*bleed kit advice please*

[blinky]

wasnt sure if i should post this in here or general bike chat but.....


working on my brakes last night, quite tired, and i let one of the pistons slip out for a sec, thus geting squirted with br fluid in the face ...levers dead... so due a bleed....

im hunting for a cheap brake bleed kit asap. dont want to pay silly money for one but how much should i be looking to pay? wherebouts? or could i make one?

local car garage tomorrow, under a fiver possible?

mind, this is my first time ever il be bleeding brakes, so any ideas mucho appreciato!
____________________
Better to ask forgiveness than permission!
Oh i miss my first love, the lovely lil CG!
Rouser 135 2012... Enfield 25... Hornet 600 2002... CG125 2000

[Scotsman37]

Goto your nearest tropical fish supply store and buy a length of appropriate tubing and two no-return valves, two empty plastic bottles and wolla you've got yourself a bleeding kit!

[stirlinggaz]

whats wrong with a length of clear hose & a jar?
or a big (50 or 100ml) syringe & same length of hose for reverse bleeding.
thats all i have ever used,
cheers,
GAZ

[Oldie]

You don't need a kit, but if you want one you can get them for a tenner on fleabay.

[fiery tupp]

[neatbik]

[blinky]

a tenner and having to wait a week isnt really all that great in my books. i'll check out the fishing shop tomorrow.

cheers
____________________
Better to ask forgiveness than permission!
Oh i miss my first love, the lovely lil CG!
Rouser 135 2012... Enfield 25... Hornet 600 2002... CG125 2000

[jay12329]

https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_204703_langId_-1_categoryId_165469

I've got the tube only version on this. Makes one man bleeding simple

J

[cb1rocket]

Reverse filling/bleeding syringe and hose method works best and is the quickest.

Or the normal jar and hose anwhich is hold lever in, undo nipple, tighten and let lever out and repeat.

The normal method is hard if you have a twin setup. Dead easy if on the the rear brake as the air flows out as the brake hose is routed up in most cases.

[The Tot]

I pilfered the ingredients for my brake bleed kit from work.

It's pretty much a 60 ml syringe with araldite at the end and fitted with various sections of flexible transparent pipe.

I used it to bleed the system through. Beauty of it was that all I had to do was keep the reservoir topped up and see clean fluid being pulled through.

I can technically use it to reverse bleed the system, but my lever is at mid span and it's ROCK hard!

Be resourceful. Ideally you want a big syringe so that you don't have to continuously keep opening and closing the nipple.

So ingredients.. Pharmacy for a 60ml syringe - probably 2 quid. Relevant section of 5mm tubing... don't know, I suppose you can just cut a section off from somewhere and nick it?

https://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181994_10150154910450712_500990711_8148841_6694365_n.jpg
____________________
The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[skatefreak]

Tescos pharmacy,
syringe - 80p
tubing - model shop, 50.
Half a pepsi bottle.

Jobs'a godun!

-Jvr

[Scotsman37]

[cb1rocket]

very good i must say, works like a charm, just reverse bleed as you normally would on a single but one at a time.

When the air is in the system it get push upwards and out, and sometimes into the other brake line of the other caliper. So when you do the other side, you just effectly push the air upwards and out of the system. Its easier to push air uppwards than downward!

Air is less dense than liquid

[blinky]

ah crud, so i have to do both calipers?

i was just trying to solve the problem of one sticking and squeeking.


____________________
Better to ask forgiveness than permission!
Oh i miss my first love, the lovely lil CG!
Rouser 135 2012... Enfield 25... Hornet 600 2002... CG125 2000

[Scotsman37]

[blinky]

gosh though, so many choices! thanks guys, appreciate the help.
____________________
Better to ask forgiveness than permission!
Oh i miss my first love, the lovely lil CG!
Rouser 135 2012... Enfield 25... Hornet 600 2002... CG125 2000

[blinky]

...over a few hours?

how long should this take? surely no longer than an hour ish?
____________________
Better to ask forgiveness than permission!
Oh i miss my first love, the lovely lil CG!
Rouser 135 2012... Enfield 25... Hornet 600 2002... CG125 2000

[Scotsman37]

[totalllama82]

[Scotsman37]

When you tie wrap the lever back, should it be tied as far back as possible? = YES, after finishing bleeding the brakes and if it still slightly spungy to get the last remain bubble(s) trapped out!

