Brake fluid Anomaly?

did you open up the pads a bit to get the wheels in and out? if so thats why you had to pump the levers a couple of times.

are they now working normally?

The easieast way I can suggest is
1) Fill the brake resevoirs to capacity, leave the covers off to monitor the fluid level.
2) place some rags around the master cylinders to collect any fluid splatter.
3) gently pull/or depress the brake lever/pedal to its fullest travel and hold it in this position.
4) crack the bleeder screw (rubber cap removed) untill fluid comes out. Have a pan on the floor ready to catch the fluid. gently tighten the bleeded and then release the pedal/lever.
5) repeat this procedure untill you are happy with your results. It may take SEVERAL trys. All along make sure the fluid level does not get below half in the resevoir.

Make sure to use the proper fluid.

ok, i'll ask... why is it "brake" in the title and "break" in the text? are you messing w/ us, boy? :-k
(and berger IS a star :wink: )

Crispin just thought it worth a shout but i used to do my brakes the manual way (pull lever,nip up bleed nipple) but found it very tricky with just one person. I went out to halfrauds and bought a one way bleed valve, you just crack open the bleed nipple with the valve attached and slowly pump the lever. the fluid exits the nipple and through the valve then when you let off the brake the valve stops any air being drawn back into the system thus forcing it to use fluid from the reservoir. once the brake is bled you just hold the lever in and nip the nipple up and voila, hopefully nicely bled brakes. Another little trick i use is to cable tie the lever to the bar (not too much, just a nice nip on the brakes) and leave overnight. I think this forces the tiny air bubbles up to the top of the system. when you slowly let the lever back out after removing the cable tie the air escapes through the reservoir and is replaced by fluid resulting in a slightly better (harder) lever.
Hope this helps !

'One size fits all' Crispin, bit like Durex. Basically a rubber hose 6 inches long, plugged at one end with a little split which lets fluid out but not back in. Make sure split end is in a jar which already has some brake fluid in it and covers the split.

Here's the method I use..........

I start out like Berger says, you can use the a one way valve like on one wheel says too. I use this method until all the old fluid and junk from the slave cylinder has been thoroughly flushed out of the system. You might be surprised by how much crap and air bubbles comes out this way.

The only problem with this method is that the master cylinder moves such a tiny amount of fluid that it is difficult to get all the air out this way, especially when doing the Front brake. The air bubbles in the front brake line want to keep rising to the top.

I go over to the medical supply place and buy irrigating syringes for about $1.50 each, and one of those little tulip shaped bulbs you would use to clean out your ears or a baby's nose.

Get a length of clear plastic tubing that fits over the brake bleeder at the slave cylinder, and over the tapered end of the syringe.

Pull the plunger out of the syringe, attach the tubing between the brake bleeder and the syringe. For the front brake I just tape the syringe to a fork leg, and for the rear I tape it to the rear tire. Now, using the first method push some fluid up into the syringe body, just leave the bleeder on the slave loose. Now add about 100cc's of brake fluid to the syringe.

Now, use the baby snot sucker to remove all the fluid from the master reservoir.

Put the plunger in the syringe and slowly start pushing brake fluid into the slave, tap on the brake line starting at the slave cylinder as you push the fluid in to free any bubbles that are stuck to the inside of the line, working your way up to the master cylinder reservoir. Keep an eye on the fluid level in the master reservoir, remove the fluid as it fills with the snot sucker. I repeat this process several times, until I do not see anymore air bubbles come into the master cylinder reservoir.

If you can have a friend help you do this, and you just keep the reservoir from over filling you will be amazed at how many really small air bubbles come out of the line, this after you thought you got all the air out the other way. And it takes a lot less time if someone helps you. As mentioned pump the lever a few times to push any air bubbles out at that end through intake at the master cylinder.

You will have a little bit of leakage around the bleed screw at the slave so just put some rags around it. When you are satisfied that you have got all the air out, just push in enough to fluid to top off the reservoir, tighten the bleed screw, and secure the master reservoir cap.

Remove the hose and clean up with a bit of contact cleaner like CRC lectra motive. I use this contact cleaner as it works good but does not attack the rubber or plastic like brake cleaner can.

When you get all done just pitch the syringe as the brake fluid will eventually start to attack it but is fine while you are doing the job.

Hope this helps.

'Plus one' on Dale's method. This simple reverse bleeding method is much more efficient at removing air bubbles by working with, rather than against gravity. It helps to fill the syringe and plastic tubing with brake fluid prior to connecting the syringe to the bleed valve. This way you are not injected more air into the system.

Forgot to mention........

Be sure the pins that the caliper slide on are lubricated thoroughly, and the brake pad retaining pin is not notched. Both of these things will make the brakes feel kind of spongy.

Also, if you really want to be sure that all the air is out, push the caliper pistons in all the way to remove any air bubbles that might be stuck to the back side of the pistons. This is where the air originates from when you get the brakes hot.

The other option not yet mentioned, I think, is to use the syringe, or dedicated vacuum bleeder to suck the fluid trough from the bleed nipple. Sometimes, to get a tricky air bubble out all methods are helpful.

Which ever way I'm doing it, I like to syringe out the master cylinder first too. If bleeding down it makes sense to bleed immediately with fresh fluid rather than pushing all the old stuff through first. If you suck from the bottom you might also get any crap that has settled out there out too.

You can clean the syringes with some contact or brake cleaner and lube with some silicone spray and they will last for a few years before the seal goes off.

One other thing to consider is the brake hose routing. Make sure that the highest point of the brake system is the master cylinder because that is where the air will be, at the highest point. Some front hoses go up before going down.

Syringes can also be useful for flushing all sorts of things, carbs, oil passages, etc and are also available in Oz in various sizes at your local pharmacist/chemist, or you can rummage through the waste skip at your local hospital!

Cheers
Steve

And I'm reminded as I am here in the shed changing seals and bushes in my 501 Extreme forks that a syringe is great for fork oil levels too. I wire a piece of nylon tube to a piece of welding wire and use zip ties around both to act as the level stopper. Prime, overfill a bit, drop the syringe with tube into the collapsed fork and suck away. Multiple zip ties give settings for different forks, or just slide the zip tie along as required. Less then $2 all up.

Steve

Crispin one thing that needs mentioning is make sure the valve sits correctly when fitted to the bleed nipple. i failed when i first used it as the valve was sat pointing down. if you got the same as me then its just a small ball bearing that gets pushed up with the brake fluid pressure, then when you let off the brake the ball bearing drops into the valve a bit and blocks it off (using its own back pressure).
Ive never tried hte rubber pipe with slit cut in it yet but heard it works !

Sometimes i find if you cant get every last bit of air out, you may need to crack open the banjo bolts and let fluid escape out of there, just have plenty of rags wrapped around and work methodically along the brake line. also dont let off the brake lever until the banjo bolt has been nipped back up again. And as mentioned before, sometimes tapping the line will free off any stuck bubbles.

The bend in the top of the brake line is a bad spot too, in the past i have removed front brakes just to get the master cylinder itself at the highest point.

hopefully you will have a nice sharp set of brakes after this has been done.

Are you running the beringer 6 pots crispin with the blue centered disc ?? What do you think of it ?