Delboy's Garage, Simple Skills, Reverse Bleed Brake lines.

[@TriAngles3D]

Rap a rubber band around the front brake handle and add some weight to hold down the rear brake pedal. Wait several hours, remove the rubber band and the weight and your brakes will now provide a solid response as all of the dissolved gas in the fluid has been pushed out/expelled. Tip I got from Rob Bron, Amsterdam in the early 90s. It worked then and still works today.

[@frankrendell237]

Thanks for the video - it saved me hours of pain. I recently aquired a 1983 GL1100 with sidecar. This model was the first wing with linked braking. Being my first wing and my first experience of linked braking I have climbing a very steep learning curve. If anyone else is up against bleeding the brakes on one of these bikes with a side - a couple of things I learn - firstly jack the side up as far as possible and secondly remove the linked front caliper and raise it as high as possible..... thanks for your tip about that in the video. Lastly don't rush the job, leave time for those bubble to move about

[@konradsensenig9291]

Nice. This should honestly be the standard way to bleed a simple hydraulic system. The reason being that the bubble will continually try to rise in the lines due to gravity. A few tips I would add: Get a big "dispensing syringe" from a pet store or farm supply shop, so you never need to break the hydro locked system and expose it to air during the bleed. While at the pet store, also get clear vinyl hose used in fish tanks, so you can see the bubbles. Also, after pushing fluid upward from calliper to reservoir, there will still be a big bubble lodged in the calliper, above the level of the banjo bolt. To clear this bubble, simply pull some fluid back into the syringe after the reservoir has filled. Since the bleed valve is the highest point on the calliper, this has to be the last step and the calliper has to be upright to do it. This was done with the calliper upside down in this video, so there would still be a significant bubble in the calliper. To recap: Fill syringe and hose, connect hose to valve, open valve, small pull on syringe to clear small bubble at valve, big push of fluid until res is filled, then another small pull on syringe to clear bubble in top half of calliper, seal the system.

[@CajunGreenMan]

This guy uses a honking big syringe like the one Konrad mentions starting at 8:35: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3TGdnyjoLWWa6s

[@boomerguy9935]

@@CajunGreenMan Thanks for the tips from Konrad Sensenig and Peace Love which are the icing on the cake for this video!

[@IanMacLeansnv]

Saved that to my note file. Thanks very much.

[@YouTubesucksdix]

I have an upside down caliper that's been kicking my ass, I'll try this tomorrow

[@staninjapan07]

@@IanMacLeansnvThink I will, too.

[@um6638]

I really learned a LOT from this channel. I’ve watched a lot of bleeding tutorials but none of em tell me that the nipple should be facing upward when the caliper bone dry. I’ve tried asking my brother or my dad to teach me but none of em actually know how to. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@AlexisTorres-t7r]

We’ve been trying to replace the master cylinder all day and out of all the videos we watched yours was the one that worked . You’re awesome ! Thanks so much , you broke it down so easily .

[@Moonfleet41]

Thank you Alexis, great to hear the video was able to help, good luck with your project!

[@robertfindlay2325]

Having done hydraulic brakes on cars, I thought I knew what I was doing for the dry and refurbished twin Brembo calipers on the front wheel of my BMW 659RLS. Two hours later, still fine pumping bubbles with the front brake lever using the conventional technique I learned on cars. Now I see why! Thanks !

[@stevemiller7433]

So Helpful!! This reminds me of how I get the air out of the Dialysis cartridge in the ICU, tapping the tubing. adding fluid..tapping and shaking. Neat!

[@thomasdavidson7057]

I’m 70 yrs old and ride a 2013 Harley Streetglide. I have not done much wrenching on it, but your detailed videos telling “why” a procedure works have inspired me to attempt at least some maintenance repairs with more confidence. Thanks from Michigan, USA

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi Thomas, how great to hear from you - we're so glad the videos can inspire you to get some of your own work done... it's always good to do more than just ride your bike, and it keeps you more in touch with it's day to day health! Thank you for taking the time to write, it's great to hear from you, hope the weather is good for you in Michigan, we have some friends who live in Detroit and they said it's pretty cold there this time of year with a lot of snow already! Take care and ride safe, and keep in touch, all the best for 2018 - D&Px

[@hansbuechel5666]

You made my day! After replacing all break lines with new once the system of my bike was almost empty (incl. ABS pump). With a vacuum pump I had now success getting the air out and fluid into the break system. Your tip pumping the fluid into the system in the opposite direction help a lot getting my breaks working again. Thx, very much!

