i'm gonna hava a go at doing a full service on my bike (2kr) in the next few weeks, including changing all fluids. Up until now I've only done bits and pieces here and there. Question on changing brake fluid - is it just the same process of bleeding the brake lines (which i've done before when changing brake pads)? Ie do you just bleed the fluid and keep topping it up in the resevoir until you think you've replaced all the old fluid with new stuff, or is there another way of doing it?
A full flush just means changing all the fluid in the brake system (lines & calipers/reservoirs). I'm lead to believe that you can also bleed the master cylinder... although i haven't tried that one yet.
yeah ok, but is it easier just to disconnect the brake line from the top of the caliper and drain it (only concern would be getting brake fluid everywhere initially), rather than going through the whole process of bleeding the fluid out? Any mechanics out there, how do YOU do it?
Unless you do the following you may not get all the old fluid out of the caliper. Because of the design there are dead areas that will not flush. The only other way to get it all out is to remove the pistons. To get all the old fluid out of the caliper it would pay to apply the brake and keep it applied with a cable tie or some other means. (This keeps the old fluid from travelling back to the master in the next step.) Then open the bleed screw and then force the pistons into the caliper to expell all the fluid. Wedge the pads apart so that they cannot close in the following steps. (This will keep the caliper from filling with old fluid.) Close the bleed screw then release the brake. Bleed the brakes normally untill the master reservoir is almost out of fluid, refill with fresh fluid and continue bleeding until you think all the old fluid has been expelled. Remove wedges from pads and pump brakes until pad are back in contact with disk. At no time let the master run out of fluid. DAVE
a how to for bleeding the brakes is at: <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.fzr250.com/viewtopic.php?t=678">viewtopic.php?t=678</a><!-- l --> THis is just a regular old bleeding process - Dave's is a little more involved (prying apart calipers etc.) People over at exupbrotherhood swear by a tool called mityvac - a semi automated bleed process - takes much less time. And definitely check your brakes before riding again regardless of what you do!!! Roll it forward and apply the front or the back. It is amazing how many times people forget to check these and find out that they only have 1 brake! (I have heard professional shops doing this too, and riders being unaware assuming it was done by a pro, therefore don't need to check!!!)
I have just bought said Mighty-Vac. I'll be doing a master-cylinder replacement this weekend and I'll try to do a "How To" and include the processes involved with using the Mity-Vac. Cost me $34 @ Sears.
thanks for that. I'll try and follow daves method although i'd be happy to replace %95 of the old fluid with new. boz i already used that link to help me bleed the brakes in the past, and it worked fine. I was just wondering whether there was a different approach to flush the system fully. Look forward to the "maybe" write-up fzrdude. Do you mean here or on the exupbrotherhood forum?
share the wealth - post it both places! <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s --> (although most of the exupbrotherhood people already use this, so it may be lost on them...) I haven't been able to find a mity-vac here (and there is no Sears here) unfortunately. I will be looking to get one while in canada in a few months time though...
Large department stores: kmart, target, myers (which is rare in North America - similar to Eatons), david jones (again similar to eatons - perhaps a bit more 'upmarket') Missing: Eatons, sears, Walmart Two things i miss: Poutine and a proper doughnut shop (Tim Hortons especially).
