Bleeding brakes

[timbo]

Ok i'm sure that many people have asked how to do this but this is a technique i came up with tonight that seemed to work.
The first problem is the fact that i was doing this by my self
Second problem was the reservoirs that i'm running on my bike are quite small so after two pumps of the leaver they are almost empty so it was taking forever to bleed them up.So after ten minutes of fucking around with little result i stood back,grabbed a beer and cum up with this cunning plan.
http://www.asfphotos.com/upload/1285630212.jpg

http://www.asfphotos.com/upload/1285618932.jpg


By running a tube from the bleed nipple back up to the reservoir it made a complete loop of fluid which can be pumped through over and over again,and because it was clear i could see all the bubbles as they came up to the reservoir. One thing i did do was to lift the tube up a little so that when i squeezed the leaver the bubbles wouldn't go into the reservoir. Then i put the the tube back into the reservoir so that it wouldn't suck any more air into the line and hey presto some nicely bleed brakes. :D

[Shadowzone]

You can also leave them over night with a rubber band (or cable tie) holding the lever half way depressed and the reservoir lid cracked and gravity will bleed the air for you.

If you have time. But your way works well too by the looks of things

[Zooks]

The only problem with that is that you are re-using the old fluid. I was always taught as an apprentice that the old fluid should always be flushed out so that any dirt and moisture etc in the lines / reservoir is expelled.

[timbo]

quote:The only problem with that is that you are re-using the old fluid. I was always taught as an apprentice that the old fluid should always be flushed out so that any dirt and moisture etc in the lines / reservoir is expelled.

Yes that is normally true but as i was fitting new callipers and master cylinder there was no old fluid in the system.

[sharky]

The other problem I can see is you are mixing air and fluid and sending the mix to the master..

[timbo]

Yep that was a small problem Russ that's why i was lifting the hose while a pulled in the leaver so that the air rated fluid would be at the top of the reservoir