[@Moonfleet41]

Excellent Hans, that is great news, im glad the video helped you out.. take care., and ride safe. Del.,

[@MrCatcracker]

Currently rebuilding my front & rear brakes (2001 ZRX 1200R) from caliper seals / braided lines/ master cylinder kits. You bring mechanical aptitude to an armatures ability to learn & understand to another level. Explaining the physics involved, gravity, surface tension, fluid mechanics etc. I feel myself thinking, well why didn't I think of that?.. Thank you so much. Plan the work / Work the plan. Your videos have (I'm sure) have saved me a lot of headaches.

[@Moonfleet41]

HI mate.. thank you for such kind words of support, im glad the videos can help you out and make things a bit easier.. have fun wit it and feel free to drop me a line if you get stuck, always happy to help if i can. Cheers, Del.

[@petee0158]

Followed exactly what you did to re-prime the refurbished brakes on my 98 Trident and got there, although it took time to get all the bubbles out and for resistance to build up. I agree it is best to keep re-topping up with fresh fluid once bleeding through, there were loads and loads of tiny bubbles in the fluid as it came through the pipe on the bleed nipple. Be patient, it really works.Thanks Del.

[@JuanGarcia-vo7eb]

Wow. I gave up on bleeding rear brakes just minutes ago. Im trying your way tomorrow. Thanks! For the good tip👍👍

[@grannygreendoor]

I had struggled all morning the conventional way. Watched this vid and then reverse bled them and it was all sorted in 10 mins or so.

[@staninjapan07]

Can you do it without emptying the system? I did a rebuild and so have mostly filled the system with fluid but have spongy brakes.

[@TECATIAN2]

finally i can bleed my back break, i've been trying for so long and nothing would make the piston of the caliper move the slightest, the gravity bleeding trick made it work, thank you so much!

[@Moonfleet41]

Glad the video's helped you out, best of luck with the job on your bike!

[@phildelacruz4692]

Thanks so much. I struggled with my clutch for a couple of hours. After watching this video I fixed it in 15 min.

[@Moonfleet41]

Good on you mate, glad we could help!

[@TheMotorcycleBoss]

I miss these videos. This is what made me subscribe to your channel all those years ago. Don't get me wrong, you have great content that reaches a broad audience but i genuinely do miss these tips and tricks. Personally, im not a big fan of fabrication but that's just me. Im a big fan of learning about how to service your motorcycle and it was just nice to see you throwing out another video like this. Keep up the good work. I hope to see more vids like this.

[@Moonfleet41]

Thank you my friend, that's very kind, appreciate you keeping touch and the feedback is valuable... as you said, we were doing thi kinda thing many years ago, an covered many basic maintenance tasks, but as you'll probably agree, there's only so much you can do before you've covered it all and we only have the bikes we own to work on, we're not a commercial shop, so we do what we can.... stay tuned for 2018, gonna do some diverse stuff, but (hopefully!) all of it interesting in one way or another....and of course, the tips and tricks will continue ...! Happy New Year to you - D&Px

[@SchoolforHackers]

Six years later and this is still the best bleeding (ha) video I’ve found - and I’ve looked at a lot.

[@sarag1158]

Thank God for this video! I just completely rebuilt my brake Pistons, I went to bleed my brake line, and absolutely nothing happened. I was furious after spending an afternoon in the hot sun f****** around with my brakes. I hope this works because I am fed up

[@Moonfleet41]

If you check back in with our Channel on Friday, we're posting up a video on reverse purging a dry braking system, you'll need a large capacity automotive syringe, which is linked in the description of the video, just over £20 and it allows you to fill a dry hydraulic system in just a couple of minutes, still editing the video, will be posted online Friday.

[@sarag1158]

@@Moonfleet41 you are a blessing.

[@Moonfleet41]

@@sarag1158 Most welcome Sara, hope it can help you, we all struggle with bleeding up brakes when they're bone dry and freshly built, the video Friday should help out im sure. . Good luck with it. Del.

[@robertfindlay2325]

We share the same frustration. Odd that I have never had any problem bleeding brakes and clutch hydraulics on cars.

[@handsfree1000]

Great advice Del especially not shaking the bottle and putting old fluid back in. I use a revers bleeding gun, pushes fluid up from calliper to master cylinder. I have had no problems bleeding my brakes with this..

[@kevscranes]

Thanks cobber you've helped me heaps on my 88 FJ 1200 Yamaha restoration project very much appreciated .