Should the caliper bleed nipples be open? = Only when you're bleeding the brakes with the bleed kit connected to the nipple of it!

Should the resovoir cap be removed? = If you're going to bleed the brakes!

What about the diaphragm = If you're going to bleed the brakes!

Remember drape a cloth over the fuel tank when bleeding because you don't want a fountain of brake fluid when pulling the lever and so it's not a good idea! Remember pull lever gently back not hard to prevent the fountain effect!

[blinky]

i still dont feel very confident to do this. but i guess i can test them as i go along, so its not as dangerous as i thought.

so do i push the syringe 'in' pushing air 'up' and out of reservoir OR do i 'pull'/suck all the fluid out of the bottom and top up with new stuff.

ive got the new stuff nearby, just wondering what i need to buy today. 60ml syringe, tubing hmmm, best note the stuff on my phone for tesco/shops.

som1 mentioned 'twin' front - meaning both calipers? so i do bleed both.

i guess theres getting the air out and theres changing the fluid - 2 different actions/services?

ta
____________________
Better to ask forgiveness than permission!
Oh i miss my first love, the lovely lil CG!
Rouser 135 2012... Enfield 25... Hornet 600 2002... CG125 2000

[cb1rocket]

one lot of the bleeding tool does both calipers. If the system is totally empty, then bleed the fluid up from the caliper nipple.

1) setup syringe and suck in the brake oil, have a bucket of water nearby for emeergency, it eats paint!

2) open the reservoir cap, place rads around it.

3) open the nipple on the brake caliper side your working on, keep the other shut off/close.

4) stick tubing over the nipple and push syringe to release oil, if running low of oil in the syringe then close off the nipple while still pushing to prevent air getting in.

5) Repeat step 3 & 4 until fluid can just be seen coming through from the top.

Repeat step 3 - 4 for otherside.


Then squeeze lever until resistance can be felt.

Replace reservoir cap and clean up any spillage, then bungee the lever on over night - job done

[blinky]

heres one i made earlier....


...best i can do for now. wasnt a 100% successful, as theyre a bit spongey still, but a massive improvement than before, so its good for now!

i just opened and closed the sump to let the fluid out and kept topping up the reservoir til i got (i thought) all bubbles out.

couldnt get hold of a syringe yet, but will do soon for a future bleed

thanks again chaps
____________________
Better to ask forgiveness than permission!
Oh i miss my first love, the lovely lil CG!
Rouser 135 2012... Enfield 25... Hornet 600 2002... CG125 2000

[Scotsman37]

did you get a no return valve to prevent bubbles being sucked back in?

[blinky]

nope, i'll get that when i get the syringe for next time. hopefully i'll get all the bubbles out next time, when i do it properly

i just opened anbd closed the nipple with my fingers, whilst squeezing the lever intermittently, untill the liquid was bubble-clear.

tried to do it by just pinching the tube inbetween lever squeezes, but it didnt work so effectively as at the actual nipple.

*oh and forgot to mention, i actually only did a few squeezes/bleeds on the other side, as i didnt see any bubbles at all. whether thats good or bad i dont know, but i had sucked a lot of fluid through on the right side caliper, so figured i'd sucked alot of the air out from the other (left) side?! and so left it as it was.

rode the bike to the shops earlier to see how the brakes felt, and ye, like i said, they are still a bit spongey, but still a massive improvement from before. thats my fault tho, as i guess i rushed it a bit
____________________
Better to ask forgiveness than permission!
Oh i miss my first love, the lovely lil CG!
Rouser 135 2012... Enfield 25... Hornet 600 2002... CG125 2000