Kurt'sSV
Fri 12/29/06, 2:06PM
Bleeding your front brake lines is a simple procedure that only requires a few simple tools:
8mm box wrench
Roughly 12” of small, clear tubing (can be found at Home Depot/Lowes)
Bottle (water bottle, Coke bottle, doesn’t matter)
Small Phillips head screw driver
A rag (brake fluid is some nasty stuff - paint doesn’t like it.)
DOT 4 Brake Fluid
1. Take out screws on fluid reservoir cap and pull cap off.
- with S model, unscrew cap off “pee cup” after you take out the screw holding bracket on.
2. Under cap is rubber grommet. You can leave that there until you need to refill reservoir. It lifts right out.
3. Attach tubing to air bleeder valve on front brake caliper. The tubing should be very, very tight around the valve opening. You do not want air coming in from around the tube. Put the other end of the tubing in the bottle you have brought along for fluid drainage.
http://www.socalsvriders.org/albums/albvb75/Brake_Bleed.jpg
4. Smoothly pump front brake lever 5 - 10 times. Do not pump brake lever quickly and feverishly. That can agitate the brake fluid. You don’t want agitated brake fluid because then it’s grouchy.
5. After you have pumped the brake lever several times, hold it back and with your 8mm box wrench open the air bleeder valve by turning it counter clockwise (lefty-loosey). You don’t even need to turn the valve 180 degrees, 90 degrees is probably enough.
When you open the air bleeder valve, the brake lever will lose all pressure and will go back to the handle bar. Continue holding the brake lever back. Whenever the air bleeder valve is open, the brake lever should be pulled back to the handle bar.
6. When the air bleeder valve is opened, some bubbles may come out. Keep the air bleeder valve open for a good 10 seconds or more as more bubbles may continue to come out.
http://www.socalsvriders.org/albums/albvb75/Bubbles.sized.jpg
7. After a few seconds, close the air bleeder valve and release the brake lever. The air bleeder valve only needs to be torqued to 5.5lb-ft (foot pounds), so don’t crank the sucker closed or you may break it off. Just get it snug.
8. Check the brake fluid reservoir to make sure it is not going to run out of fluid. There must always be an ample amount of fluid in the reservoir. If you let it run dry (I have), you’ll suck air into the lines and make the whole bleeding process take a lot longer.
9. Repeat steps 4-8. Often on the second bleed attempt, while after holding the air bleeder valve open for a good 30 seconds, a stream of bubbles will start to flow out. Sometimes air bubbles will just sit in the lines and it takes them a while to get moved out.
10. Unhook tubing and attach it to the air bleeder valve on the other caliper and repeat steps 4-8.
11. Your lines are bled. Put cap back on fluid reservoir and screws back in cap. Find an ecologically friendly way to dispose of your used brake fluid.
12. Ride. Gingerly pull on the brake lever when you are approaching your first stop to ensure the bleeder valves are closed and the brakes are working properly.
8mm box wrench
Roughly 12” of small, clear tubing (can be found at Home Depot/Lowes)
Bottle (water bottle, Coke bottle, doesn’t matter)
Small Phillips head screw driver
A rag (brake fluid is some nasty stuff - paint doesn’t like it.)
DOT 4 Brake Fluid
1. Take out screws on fluid reservoir cap and pull cap off.
- with S model, unscrew cap off “pee cup” after you take out the screw holding bracket on.
2. Under cap is rubber grommet. You can leave that there until you need to refill reservoir. It lifts right out.
3. Attach tubing to air bleeder valve on front brake caliper. The tubing should be very, very tight around the valve opening. You do not want air coming in from around the tube. Put the other end of the tubing in the bottle you have brought along for fluid drainage.
http://www.socalsvriders.org/albums/albvb75/Brake_Bleed.jpg
4. Smoothly pump front brake lever 5 - 10 times. Do not pump brake lever quickly and feverishly. That can agitate the brake fluid. You don’t want agitated brake fluid because then it’s grouchy.
5. After you have pumped the brake lever several times, hold it back and with your 8mm box wrench open the air bleeder valve by turning it counter clockwise (lefty-loosey). You don’t even need to turn the valve 180 degrees, 90 degrees is probably enough.
When you open the air bleeder valve, the brake lever will lose all pressure and will go back to the handle bar. Continue holding the brake lever back. Whenever the air bleeder valve is open, the brake lever should be pulled back to the handle bar.
6. When the air bleeder valve is opened, some bubbles may come out. Keep the air bleeder valve open for a good 10 seconds or more as more bubbles may continue to come out.
http://www.socalsvriders.org/albums/albvb75/Bubbles.sized.jpg
7. After a few seconds, close the air bleeder valve and release the brake lever. The air bleeder valve only needs to be torqued to 5.5lb-ft (foot pounds), so don’t crank the sucker closed or you may break it off. Just get it snug.
8. Check the brake fluid reservoir to make sure it is not going to run out of fluid. There must always be an ample amount of fluid in the reservoir. If you let it run dry (I have), you’ll suck air into the lines and make the whole bleeding process take a lot longer.
9. Repeat steps 4-8. Often on the second bleed attempt, while after holding the air bleeder valve open for a good 30 seconds, a stream of bubbles will start to flow out. Sometimes air bubbles will just sit in the lines and it takes them a while to get moved out.
10. Unhook tubing and attach it to the air bleeder valve on the other caliper and repeat steps 4-8.
11. Your lines are bled. Put cap back on fluid reservoir and screws back in cap. Find an ecologically friendly way to dispose of your used brake fluid.
12. Ride. Gingerly pull on the brake lever when you are approaching your first stop to ensure the bleeder valves are closed and the brakes are working properly.