Bleedn Brakes

[homerfj1100]

You helped me sort my front suspension. Could you do the same for my front brakes? FJ11. I spent six hours today squeezing the lever, adding fluid, getting nowhere. I have a 1 way valve tube that fits on the nipple. Fluid goes one way. Biggest problem appears with bleeding the anti dive units. It 'seems' to leak from the nipple as I squeeze the lever. I've read everything(almost). No pressure.
Any ideas?? Ta. Tony

[FJ1100mjk]

Biggest problem appears with bleeding the anti dive units. It 'seems' to leak from the nipple as I squeeze the lever.
Any ideas?? Ta. Tony

Sounds like the bleed fitting on the AD is not seating and sealing once it's tightened, if it leaks from its nipple when you squeeze the hand lever. Maybe it needs to be removed, cleaned, and inspected. Check the conical surface on its bottom. It should be smooth. You'll be losing brake fluid when/if while it's removed. It's also helpful (sometimes) to apply Teflon tape to the bleeder screws' threads. Air can sometimes be drawn back into the system around those threads, when bleeding the brakes with a closed system like a Mityvac bleeder tool. Doesn't sound like you're using one of those though.

May want to look into one of these http://www.rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=Tools%3A8mmMiniBleeder&cat=39

I have the AD units on my FJ's still, and have't had much of a problem bleeding them. Patience is key to success. Takes a little time, but when it's done, it's done for a long time.

Don't forget to try the trick of compressing the hand lever completely to the grip, and tying it down in its position overnight. This has worked for me on more than one occasion to rid the front brake system of air, and return firm feel. Don't know the physics behind it (don't care to either), but I'm a believer of it.

Others will certainly chime in on their brake bleeding sagas, methods, directions, and tips. Plus the usual, "First thing you need to do is get rid of the AD units, blah, blah, blah..."

Good luck!

[homerfj1100]

Thank you. I shall try that trick of tying the lever overnight. And the Teflon tape too. I wonder if as nipples would help. It's a maybe. More fluid todaym used half a litre yesterday.b

[Mark Olson]

pull the bleeders and clean them , they are dirty , use brakeclean stuff.

put a drop of motor oil on each one and reinstall.

Now to achieve some pressure you must first do something weird ... open one of the bleeders and keep the other closed , start with the left front.

you will now pull on the lever slowly with the bleeder still OPEN. When the lever bottoms out on the handle bar hold it there and now close the bleeder.
next slowly release the brake lever , when at the starting point again now open the bleeder and pull the brake lever slowly till it once again bottoms out.
Repeat this process until you start to have a stream of brake fluid come out while pulling the lever. now close this bleeder and do the right side with the
same result.

ONLY after both are flowing fluid will you be able to now pressure bleed in the  normal fashion.  

ya know , bleeder closed pump lever and hold it , then open bleeder ..squirt of fluid ..close bleeder, repeat process until all air is gone.

Follow these instructions and you will have brakes again in 10 minutes.

The other option is to get a mightyvac cause you will need it for the clutch bleed later anyway .. or a syringe ... but that is a topic for later.

I have posted this before many times and it works .. have faith.  

I flush my fj fluids every spring as maintenance .  

[MOTOMYSZOR]

Most problems with bleeding is the air trapped in master cylinder. You will be able to pump out fluid from callipers but You will get no pressure.
The trick of compressing the hand lever completely to the grip have this same purpose: remove air from MC


First of all incline Your bike to left side, turn also steering to the left, it will move master cylinder higher and allows for trapped air easier to be pumped out from MC.
With reservoir open You should see two small holes on the bottom.
When You squeeze lever ONLY 0,5cm -1cm, after few times You should see small air bubble coming from the smaller hole.
Shake steering wheel (or use something soft and bang few times in master cylinder) and again squeeze 0,5 cm.
So small lever moves are the faster way to remove air from MC.
With MC free of air, bleeding rest of the system will take a moment.

[homerfj1100]

Thank you so much. I am having a go right this very moment. Yes the nipples are old and scrungy. I'm trying to open each the tiniest of amounts but still get a slight leak. Don't know whether it's from the threads or the rubber tube on the nipple. I am ordering some SS ones but don't know if they'll make a difference. Ta anyway. Tony.

[jscgdunn]

Good hints. 

Also:
1) cover everthing with a drop cloth seems like brake fluid finds a way to escape as soon as you remove the cover.
2) for the master, if you crack the banjo bolt and use you can bleed it out first...again cover everything.

Jeff

[Pat Conlon]

......and keep a squirt bottle of water close by to *immediately* spray and neutralize the brake juice.

You can put all the towels down you want, but that stuff always seems to find a way to your paint or black plastics.

I converted over to DOT 5 and now I never have to worry about spills.

[homerfj1100]

Well, all of you are absolutely right
That is.I covered all of the advice you gave except the last ( I'll need sanding and re-spraying).Tying the brake lever for the night helped. Watching for bubbles, tightly clintched nipples (!).
There's pressure but still some air, you can feel it. What this proves is patience, help and persistence works. Unless you're wealthy. Then you just say " fix my brakes, paint my tank". Ta v much.

[Mike 86 in San Dimas]

Jr Member having trouble bleeding FJ brakes. That's new one . Man I needed to find new dirty words my first time....bleeding breaks and clutch slave that is.  I love my Mighty Vac.