[@Moonfleet41]

Most welcome mate, am so glad it helped you, that makes it all worthwhile taking the time to produce the videos!

[@bikepartsandthings]

The injector trick really helpt me out to get the front brake going again. Thanks a million.

[@kiwidude8931]

Just saved my bacon with this awesome tip - I'd been trying to get new lines bleed for 2 hours- this fixed the trick in 5 mins

[@Moonfleet41]

Nice one mate, glad you cracked it, it can absolutely dirve you insane aye!

[@vernboulet1015]

tip - when you hang the caliper up higher than the master/reservoir, be sure to keep the bleeder on top to get all the air to it. (you'll notice the bleeder is on top when the caliper is mounted on the bike)

[@DennisdeJong]

I was going to mention this exact same thing.

[@Bakkiepleuah]

@@DennisdeJong But ya didn't

[@MrNangoo]

Bloody brilliant... Thanks so much.. This trick saved me hours of pumping a lever and Turning a nut. I cant believe I didn't work this out for myself...

[@Moonfleet41]

Glad it helped mate and you got the job done!

[@paulsnowsill723]

Dear Del, Yet again you have saved me from giving up and hitting the bottle. I spent 2+ hours pouring brake fluid through my system with no success. I then watched and followed your guidance of reverse bleeding and raising the calipers up above the master cyl which worked like a charm. Thank you very much for taking the time to make these videos!

[@Moonfleet41]

Most welcome Paul, im glad it worked well for you, i think that jobs like this are a specific trick or technique, and unless you do that, you can labour away for hours getting nowhere... Now you know how, you can pass it on, and never struggle again aye.. Good luck and taker care.. Del.

[@lowndeswhatley659]

Great presentation and method. Couple of comments. 1) with the rear caliper off and held high (starting 9:40) the bleed nipple should be held at THE highest piont in the system. 2) on Brembo calipers with the bleed nipple next to the banjo line connection the two are connected directly by a drilled gallery. This leaves the calper pistons out of the "circulation" loop and they do not get fresh fluid circulated thru them. Always fully compress all of the pistons into the caliper when changing the fluid.

[@jayschesser3795]

Thanks so much. Took ages until I moved the lines to release bubbles. Wish I watched the video first and primed the lines beforehand. Anyway. All good now. Thank you 😊

[@Moonfleet41]

You're welcome!

[@vitomir-vitovladika3265]

well , i have to rebuild rear caliper on my daughter's scooter because previous owner did some sketchy stuff like putting 2 different pistons ( yeah, u did read right ) and some other stuff and i was thinking while watching your video about rebuilding he definitely have a video how to fyll up a empty brake system ..well i didn't find 1 video but 2 different ways to do it ....perfectly explained like professor ....freaking awesome mate ..thank you once again

[@storchi1975]

Due to a double front brake system i use wedges between the calipers, which i remove the pads first and push in the pistons fully to reduce the room for fluid and air. I even got a remark from a mechanic for crisp front brakes there....everything to remove the air in the system works fine.......have a great new year and ride safe you two.....

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi Andi, good thinking, but remember not to push those pistons right back into their sockets unless they are spotlessly clean, they usually get a "tide line' of road grime and brake dust around them.. it wouldn't do to drag all that into the seals aye..!

[@CptSlow89]

Great video! Sponginess: 1. air in the system 2. bad or falling master cylinder, less likely. Zip tie brake lever will help, also, let it overnight. Great tip with raising the caliper above reservoir.

[@DriftingZebra]

Probably a good idea to have bleed nipple pointing up when you raise the caliper and bleed 😎

[@timbarnett3898]

