if it comes back

[DuncanMoto]

you got air in the line.
Did you let the fluid get below the hole in the master reservoir?

[cookie]

so i bled them again and its ok for a few days and slowly loses my lever.im gonna put in a new valve and that hopefully fixes the problem... is thereany other way to bleed the brakes other than pull the lever,crack the valve method. would tephlon tape do the job or would the brake fluid eat right through it?

[scubasteveRR]

get a set of speed bleeders... I had the same issue with my stock bleeder in the rear. i replaced the fronts but thought the rear would be fine after a caliper rebuild and it leaked. the speed bleeders work great and they

1. have a really nice thread lock on them that stops leaking
2. makes it really easy to bleed the breaks next time.

[TTD]

so i bled them again and its ok for a few days and slowly loses my lever.im gonna put in a new valve and that hopefully fixes the problem... is thereany other way to bleed the brakes other than pull the lever,crack the valve method. would tephlon tape do the job or would the brake fluid eat right through it?

If you're bleeding them and can get them perfect ... then they get mushy again - that is very odd.

The only time that has ever happened with me is when a "bubble" was in the middle of the line. The lever wasn't perfect, but it was decent.

Parked the bike for a few days and the bubble must have moved up toward the master... as I had zero brakes.

I bled the bubble through the master, and the lever came back.

To bleed through the master...

I disconnected the master and made the reservoir the highest point.

Gently tap the brake lever repeatedly... just enough to open the little hole in the master, but you're not pushing fluid. Probably moving the lever 1 to 2 mm only.

Watch the little hole... sometimes you'll get a steady stream of small bubbles - or sometimes you'll get a big burp. You can also tap on the banjo bolt a few times - shake the line a bit, etc.

Anything to get that bubble to move up (which is why you don't want to press the brake lever...that forces the bubble away)

Anywho...this worked for me. Might be worth a try if you are positive there are no leaks anywhere else.

Good luck,

[cookie]

35 racer..not sure ill be able to pull off that procedure..anyone live near boston that thinks they could swing by sometime this week and try to bleed it for me..ill trough you a few bucks and have all the tools here.where can i find those speedbleeders scubasteve?

[TTD]

35 racer..not sure ill be able to pull off that procedure..anyone live near boston that thinks they could swing by sometime this week and try to bleed it for me..ill trough you a few bucks and have all the tools here.where can i find those speedbleeders scubasteve?

Two people does make it easier...

it's a simple procedure really... just helping nature take it's course.

[CBR929RE]

slightly different from what Tony said but here's my brake bleeding procedure:

1. turn the bars all the way left.
2. take the cap off the fluid reservoir
3. tap the brake lever quickly but without much pressure
4. squeeze tube that goes from master cylinder to reservoir and watch bubbles come out of the hole in the bottom of the reservoir. (assuming its not the kind of master with the built in reservoir)
5. repeat 3 and 4 till lever is firm.
6. top off fluid
7. put cap back on
8. job jobbed

[BluGixxer]

Sometimes those air bubbles can be stuborn, if the gravity/tap/wiggle the line doesn't work, and you have allready tried the "normal way" pump master ,hold ,bleed ,repeat, untill satisfied .
The only thing I can think of is vacume.
Mightyvac makes a brake bleeder, takes a bit of practice, but it works . It will suck the air bubbles out regaurdless of where they are. Just gotta keep that small resivoir filled enough s you don't suck air.don't get the harbor frieght look-a-like. They don't pull the same vacume, mightyvac makes a plastic cheapy that's awsome
Just throwing out another idea.

[DuncanMoto]

I'm in Watertown.
You can come visit me with the bike if you like.
Alternatively I'll be available in JP Wed. night around 7:15pm.

pm. me to meet up at my shop today or in JP wed. night.

[scubasteveRR]

where can i find those speedbleeders scubasteve?

You can get them at Duncan Moto, i believe Ted stocks them.