can someone give me some advice on how to go about bleeding the front brake on my 02 rev3

its all been striped to free the pistons off and for a new master cyclinder

Many Thanks

james

Edited November 15, 200520 yr by james111089

I find it's best to remove the caliper from the bike and wedge the pistons in the correct position with a piece of wood or some other suitable spacer which can be removed after bleeding. (If I fit the caliper to the bike I always seem to get fluid on the disc or the wheel or the paint work, which is not good.)

I also try to use a pair of old pads in case the fluid spills on them.

Then find a piece of clear pipe, fuel pipe is a good one. This way you can see the air bubbles as they emerge. Fit this to the nipple, remove the reservoir cap and fill to the top with fresh fluid. (Turn the bars so that it is level with the floor.)

Now slacken the nipple and slowly pump the lever until fluid appears in the pipe.

When the fluid begins to emerge but then gets sucked back into the caliper, this is the time to pump the lever in, hold it in and tighten the nipple before releasing the lever.

Check the fluid level, release the nipple again, lever in, hold, tighten and release.

Keep doing this until there is no signs of air bubbles in the clear pipe.

Tighten the nipple, check the fluid level is correct (not too full!, refit the cover, wipe off any spilt fluid immediately and fit your new pads and refit the caliper to the bike.

Before riding the bike, check that there are no leaks and that the brake works correctly.

You will need to bed in the new pads, do not overheat the new pads when bedding them in. Do it gently to prevent glazing.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Scorpa3

That will probably work, but may be a career-length process.

The best way is to get a big syringe (around 60cc, I think) from a horse or cow vet, put a piece of hose on the end, and use it to push fluid into the bleed nipple and up into the reservoir.

Pumping air up is much easier than pumping it down.

After I've done all the pumping, bleeding etc as a last little trick , I pump the lever 4 or 5 times and hold it tight, then wrap a bungie strap or similar round the lever and handle bar and leave it overnight, primed up under pressure. If the systems in good condition, this gives a really good brake.

After years of pumping from the reservoir down to the caliper, I, like Charliechitlins, now use the puminging from the caliper approach. It's much quicker, & very rewarding when great (& even small ones) bubbles surface in the reservoir. Also the trick by Ask Greeves, is supposed to work very well - used by a friend of mine many moons ago when we both did production racing - I person got a good firm braking system using just conventional bleeding techniques.

After I've done all the pumping, bleeding etc as a last little trick , I pump the lever 4 or 5 times and hold it tight, then wrap a bungie strap or similar round the lever and handle bar and leave it overnight, primed up under pressure. If the systems in good condition, this gives a really good brake.

how does this make it better whats the theory ???

James

James

Sometimes something can be better without actually knowing the reason why. Eh??? Not having a rational explanation does not make the observation or statement false, merely unexplained....Confucious

so far so good seems to stop the bike moving

James

so James, good to hear your brakes are brakes again - out of interest, which bleeding method did you use after all & did you try the mystical bungee on the lever overnight trick??

big syringe but had to push very hard to make the fluid move.

yes i did use the bungee trick i think it mad a samll differance but not vast amounts.

James

big syringe but had to push very hard to make the fluid move.

Maybe somebody knows for sure, but don't Betas (some Betas?) have a check valve in the bleed nipple?

This could make back filling difficult!

while my bike is in the garage i always leave the front brake on slightly using a thick elastic band, this makes sure that the brake is always great. don't know why it works , it just does.

Maybe somebody knows for sure, but don't Betas (some Betas?) have a check valve in the bleed nipple?

This could make back filling difficult!

im not sure but i had to push very hard and the nipple was quite far open.

Its an ajp 4 pot caliper

James

did you unadjust the lever... ? Opens the piston hole and should make it easier

the lever on the master cylinder i didnt touch till after i had bled it

James