Bleed your Brakes and no pumping !!

[britman]

you will need a long clear hose ( fish tank hose is good so you can see what is going on !! ) connect one end to the brake caliper . undo the master cylinder cap and hold the other end " in the brake fluid ", now undo the bleed screw and watch the bubbles appear from the hose in the master cylinder , the brakes are now bleeding on there own and the is no need to pump the brakes !! just keep the fluid topped up and the hose under the fluid level , when bubbles stop the brake is bled and retighten the bleed valve. :thumb:

 

[SpectraSVT]

I'm confused about the first part? Where does the fish tube go on the brake caliper?

 

[britman]

it connects to the brake bleed valve on the caliper and is clear so you can see the air coming out of the caliper.( fish tank hose was just a suggestion ).

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

It's called "back bleeding"

 

[Peer Lovell]

Isn't that unhealthy for the rest of the fish in the aquarium?

 

[txkawboy]

Well, since b-fluid is hygroscopic, it blends quite well with the water, though euro fish can only take DOT8...
8>]

 

[Mavic]

Sometimes you might have to add a teflon to the threads of the bleeder screws because the threads can let air into the system on occasion.

 

[Casper250]

I can't see how this works. Your saying that the pressure from the fluid in the brake line from gravity will be enough to push fluid out the brake caliper and up the fishtank filter hose? I can't see this working, if it did, all you would need to do to bleed your breaks is to open the bleed vavle and let brake fluid drain out while you fill the master cylender.

Jeff, isn't back bleeding when you force the fluid INTO the caliper and up the line to the master cylender by using a syringe at the caliper or by vacume at the master cylender?

 

[MrLuckey]

Doesn't sound like 'back bleeding' to me. I'm with Casper, not sure how this is supposed to work.

 

[Senior KX Rider]

Jeff, isn't back bleeding when you force the fluid INTO the caliper and up the line to the master cylender by using a syringe at the caliper or by vacume at the master cylender?

Thats what I thought

 

[fuzzy]

Your saying that the pressure from the fluid in the brake line from gravity will be enough to push fluid out the brake caliper and up the fishtank filter hose

Exactly! This is called "gravity bleeding." I've never done it on a bike either. Have on a vehicle, and it's more for a fluid change than a bleed. If there is air in the line then it won't gravity bleed.....Hence the reason you've got to bleed in the first place...

 

[GREENBEAN]

Maybe it only works while upside down like in Australia... I dont see how this will work except if the hose already has fluid in it and it is held higher than the caliper otherwise if you open the bleed screw it will actually let air into the caliper which wouldnt be good.

 

[Jeff Gilbert]

Jeff, isn't back bleeding when you force the fluid INTO the caliper and up the line to the master cylender by using a syringe at the caliper or by vacume at the master cylender?

That's what I thought he was talking about untill I re-read the post. oops!

I suppose what he's describing will work if you had a nipple or something to attatch the hose to the can of brake fluid. All you would need to do is raise the can higher than the master cylinder and let gravity take over. It's the same scenario as having two cups with a hose connected to the bottom of each one, pour water in one and it will seek the same level in the other cup. If you raise one cup higher than the other then the water will overflow the lower cup if you raise the other cup high enough. One would still have to open the valve (plunger) in the master cylinder to allow the fluid to pass. I would also suspect that if air or condensation was in the system that it may need a little coaxing to get it out. I prefer the "back-bleeding" method I thought he was talking about, a little force makes me feel like I've accomplished something. :)

 

[britman]

your master cylinder replaces the container used to hold the fluid removed when bleed the normal way !!!,also the hose you use is/should be a good fit on the bleed nipple , and the fluid " will " travel up the hose to the master cylinder and the air " if any " will bleed out as long as you keep the hose in the fluid, keep the fluid topped up in the master cylinder no more air will be added ,and yes another way is to bleed them using a " turkey baster syringe and push the fluid up the brake line forcing the air out that way .. i have used both on all of my bikes and been pleased with the results .. . maybe try it and if your not happy with the result bleed your brakes the normal way. :)

 

[jmics19067]

it is gravity bleeding which will work quite well on say honda cr's where the brake line is relatively straight. If you are working on a bike where the brake line goes under the fork tube and then loops over top of the caliper or a bike with a headlight where the line loops higher than the master cylinder it can be difficult to get the air out of the high spots this way.