(PBR, Curling, Crak 600) I'm an idiot : Motorcycle Brakes!!!!!!!!!!

[Buddy_Christ]

DO NOT ride the bike until this is fixed.

I forgot to add that part. Thanks for reminding me. Hopefully patsfan sees this before he swings a leg over the bike again.

 

[patsfan1379]

no i dont plan on getting on it until i have it fixed up.

i tried to bleed the brakes but nothing came out. i assume it could be a problem with the master cylinder, i wont be able to get to fixing it until this weekend.

basically i opened the bleed valve and nothing. i am going to get a c clamp and try to puch the fluid back up into the reservoir to see if that helps any, id hate to spend all the money on a mc rebuild or new calipers. Ill have to check it out, i have to work right now so i wont be able to get into this tonight, ill bump this again when i have more time to dedicate to your responses.

thanks so much for all your help guys, ill come back with an update later tomorrow.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

no i dont plan on getting on it until i have it fixed up.

i tried to bleed the brakes but nothing came out. i assume it could be a problem with the master cylinder, i wont be able to get to fixing it until this weekend.

basically i opened the bleed valve and nothing. i am going to get a c clamp and try to puch the fluid back up into the reservoir to see if that helps any, id hate to spend all the money on a mc rebuild or new calipers. Ill have to check it out, i have to work right now so i wont be able to get into this tonight, ill bump this again when i have more time to dedicate to your responses.

thanks so much for all your help guys, ill come back with an update later tomorrow.

Sometimes you won't get shit when you just open the bleeder. It happens. It's really a 2 man operation to bleed unless you can manage to open/close the bleeder screw AND hold down the front brake. I've tried, it gets kinda hard to do once you get to the left side of the bike.

 

[genarr3]

no i dont plan on getting on it until i have it fixed up.

i tried to bleed the brakes but nothing came out. i assume it could be a problem with the master cylinder, i wont be able to get to fixing it until this weekend.

basically i opened the bleed valve and nothing. i am going to get a c clamp and try to puch the fluid back up into the reservoir to see if that helps any, id hate to spend all the money on a mc rebuild or new calipers. Ill have to check it out, i have to work right now so i wont be able to get into this tonight, ill bump this again when i have more time to dedicate to your responses.

thanks so much for all your help guys, ill come back with an update later tomorrow.

If all you did was open the bleeder then nothing should come out. You're supposed to open the bleeder then apply the brake, that's what forces the fluid out. This is not a procedure you learn over the internet. It's not complicated, but there are more ways to mess this up then you could imagine. You need to have someone with you that knows how to do this or take it somewhere.
But I'll say this again; air doesn't just magically appear in your brakes. If air in the brakes caused this, which I doubt, there is a reason air got in your system.
I actually know what I'm talking about; I do this for a living.

What exactly do you plan to use the c - clamp for?

 

[PBR]

hey patsfan the boyz here are giving good advice...the fluid you used had nothing to do with this...do what Crak and the others (Genarr3) told you to do...DO NOT SKIMP on this type of repair, a MISTAKE could be costly to say the least ok?????
if you think you are over your head, let a pro do it...dont be too proud- just watch him and learn....glad your OK, dont like it when the brothers go down!!!

 

[patsfan1379]

to bleed, what I did was close the bleeder valve, then I pumped the lever about three times and held it, then I opened the bleeder screw. nothing came out. i didn't just open the bleeder screw without pressure on the lever.

there could have been air in th elines because the guy who owned the bike before me had just put on new blue brake lines and he could have let air in there somehow.

basically an experienced mechanic told me to gently try to compress a piston in the caliper to see if the level in the reservoir would go back up.

if it didnt, he said there could be more of an issue with the master cylinder or calipers.

 

[curling]

Were your brakes locked when you opened the bleeder valve? Because on the chopper mine you which is a 6 caliper piston when I opened it it flowed out and release the pressure to the pistons and the wheel would roll. Dude if nothing coming out even when you pumped them something is totally not right. You already bit the bullet to get the bike don't skimp on your brakes. I mean it is scary when a back brake locks up it is plumb deadly if it is your front. Spend the money to get new ones they sound screwed totally.

Sorry for the trouble btw. You wouldn't believe how close of trouble I had with my bike when I first bought it that you are having now. I mean my rear brake screwed up within a week of getting the bike. Nothing worse than having a new bike and not being able to ride it. I am a nut though and just took off my back caliper and rode without back brakes. Hey, it's a chopper in the old days they didn't even put a front brake system on the bikes at all so what the hell did I need with a back one?

 

[Buddy_Christ]

to bleed, what I did was close the bleeder valve, then I pumped the lever about three times and held it, then I opened the bleeder screw. nothing came out. i didn't just open the bleeder screw without pressure on the lever.

there could have been air in th elines because the guy who owned the bike before me had just put on new blue brake lines and he could have let air in there somehow.

basically an experienced mechanic told me to gently try to compress a piston in the caliper to see if the level in the reservoir would go back up.

if it didnt, he said there could be more of an issue with the master cylinder or calipers.

Start off with a "gravity bleed." Get some small tubing and put it over the bleeders and run it into a drain pan. Open the master cylinder so you can continue to add fluid, then crack open the bleeders. You can add a wee tiny little bit of pressure to the brake lever if it doesn't start bleeding. Fluid should eventually start flowing out of the bleeders.

You can try to compress the pistons in the calipers. Like I already mentioned, you could have a stuck piston. Only way to find out is to mess with the calipers.

If it won't gravity bleed at all, then the next thing I'd check is the lines, since you said the previous owner just replaced them. They could be kinked, they could be blocked. If this means you have to take them off the bike, then so be it.


Gotta love working on bikes. Everything is right there in front of you, so easy to see. The downside is sometimes you just can't get your hand in there no matter how hard you try.....

 

[pats28]

Does anyone here race with AMA, WERA, or CCS?

 

[Buddy_Christ]

Not I.