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Refill Front Brake Line

1K views 8 replies 9 participants last post by  bandit 
#1 ·
I have completely drained and cleaned my front brake line, caliper and MC and now wonder what the trick is to refill the entire line with brake fluid? After I put all the pieces back together, I filled the MC with fluid, squeezed the brake handle and nothing seems to happen. I have bled the brakes before without issue, but this is the first time I took the entire system apart, drained it and cleaned it all up.
 
#2 ·
I did the same thing but I think when I cleaned it I more like loosened debris that clogged it even more. I removed it to try and give it another go but realized that the container was cracked because of the cleaner I used I guess. I'm gonna get a replacement from a different bike. I've read on here someone recently replaced their failed one with a kawa ninja one, might do that one. There is 2 little holes under the container you're supposed to clean with a guitar string or something of that sort because it gets clogged or so I have read, you might want to give that a try. When I was trying to fill the brake line again I would get bubbles when I would press the lever and no fluid would be moving down.
 
#3 ·
Take the bleeder screw out and put your thumb over it. Have someone keep pulling back the brake lever and the air inside will push your thumb free and let it reseat itself. Do till it starts squirting brake fluid.
 
#4 ·
I use a method similar to Stitches. I hold my thumb and forefinger over the end of the brake line and start squeezing the brake lever to build up pressure. Once you have enough pressure to move your fingers, let the air out and start over. Eventually you will get brake fluid through. Unless you have other problems of course. After you get brake fluid, connect the line to the caliper and bleed the line.
 
#5 ·
This is something I really struggled with too. I wound up disconnecting the line from the master cylinder. Having an assistant hold it in a cup of brake fluid. i put my vacume bleeder on the bleeder on the caliper and pulled fluid throught the line till it was solid full. then i fill the reservoir and hold my finger over the hole where the line goes and pump it till it starts to build pressure. once it is building pressure start letting a little through till you are getting no air anymore. then as fast as you can put the line out of the cup and hook it up. you would think that master cyl is a little pump and it would just fill the sys. but mine sure wouldn't. seemd like after i got it primed i had 2 good full pumps and it would lose it's prime agiain so i wound up doing it this way. long but i hope it helps to avoid the frustration i expierenced pumping that master cyl for hours on a saturday morning and geting nowhere.
 
#8 ·
Another method of BLEEDING:



On the floor on the left side of the front wheel put a cup full of brake fluid. Slide a rubber tube over the bleeder nipple on the caliper and put the other end of the tube IN the cup of brake fluid. (I simply use regular black rubber air hose like what is connected to the petcock).



Pull the brake lever in and while pulling in on the lever slowly open the bleeder valve on the caliper with the tube attached....you'll feel the lever get easier and easier to pull as you open the valve more and more (you only need to open the valve a bit, don't take it all the way off).....you'll see air bubbles come out the other end of the tube in the cup full of brake fluid......once you have the brake lever pulled all the way in then tighten the bleed valve back up and release the lever. DO NOT let the brake lever go back out until you've tightened the bleeder valve.



SO it's pull in on the brake lever while opening the bleeder valve then close the bleeder valve then let the brake lever go back out.



Do the above again and again: do this over and over until you see no more air bubbles coming out of the tube into the cup, just clean brake fluid.



Keep an eye as well on the fluid level in the master cylinder...don't let the level go too low while doing this....if you need to add more fluid after squeezing the lever a few times then do so then bleed some more if you need to.



EDIT: I use a TALL clear glass not a cup and only fill the glass 1/2 full of fluid to begin with because the cup/glass will fill up quick with more fluid as you're bleeding the system
 
#9 ·
Another method of BLEEDING:



On the floor on the left side of the front wheel put a cup full of brake fluid. Slide a rubber tube over the bleeder nipple on the caliper and put the other end of the tube IN the cup of brake fluid. (I simply use regular black rubber air hose like what is connected to the petcock).



Pull the brake lever in and while pulling in on the lever slowly open the bleeder valve on the caliper with the tube attached....you'll see air bubbles come out the other end of the tube in the cup full of brake fluid......DO NOT let go of the brake lever UNTIL you've closed the bleeder valve back up.....AFTER you've closed the bleeder valve THEN slowly let the brake lever go back out !



Do the above again and again: do this over and over until you see no more air bubbles coming out.



Keep an eye as well on the fluid level in the master cylinder...don't let the level go too low while doing this....if you need to add more fluid after squeezing the lever a few times then do so then bleed some more if you need to.



EDIT: I use a TALL clear glass not a cup and only fill the glass 1/2 full of fluid to begin with because the cup/glass will fill up quick with more fluid as you're bleeding the system
sweet,and very traditional.is a glass better than a cup?

only pulling your leg rick.lmao


and what if you have twin rotors,left or right first?
 
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