Bleeding my brakes tonight. Tips?

After removing a tricky banjo bolt from the master cylinder (it's been swimming in GT 85 all night) I'll be popping my nice new wezmoto braided hoses on tonight! They'll go straight onto my freshly serviced calipers with fresh discs too, which is hunky-dory.

However.... I thought it may be worthwhile to scrounge some top tips for filling & bleeding the brakes once my new hoses are on 'cos I've not done this before.

I was going to get everything fixed-on, bolted & routed and then slowly fill the system (from the reservoir of course!) whilst opening the bleed nipples on each caliper (one at a time). Any one kind enought to lend me some thoughts / tips?

Cheers in advance

[svsam]

I did mine last week, it takes a while, and then when you think you'll never get any pressure behind the lever, it takes a while more, but it gets their eventually. Just keep an eye on the reservoir level.

[garynortheast]

Check those Wezmoto hoses carefully for length when you fit them. I've fitted some to my bike but the first set were dangerously overlong (long enough for excess in the rear hose to flop against the tyre). After some...er...discussion over the phone I sent them back and had them replaced with a set made up to my own measurements. They are still an inch or so too long but for me are within an acceptable tolerance.

Originally Posted by garynortheast

Check those Wezmoto hoses carefully for length when you fit them. I've fitted some to my bike but the first set were dangerously overlong (long enough for excess in the rear hose to flop against the tyre). After some...er...discussion over the phone I sent them back and had them replaced with a set made up to my own measurements. They are still an inch or so too long but for me are within an acceptable tolerance.

Yeah - same problem here! As soon as I opened the packet I saw that they were for an unfaired SV, but I've been assured (!!) that they are only about an inch longer than for the 's' so I should be alright...

How did you route yours?

I found once the brakes were bled, the nipples closed, and I was pretty sure all the air was out, to get pressure into the system (and stop the lever just coming straight back to the bar) I had to hold the bar in one hand and rapidly pump the brake lever in and out with the heel of my other hand.

Use brake fluid that is less than 2 years old and the seal on the bottle has never been broken. It's hygroscopic, so a bottle that has been opened before, or is really old, will be knackered.

Don't spill brake fluid on your bike, it's nasty corrosive stuff, and wear latex gloves.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

I found once the brakes were bled, the nipples closed, and I was pretty sure all the air was out, to get pressure into the system (and stop the lever just coming straight back to the bar) I had to hold the bar in one hand and rapidly pump the brake lever in and out with the heel of my other hand.

If you can get the brake lever back to the bar then that'd mean theres still air in the system wouldn't it? By pumping it you'd be compressing that air stopping it travelling so far

Originally Posted by HoL

If you can get the brake lever back to the bar then that'd mean theres still air in the system wouldn't it? By pumping it you'd be compressing that air stopping it travelling so far

If you say so, I didn't understand it either, but then I don't care too much for the mechanics of it TBH.

I couldn't understand why I was bleeding and bleeding, there was no sign of any air bubbles either side, and all I was doing was wasting fresh brake fluid that was being poured in the top, and bled out the bottom, a local bike mechanic advised me to pump the lever, that's what I did, it worked, that was 2-3 years ago, I had no issues, and as far as I'm aware from the current owner of the bike he's had no issues with it either.

Have you found if you leave the bike for a few days then the brake lever goes further again? I did & it got me quite worried - moved it out of the shed & the brake lever came all the way back & didn't do a thing. Pumping it got it working again but I'm gonna try bleeding them again tonight to see if I can see any air.

No, not after a few days. After a few weeks maybe, but all my bikes have done that, I assume it's just pressure releasing as fluid seeps back through the master cylinder and into the reservoir, pumping pumps the fluid back into the lines and re pressurises the system. Pumping sorts it instantly in the garage, or a few 100yds up the road and use the brakes a few times and that sorts it too.

[muzikill]

I reverse filled & my understanding was that it made the final bleed a lot more easier.