You changing out brake line, with removing banjo bolt. I bought new banjo bolts that saved my life! TCB (Traction Controlled Braking) out of Texas makes an extended banjo bolt with air pocket an diaphragm that makes my non-ABS brakes feel an act like ABS brakes. Naturally, I did a before an after an was amazed! Reason: without TCB banjo turning off to right then hard braking caused rear wheel to break lose causing entire motorcycle rear end to break lose to direction of turn! Before braking can continue bike needs to straighten an get control of rear wheel slide out. Then brakes re-applied to stop. With TCB banjo bolt (just one part on each brake caliper) the bike could hard brake retaining rear wheel road integrity! So fast smooth braking with no rear wheel slide outs, no regaining control, no re-applying brakes a second time to stop. The saving my life part. Every year here in Washington State Hwy 101 we has Oyster Fest that's traffic controlled by state police. I have truck an flatbed with huge Ford backhoe on board in front of me. Car with kids pass me an darts in front of truck. Driver swerved to miss kid, wipes trailer an backhoe falls flat on 101 spinning with its boom now extended! No way to evade, (THANK HEAVENS FOR MY PROPER FOLLOWING DISTANCES) MY only option was immediate hard controlled Braking. The woman in red car pulls up from behind me an says, "I only saw anyone brake like that on TV, "your rear wheel was a foot off the road"! I look down an there is less than 2" from my front tire to the backhoe's arm an bucket. Thanks TCB, I know you saved me, because I know pre an post testing performance an under real road extreme requirements! Police were there in minute being so close an sighted truck driver for inadequate tie downs, the kids that caused it all just bolted up exit , made fast right an were gone. They got away but truck driver an all of us paid or could have paid dearly! Many put $ thousands into chrome or paint, an faster/stronger engine parts. Before that, think about needing better that stock braking, remember it's speed that's the mind rush, but its brakes that saves your life, an the beauty behind you!

[@ivanispp2821]

Very good tips amigo thanks I have eak all this week trying to bleed the rear brake of my crf 250x now with this video I think is going to help a lot.

[@Moonfleet41]

Glad it helped, good luck with getting it done !

[@stephenspiteri_zunkus]

very useful video. Thanks mate. I had issues with my front brakes when I changed the rubber hoses to braided on my bike just as you said. My solution was to leave the bike for a day after I bled it to my best of my abilities then released the top bolt next to the reservoir. I put some old rags there to soak up the oil. Just a little oil was let out, then re-bled and that cured it. No more champagne bubbles. I do like your method better though so will use it for the next time.

[@Moonfleet41]

Good going buddy, there are many ways to get round the issue, and I think we all have our favourites! I like the idea of cracking the bolt after a few days, just common sense aye?!

[@stephenspiteri_zunkus]

Moonfleet41 Another idea that I’ve read somewhere is to zip tie the front brake leaver for a few days. Supposedly this will compress the brake fluid which will bring up the air back up into the reservoir. A friend tried it an said it worked. It wouldn’t hurt to try if you’re a teeny weeny lazy I guess lol.

[@donbrowse7980]

Just looking at some of your older videos Del and love this one about reverse bleeding also a nice tip in one of the comments about the air double above the Banjo bolt, wee tip for anyone that needs a syringe in a hurry, apart from the chemist or pet store you can get 200/300/500ml from a veterinarian, they only charged me £2 for a 500ml.

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks for the cool tip on the syringe, those ones last a fair while, but eventually the rubber seals will perish with automotive fluids, you can buy some dedicated oil syringes now for this exact job!

[@isaabdrahmansosa-dominguez267]

Thankfor thos video. I after dealing sticking brake on my '99 Valkyrie i rebuild the brake caliper and the right master cylinder. Air got on the line ans this was the only way to get it out. This is in deed a good skill to have.

[@richardl.reed.7135]

Thank you Delboy! your videos are fantastic, your explanations, your little tricks, you're really a good mechanic! long life to you my friend, keep sharing your skills my friend, 👍👏

[@Moonfleet41]

Thank you for your kind words Richard, we're so pleased to hear you enjoy the videos!

[@bisarga2000]

I was so frustrated trying the normal bleed. this video saved me. thanks for such useful tips. 👍

[@Moonfleet41]

You're welcome buddy, glad it helped you!

[@bisarga2000]

The most important thing is its done with simple manageable tools with clear cut concepts. Guru you are. 🙏

[@jroc62782]

This video was a life saver I was stuck unill this guy came throu in the clutch for me, keep up the helpful vids bro.

[@Moonfleet41]

Most welcome buddy. Glad I could help!

[@albertinesharplrs7213]

Thank you for this, very comprehensive, now to check it out irl. Keep the vids coming x

[@frankmummolo7727]

Thanks so much. I have been struggling to bleed the front dual caliper brakes on a ‘77 BMW R100S after a complete rebuild without success. I’m going to try the reverse bleed technique you suggest. Brilliant explanation!

[@robertfindlay2325]

Same problem with my 1983 BMW R65LS. Just doing it according tomy conventional car experience seems takes several hours OR perhaps the master cylinder is faulty and sucking air although there is no sign of any leaks when I squeeze the front brake lever. Just how much air can refurbished Brembo single cylinder calipers (both left and right side front) and hose lines hold? It seems endless!

