| Author | Message | ||
     Andymnelson |
Ugh, so I put new front pads on my 99 X1...VERY easy job! went to bleed brakes, and top it off...and, sweet, PO put in DOT3 or 4. So I drained the whole system, disassembled the caliper, cleaned everything with DOT 5, blew out the line, filled with DOT 5, reassembled, bled....and no pressure. at all. I can bleed them and push fluid through the line just fine, but I don't build up any pressure in the system. What do I do next? Get a master cylinder rebuild kit? Caliper rebuild kit? Both? Replace the line while I'm at it? Dumb....seriously, if it says DOT5, put DOT 5 in! | ||
| Jramsey |
Re-clean system, use DOT 4. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Will that really help the problems? | ||
| Jramsey |
No it will not help with your bleeding problems but will keep you from having others later. FSM and the top of both reservoirs specify DOT 4. http://faq.f650.com/FAQs/BRAKEMAINTENANCEFAQ.htm (Message edited by `J.ramsey on June 24, 2009) (Message edited by `J.ramsey on June 24, 2009) (Message edited by `J.ramsey on June 24, 2009) | ||
| Andymnelson |
My FSM and top of both of my reservoirs specify DOT 5... | ||
| Jramsey |
Must have changed to DOT 4 on the '00 and up models. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Yeah I'm thinking so. So what do I do now? I can't imagine the DOT 5 being my issue... | ||
| Jramsey |
Probably air locked, vacuum bleeding is the quickest-easiest way. | ||
| Andymnelson |
 I've bled them for literally 1/2 hour. I feel confident that there is no air in the system. I have tore apart/cleaned the caliper. I tore apart/cleaned the master cylinder. Both looked good- all surfaces clean and smooth and seals were all in good shape. Makes me think that the $50 I would spend on rebuild kits for them would be wasted? | ||
| 12mpghwy |
It can be really hard or impossible to hand bleed bike brakes. I spend HOURS trying to do this in the middle of the night when I had to use the bike to ride to work the next day Use a vacuum pump. Though when I was doing it that time I didn't have hardly any tools I ended up making a chamber out of a peanut butter jar, that is a peanut butter jar with 2 holes drilled in the lid and hoses shoved in so the kind of seal with some kind of silicone or sealant around the lines on the top. Then hooked up to the idling bikes engine vacuum. This did the bleed that I had been working on for at least 6 hours in less than 30 seconds. To clarify one of the 2 lines goes into the bikes vac source which draws a vacuum on the jar, the other line goes to the caliper so that the fluid will be rather quickly sucked into and collected in the jar. You have to be ready because this will suck the master cyl dry of fluid in seconds. Obviously close the bleed nipple while vac is still on the system and then it will work. (Message edited by 12mpghwy on June 24, 2009) | ||
| Sloppy |
I find that air will hang out in the banjo bolts. Crack these open under brake pressure a few times (but do make sure you put rags around it at Dot 3,4, 5.1 don't get along with paint). With a caliper rebuild I also have had to remove the caliper and move it around to get the last residual air out the bleeder. Note: I don't always get a "strong lever" feeling with the bike standing still (not sure why, perhaps due to the floating rotor?), but it firms up fine on the road. If you're not sure, do a quick jaunt around the corner. Also if the caliper pistons are stuck (you'll have to see all 6 come out evenly) that will also give you a spongy lever. | ||
| Kalali |
'99 X1 = DOT5, '00 X1 = DOT4. This is according to my FSM and is consistent with what is on the reservoir lid. | ||
| Andymnelson |
Well seeing as tho DOT5 is silicon based and sticks to everything, and 3/4 are glycol based and tend to strip anything off of everything...I decided to try something and I tore apart the ENTIRE system once again, cleaned it all out, filled er up with DOT4, bled it....and it works just fine now. I'm guessing that the 4 and 5 mixture gunked up somewhere that the 5 would not clean out, but the 4 did.  | ||
| Fullauto |
Al at American Sport Bike said that if you are changing the '99s from Dot 5 to Dot 4 it's a good idea to replace the front brake line when you do it, as well as putting the seal kit through the master cylinder and caliper as it only takes a drop of Dot 5 to form a blob in the system. I've got all the gear to do it and it's on my maintenance list. | ||
| Kalali |
What I don't understand is the brake components "appear" to be identical between '00 and '99. So how come the fluids are so different? | ||
| Fullauto |
They are identical. The factory ran Dot 5 for only the one year in X1s and I presume the other models as well. | ||
| Skntpig |
You don't want to mix DOT 3/4 with DOT5. http://www.tccoa.com/brake-fluid/ They are really the same or similar system from year to year, and can take either 3/4 or 5 but you can never switch back and forth. The seals swell. I found this out first when I trashed my vacuum bleeder. I couldn't see how the o-rings didn't fit anymore. They were literally about double the size. Once I figured it out it gave me an excuse to buy a radial master. I replaced the line and disassembled and cleaned the caliper with denatured alcohol before rebuilding with new seals. I figured the brakes are a pretty important thing to have work all the time, every time. | ||
| Kalali |
"I figured the brakes are a pretty important thing to have work all the time, every time." No kidding!! | ||
| Fullauto |
Let's face it, brakes only slow you down !! | ||
| Buell_bert |
I don't care if the bike goes fast but the 2 things I want are good tires and good brakes. The rest is just an extra. Safety first. |
