Can't get brakes to bleed on my dirtbike

NYSpeed Automotive
1

OK, I’ve got literally probably about 8hrs into trying to bleed this fucking thing and I’m about to set it on fire. Need ideas/help/advice

backstory: front brake was feeling rather spongy towards the end of the season last year, I dealt with it and figured I’d repair it for this season. I purchased a replacement brakeline to swap out because mine looked to be expanding under brake pressure rather than trasnferring the pressure to the caliper as designed.

I swapped out the line, and began trying to bleed the system. the lever is floppier than a flacid unusued penis. pumping 10-20x and holding, open bleader, nothing comes out. repeat for about an hour, no change in symptoms.

OK, lets buy a vacuum bleeder and give that a whirl. Nope, an hour trying that did nothing. go back to previous method for about a half hour. Nope, still dead lever.

OK, let’s try a preliminary gravity bleed overnight. Remove reservoir cap, remove bleeder, top of master cyl and leave the system open overnight to let it trickle down. Check in the morning, barely a friggen drop came out. FML

OK, maybe my master or caliper needs rebuild. I’ll call the dealer and see if I can order rebuild kits. Guy on the phone asked why I thought I needed to rebuild everything. I tell him my story sans swearwords. He says they have to be pressure bled, and I should try that before I go rebuilding everything. So I really like the shop/guy/owner (Lee) of Empire Cycle in OP on Southwestern near St. John Vianney church, I ring him up and tell him whats up…dude is so awesome he tells me he’s booked up but try these couple things first…

make sure the reservoir on the master is as level as possible, make sure the line coming out of it is pitched downward at least a little. If these arent the case, its very easy for an air bubble to get trapped right where the line mounts to the master and no matter what you do it will never bleed. He also recommended removing the caliper and letting it hang so that the bleeder is the lowest point. I just got in from spending about an hour and a half fucking with this POS again. I took all of Lee’s advice and made zero progress.

so, what else can I do/try? WTF is a “pressure bleeder” and where can I get one/borrow one?

2

That sounds strange. I have bled the line through the banjo bolt on the caliper on mine as if it were the bleeder and it took literally 5 minutes that way after fucking with it for hours. What kind of bike is it?

3

2003 Suzuki RM250. after a google search, this seems to be incredibly common on any type of brake service on the RM’s…guys are saying to use a syringe and clear hose full of brake fluid and force bleed from the bottom up with the cap off the master…drain the master and push the fluid from the bottom so the air naturally rises to the top and out.

4

Makes sense… Try bleeding through the banjo bolt that has been the ticket for me on two different crf250’s. They wouldn’t bleed at all through the bleeder and then I cracked the banjo bolt once and tons of fluid and air came right out. I did that about 3 times and they were perfect.

5

This is how you do bicycle brakes. Same issues… reverse pressure.

6

where can I get one of these reverse pressure setups locally?

7

Does it have a junction block or does it go straight to the caliper from the lever? Opening one of the banjos a bit and getting it flowing usually works.

8

straight from master to caliper…

9

does the Caliper have a nipple on the top? or even loosen the line first to get the fluid flowing. then connect it back on

10

just ride it … fill the tank and ride it till its gone … use the back most of the time and play with the front . you should get all the air out … this is how I did my RM

11

This happened on my 636, loosen the banjo bolt, wiggle it around on both the caliper and the master cylindar… and proceed to bleed them again.

Dont “pump” them though… steady slow pressure. (pumping can create bubbles)

12

Tried bleeding from the banjo, also did not work.

Would this be what I need to reverse-pressure-bleed??

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_13696.jpg
image_13696.jpg1200×1200

http://www.harborfreight.com/brake-fluid-bleeder-92924.html

If that’s the tool needed, I wouldn’t mind having it because I have so many bikes…so even if my master cylinder turns out to be bad after I get the system full of fluid I’ll at least have this tool

Edit, appears this is just a compressor-compatible version of the hand-pump vaccum bleeder I have that is ineffective. Where can I buy a decent sized disposable plastic syringe locally so I can just draw it full of fluid and connect a hose from it to the bleeder fitting and force the fluid in backwards? The actual kits meant for reverse bleeding at $100 and I don’t feel like spending it.

13

what about a meat injection syringe

14

that could work if I can get a hose to seal over it…where would one of those be available?

15

well, on my lunchbreak I stopped into RiteAid for shits and giggles and they had a 2tbs. syringe for $2 so I bought it and tried it on lunch.

It took three draws to fill the line and get fluid up into the master, you could hear the air bubbling. So I thought I’d be in business. WRONG. lever is still shit and I then tried bleeding the old fashioned way and got some air out at the bleeder, but still no pressure at the lever and after getting some air out now it’s not really pushing any pressure at all. FUCK

WHAT THE FUCK

I don’t fucking know.

'bout to list this thing for sale I’m so fucking annoyed right now. Pisses me off, this thing is a raped ape when I can ride it but if I get on it I won’t be able to stop so it’s pointless.

16

Lol, dude you’ve had such bad luck with motorcycles lately.

You need to just relax and drink some beer (ehmmm, my phone isn’t ringing yet…)

17

I just ordered rebuild kits for the caliper and master via Amazon. $66. motherfuckers better fix this shit. I am extra angry lately. I am beginning to post replies increasingly similar to those of the infamous Quattro Krant.

18
19

Well, the rebuild kits came in today. The caliper was definitly in dire need of a rebuild so I’m glad I did it… I used a different master cylinder meant for my yamaha XS650 cause I knew it would push way more fluid to get the line and caliper full of fluid. Once the line/caliper was full and bled using the XS master, I rebuilt the original master and hooked it up…started bleeding, and after 4 or 5 bleed cycles got it to start firming up, wasn’t paying enough attention and went to bleed again, not realizing the last bleed used all the fluid in the master, and pumped a bunch of air back in. Then it wouldn’t bleed again. What a fucking tedious pain in the ass.

Taking a break, sick of bikes. fuck this shit.

I guess tomorrow I’ll use the XS master again to re-bleed the system from scratch AGAIN, and then just pay more attension when I swap to the stock master and bleed that, AGAIN.

20

fucking a, good luck lol