i need help to bleed my brakes. iv been at it for near 2 hours now and its just not happening. done cars with success loads of times . calipers were removed cleaned and rebuilt (thanks to baldy for that ). took hoses of and its just splutter of fluid with loads of air . don't know if im doing something to let the air back in or what . ideal if someone close by could come and help me out . if you can help call me on.
07846123035. cheers , shortassrider.
with all the nipples closed pump the lever about 10 times and apply the brake then gently open the nipple closing it before the lever reaches the end of its travel. repeat this 3-4 times toping up the fluid as you go. this usualy works. if not tie the compressed leaver to grip for few hours
Have you managed to get an airlock in the master cylinder? . If you have then they can be a real pain to get rid of, as quite often the highest point of the system is not the resevoir.
On the YZFR6 the rubber connecting hose is slightly higher making it a PITA to bleed the system when the calipers have been off, or when changing to braded lines.
Not sure if it will work for you but worth trying if everything else fails. Pull the lever back to the bars and put a elastic band to hold it there then leave it overnight. It can sometimes work by allowing the air bubbles to migrate back up the lines.
The disc braking system has several components. At the top is the master cylinder, on your right handlebar. It consists of a cylinder and piston assembly, and is attached to the brake lever. The other component of the master cylinder is a reservoir containing brake fluid.
It will either be a whitish colored cup, or a black or chrome metal reservoir with a site-glass.
Inside the cap on this reservoir is a rubber diaphragm. Attached to the master cylinder are the brake lines, which contain brake fluid. Follow them down towards the wheel,and you will see that they attach to calipers. The calipers fit over the rotors. Inside the calipers are pistons. There are also brake pads. Each caliper has two brake pads. The caliper fits over the rotor (the big shiny disc with holes in it).
There is one brake pad on each side of the rotor.
When you pull your brake lever, the master cylinder piston moves, pushing the fluid through the lines, creating pressure which then pushes out the pistons in the caliper. The pistons press the brake pads against the rotors, producing friction to stop the motorcycle. Heat is produced, but the calipers are open to airflow (unlike the enclosed drum brakes), so the heat can dissipate. This is a fairly simplistic description, but it gives you a general idea of how the brakes work.
The brake fluid is what you’ll need to change periodically, usually about once a year. Check your owner’s manual for a maintenance G-spot. Brake fluid is a mineral oil that has been designed to resist boiling. One disadvantage of brake fluid is that it’s hygroscopic, meaning that it readily absorbs moisture from the surrounding air. When it does this, the boiling point is lowered, so the fluid can overheat, resulting in poor brake performance. This is the main reason it needs to be replaced regularly.
When replacing your fluid, always replace it with the recommended type, usually DOT 3 or 4. Your owner’s manual will state which fluid you’ll need, and it’s usually stamped on the reservoir cap as well. DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 are interchangeable. NEVER use DOT 5 in a system that calls for DOT 3 or 4!! Using the wrong type of brake fluid can cause brake failure. The Procedure
1. Check the level of the fluid in the reservoir, ensuring that the fluid is between the min and Max (Billy-Ray) lines. Check the color of the fluid. The color should be amber, about the color of beer. Once it starts getting dark, it needs to be changed. If it’s dark like the color of used motor oil then it’s contaminated and should be changed ASAP. This is a quick visual check that should be done often, when checking tire pressures and such. Also check the brake pads for wear at this time. The brake pads have wear grooves etched in them. When the pad has worn down and is even with the groove, the pads need replacing. To see the pads, look inside the calipers from the front of the bike. You’ll need a flashlight to get a good view.
2. Get several old rags or towels and cover your handlebars, instrument cluster, and wheels. Brake fluid is very caustic, and will quickly ruin paint and crack plastic if it’s spilled. If you do spill some, even a small amount, immediately flush with copious amounts of soapy water. I recommend wearing a pair of nitrile gloves to keep brake fluid off of your skin.
3. Remove the reservoir cap. Ensure the diaphragm is tucked up inside, not stretched out.
4. Remove the rubber cap on the bleeder nipple, located on the caliper. Attach a piece of clear tubing to the bleeder nipple on the caliper, and place the other end in a waste container. An old soda bottle will do. Label it as waste brake fluid. Be sure is has a screw on cap. Save it and dispose of it properly, at your town’s hazardous waste material collection day. Do not pour it down the drain, or on the ground, it is toxic.
5. Open the bleeder nipple about ½ turn, using the appropriate size wrench, usually an 8 or 10 mm.
6. Squeeze the brake lever all the way in. DO NOT release it yet.
7. Close the bleeder nipple. Then release the brake lever.
8. Repeat steps 5 – 7 enough times to replace the volume of fluid in the reservoir about 1 ½ times. Keep a close eye on the level in the reservoir, so that it doesn’t run dry!! If it does, it won’t hurt anything, but you’ll have introduced air into the system that you’ll need to bleed out. Like moisture, air in the lines will decrease the braking power. Add fluid to the reservoir as necessary. I pour the fluid into a measuring cup with a pour spout, as you’ll be less likely to spill. Pouring directly from the bottle will result in spilling and dripping.
