Help! Need adviced on bleeding brakes!

BonRu · #1 24th February 2005

Anyone on line right now, we are changing out the front brake line, and are having trouble bleeding the brakes. It is being very stubborn. Any tricks? Anyone know why this is happening. We're doing it right now, so if you could respond now, that would be great!!! Laptop is standing by . . .

Thanks in advance!

xena · #2 24th February 2005

Do it just like in a car....pump the lever a bunch of times, hold it, crack the bleeder screw, repeat. It takes a LOT of pumping. You'll eventually get resistance in the lever but be patient. Make sure you keep fluid in the master cyl.
during the process.

BonRu · #3 24th February 2005

Thanks Xena. We were pumping and pumping, and nada, and so we thought we were doing something wrong. I guess we just gotta keep at it. Thanks so much for your quick response!

Gyahmers · #4 24th February 2005

Like xena said, pump and pump and pump and pump and pump and pump and pump and.................................. It takes what seems like forever, so pump and pump and pump, come on now keep pumping that hand lever.

Gyahmers · #5 24th February 2005

I forgot this, and don't ask me why cuz I don't know, but it seems to help if you turn the ignition on to start while pumping.

stevo · #6 24th February 2005

tickle it.....

look down thru the threads as this came up last week..

here's the link

http://www.xlforum.net/forums/showth...light=bleeding

BonRu · #7 24th February 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo

tickle it.....

look down thru the threads as this came up last week..

Thanks Stevo; am looking through old threads now.

radar · #8 24th February 2005

I just did this today with a new chrome and braided setup, it takes exactly 367,248 strokes on the lever to get pressure.
Just kidding, as said before, fill the res and pump until you have fluid coming out the bleeder on the caliper, close the bleeder and pump the lever, open the bleeder, pump some more, eventually it will build pressure and give you enough to properly bleed the system, then it goes real quick.
My Best

BonRu · #9 24th February 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by radar

I just did this today with a new chrome and braided setup, it takes exactly 367,248 strokes on the lever to get pressure.
Just kidding, as said before, fill the res and pump until you have fluid coming out the bleeder on the caliper, close the bleeder and pump the lever, open the bleeder, pump some more, eventually it will build pressure and give you enough to properly bleed the system, then it goes real quick.
My Best

Thanks Radar, that's helpful. That's exactly what we have done; changed out the old cable for the new chrome braided line. I've pumped it at least 278,546 times, and I thought maybe that was more than enough. I can see now, I need to do more. Thanks to everyone who responded. We are following your advice, and hopefully by morning we'll have some progress.

stevo · #10 24th February 2005

Tickle the air out....

Turn the bars so that the handle end of the master cylinder is higher....sometimes ya need to loosen the master cyl and rotate it slightly...

pull the lever in slightly..what you are trying to achieve is opening the initial port in the cylinder......tickle the lever around this point and you'll see air comin back into the master cylinder...

Once you've got that bit worked out the tap the hose up the length of it with a small spanner to free the air that's sticking to the sides of the line.....

that's a master class ..... and works well...I do it on ALL systems that are giving me trouble......

ya still need to get the air out of the caliper and you need to bleed it normally for that..