Servicing advice please.

[TheRamJam]

Originally Posted by kd80

Thanks a lot for the comprehensive explanation . I presume if I have one of those one-way bleed systems (i.e. one that does not allow air to be drawn in) I do not need to redo the bleed nipple up after each squeeze of the lever? ... I will have to check whether mine is one way or not.

When you say to bleed the master cylinder... how do you do that? I thought it was just the calipers that needed bleeding?

Finally, when you say keep the reservoir topped up, I presume that's once you're done with whatever maintenance you're carrying out on the brakes, and ready to top up the new fluid?

Cheers

Sorry I have a GSXR and it has a bleed nipple for the Master Cylinder on the lever mounting. I dont think your Curvy has this. In that case you just have to bleed each Caliper. Am sure an expreienced Orger will be along to answer that Q!

When bleeding your brake system be careful not to let the brake fluid run low. Then once bleed top it up to just below the Max line

[johnnyrod]

There's preventative maintenance and there's wasting your time, there's also starting a job you don't know how to do. Up to you to figure out which is which and when the calipers were last rebuilt, and how they look now. Ideally you'd do everything but in the real world where a set of caliper seals is about £20 a side plus fluid and there's the question of time and space to work in, you don't always get ideal.

Remantling my bike, I cannot seem to bleed the brakes. The fluid does not seem to be going down the line by squeezing the lever? I cannot figure out why?!

I squeeze it and the level in the cylinder seems to be staying the same

I'm not sure what I'm going wrong!

[yorkie_chris]

Airlock somewhere. You have a syringe?

If not; Try bleed it out of other points, or put diaphragm back on and push down on edges to seal it and then gently push in middle (with nipple open) to push a little fluid through.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Airlock somewhere. You have a syringe?

If not; Try bleed it out of other points, or put diaphragm back on and push down on edges to seal it and then gently push in middle (with nipple open) to push a little fluid through.

Thanks Chris.

I haven't but I can probably get one up town tomorrow. If so, where can I pick one up from? Wilkinson? I don't want to sound like a druggy asking for one

I see them on Amazon but don't want to have to wait a few days

If so, what was you going to recommend doing? Back-bleed it?

[yorkie_chris]

Just suck some fluid down through, it will be a tiny air bubble which is preventing fluid from filling the master cyl.

Trick squashing diaphragm in will do same thing.

Ok drained the oil and removed the filter today, re-torqued the sump plug back up and it started raining - typical English weather cannot stay dry for longer than ten minutes.

So right now, my bike has no oil and no filter (with which I will obviously not start her up!).

My worries are leaving the bike in this state over night; can it do any damage to the engine if I haven't topped the oil up (I'm worrying it will dry out or something, and even though I plan to top it up, the engine might have dried oil sticking to it - if possible)?

As of now, the bike is covered up, the oil fill cap is screwed on and the filter is off but I have plugged it with kitchen roll. Is this going to be ok over night or should I get get a torch and top her up in the pouring rain?

On another note, managed to replace the front brake's fluid. Flushed it all out, took the caliper off; couldn't do what I wanted so I remounted it and filled it up haha will have to do the overhaul some later time. I have now bought a vacuum pump after finding some cheap ones on eBay (I had the conventional kit with the small tub and pipe). So my question is, what's the correct procedure for using flushing old fluid, and bleeding the brakes with the vacuum pump? There are instructions but they're next to useless. Do you just attach the tubing, open the bleed nipple and simply start pumping... or do you need to create a vacuum before even opening the bleed nipple or what? For POC, this is it.

Finally, going over the smaller items in the service. Trying to check various hose deteriation is quite difficult. Are there certain things I'm to look for? The fuel hoses seem ok (I had to replace the fuel vacuum hose earlier this year), cooling as far as I can tell seem ok...

So, sorry for the mega thread. A brief summary:

1. Is the bike going to be ok left over night with no oil nor filter? Important
   
2. How do I use the vacuum device
3. What do I need to look out for with general hoses?
   

[yorkie_chris]

Figure out vacuum device yourself, worst case scenario you need to bleed brakes a bit again. I would imagine sucking some fluid through will work.
Don't let reservoir run dry when you do it.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Figure out vacuum device yourself, worst case scenario you need to bleed brakes a bit again. I would imagine sucking some fluid through will work.
Don't let reservoir run dry when you do it.

Will do - thanks

[johnnyrod]

1. it'll be fine
2. as above
3. brake hoses? If they're rubber then they're old by now so probably best replaced. Sometimes you can hold the hose with your hand and feel the pressure making it bulge as you squeeze the lever. They'll be crap at holding pressure long before they show external cracks etc. I think they're supposed to be replaced every few years, can't remember the numbers. Goodridge thyself, two lines, one down each side, double banjo at the top, ctich the splitter. Two lines are cheaper than three.