9. While bleeding, observe the fluid coming out of the clear tubing. At first, you will probably see air bubbles coming out. Keep bleeding until bubble-free fluid is coming out.
10. When there is no more air in the tubing, snugly close the bleeder nipple and carefully remove the tubing, and replace the rubber cap.
11. Top off the reservoir to the correct level and replace the cap.
12. Pump the brake lever until it is firm.
Additional Tips
Some bikes have two discs in the front, some have only one. If your bike has two, start bleeding with the one on the right (as you are sitting on the bike). When no more air is seen in the tubing, then bleed the one on the left.
If your brakes still feel “mushy†you can gently tap on the brake lines with a screwdriver handle to dislodge bubbles, then repeat the bleeding procedure. Another trick to get a firm lever is to wrap a bungee around the brake lever, holding it on overnight, then repeat the bleeding procedure the next day.
If you’d really like your brakes to feel extra firm, consider replacing the stock rubber brake lines with braided steel lines. As pressure is introduced into the brake lines when the lever is squeezed, the rubber expands a bit, reducing the farce of pressure delivered to the calipers. Stainless steel lines, on the other hand, will not expand, so all the farce is delivered to the calipers.
Be patient! It can take quite awhile to get the air out. If there is a lot of air, and you can’t get the fluid to start coming out of the lines into the clear tubing (as is usual if you have bled the system dry to replace lines)
done all that nick , over and over I can't believe it's not butter! ,infact iv been at it since around 12ish , air seems to be gone but still no resistance on lever?help .
TRy loving the lever it sometimes helps i've had this on many a bike and its a complete arse of a job to bleed bike brakes Make sure level is always high enough in resevoir i've also seen me going through a litre of fluid just trying to bleed one brake
Sounds like you have some poo stuck in the non-return valve in the master cylinder, Take it off and strip it down completely, examine all the seals and flat rubber bits for cuts or debris, if it all looks ok wash all parts in hot soapy water and check them again, if everything looks ok rinse again in clean hot water and dry with a hair dryer, soak the internal bits in new clean brake fluid, reassemble, top up with fluid and bleed again, if you do this take off the ress and flush / wash it out at the same time and in the same way, check the connections from the ress to the Mas Cyl for cracks or other damage and make absolutely sure that it is completely dry before you hook it back up and fill with fluid.
Have given up for now. someone going to have a look at it for me in a weeks or so time when he gets back from off shore. is a bike mech to trade so ill just have to be patient. if i persevere ,ill lose the rag and break something .IV bled many a car without any problem , but this is just friggin crazy. .
Anyway thanks all who posted
see if you can get hold of a big syringe attach a bit of rubber or plastic hose to the bleed nipple attach the syringe to the free end of the hose with the syringe closed open the nipple about a full turn then suck out the fluid making sure the reservoir doesn't get empty .just a quicker way and easier way than pumping the lever
did you say you had your calipers off and striped down if so when you took them off the fork did you push the pistons back in with the pipe still conected. if you did you could have fliped the rubbers in the master cyilinder back to front. best check them.
i stripped and cleaned them Gary don't think he would have been able to push them back in as they were solid Looks like you have still got air in the caliper/pipe so just keep bleeding could take a while tho
Hi bud have you tried a syinge with a tube to suck the fluid out through bleed nipples? or if you have a mate whos a car mechanic you might be able to get a pressure bleeder on (providing you can get a cap to fit your fluid cap) just dont put a lot of pressure on and youll be fine
My YZFR6's used to be a nitemare till I got one of these. Needs a compressor tho.
Uses a vacuum chamber to suck oil thru the bleed nipple, can completely empty the system in about a minute. Sucks out every bubble of air, every minute scrap of dirt, everything, takes seconds .......no mess, no fuss, no worries.
If you lived around ediburgh u could borrow mine lolol .........
halefuckinluya, got it done. bought a one way valve bleeder thing from bikesmart. took about an hours but i got there . thank feck . just to put the front fairing back on . will do sunday . to dark now . i may even get a wee blast tomorrow .if its no pishing down
Trick I've tried before when having an airlock was to take off the calipers and rasie them above the master cylinder (hung them from the garage roof on bungie cord). This worked for me as it allowed the air to perculate upwards into the calipers.
A one way check valve is also a must if you're having trouble.
As are spring loaded bleed nipples, they allow you to pump f*ck out of the lever and top up the fluid continually, about 25 quid each but if you have a problem bike, well worth the money.
). took hoses of and its just splutter of fluid with loads of air . don't know if im doing something to let the air back in or what . ideal if someone close by could come and help me out . if you can help call me on.
.IV bled many a car without any problem , but this is just friggin crazy. 
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don't think he would have been able to push them back in as they were solid 
halefuckinluya, got it done. bought a one way valve bleeder thing from bikesmart. took about an hours but i got there . thank feck . just to put the front fairing back on . will do sunday . to dark now . i may even get a wee blast tomorrow .if its no pishing down 