[@boomerguy9935]

I recently discovered a trick for getting rid of the microscopic bubbles from the front brake and it could possibly be used on the rear brake, depending on the bike and the height of the reservoir. After bleeding, refilling and topping off the reservoir, clamp the handbrake closed with a zip-tie. (You would have to clamp down the foot pedal for the rear brake, of course.) Let it sit overnight. Remove the zip-tie and slowly open the top of the reservoir just enough to let the air pressure out which was the microscopic bubbles rising to the reservoir. The difference in the feel from the day before is amazing; it was rock hard. I've been bleeding brakes for decades and the first time I tried this, I was blown away.

[@Moonfleet41]

Been doing that for years mate, probably since since I was a teenager, it's a common practice, in fact it's beneficial to tape your brake lever in periodically overnight and it'll crisp up the lever feel every time!

[@boomerguy9935]

@@Moonfleet41 Great advice! Thanks. On a slightly different note, a friend's Honda Shadow suddenly had a sloppy clutch lever and the bike tried to take off when she put it into gear, while the clutch lever was still pulled in. I asked when the last time she rode it was and she said it had been over a year. I told her warm up the engine with the transmission in neutral, turn it off and then to zip-tie the clutch lever all the way in and then rock the bike back and forth. Continue doing this every day until the clutch pack releases from the clutch spring. On the third day, it broke lose. No more problems after that. What would we do without zip-ties?

[@boomerguy9935]

I left something out: ...rock the bike back and forth with it in gear and the motor off...

[@pigginpete]

Thank you so much for the info re reverse bleed. Had fitted new braided lines and was having a problem bleeding them. Now I know why thanks a bunch👍

[@barcusful]

AS EVER, CLEAR AND SENSIBLE EXPLANATIONS AND BRILLIANT VIDEO.

[@FREE_PUREBLOOD333]

Some great tips yet again. Really enjoying your channel and the huge amounts of videos I now will work through. :) I used to build bikes from bare steel tube back in the day...built a few lowriders and chops over the years and still learn handy bits a from guys like you mate. Great stuff.

[@tazthedevil22]

On bikes I also use this method. But on cars I use some clear hose on the bleeder valve and I insert a tire valve. I just open the bleeder valve and start pumping the brakes. When you see no air bubbles in the clear hose you are done. The tire valve acts like a one way valve preventing the oil/air getting back in your system.

[@tntcyclespdx640]

awesome trick man, Im going to use it. Thank you!

[@Moonfleet41]

Yeah, heard that trick from Eric the car guy... works really well on a car as you cant bleed up without a helper otherwise..

[@pommieMJ]

Delboy. Your tips are first class mate. Thank you so much for sharing this simple but incredibly useful information. Really appreciate it mate 👏👏👍👍

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks Mike. Happy to help mate .

[@jimewart5156]

I've been actually bluffing my way thru some stuff and now I realize that wasn't so smart.Hey thx for the video's.

[@Coolhand99au]

Thanks mate I'm trying to bleed a twin 2001 Tokico 6 piston caliper and your method makes a lot of sense

[@EazyDuz18]

I miss these videos man. You're so good at tutorials and i've personally used a lot of them on my own bike, saving a lot of money. Hope one day you go back to this kinda thing, an indepth guide on valve clearances for example. Or basically anything Harley related, you'd get thousands of views even explaining the most basic Harley installs/maintenance

[@Moonfleet41]

Check out our Harley playlist buddy, lots on there, servicing series, Softails and Dyna, also Sportster maintenance videos and some custom stuff as well, it's all there if you take a look fellah! Thanks for your support...

[@dawnrobb8809]

I do the same method. I got a BIG syringe at the local Tractor Supply Store that is used for giving horses shots It works great. Interesting info about the tiny air bubbles in the fluid. I never thought about that

[@Moonfleet41]

Yeah sure thing buddy, if you see any form of movement in the fluid as it flows out the bleed valve, that'll be micro-bubbles, sometimes they are so tiny they just look like dust, but if it's fresh, clean fluid it won't be dust and we tend to forget that they will all accumulate at the highest point and make a bubble, and it makes me cringe when I see people shake bottles! If you have some spare, or old fluid, just stick it in a glass bottle and shake it, it actually goes cloudy with mico-bubbles and stays that way for ages!

[@philiproark3102]

The part about shaking the bottle! first time iv herd/thought about that ..Thanks u just solved my problem.

[@Moonfleet41]

Most welcome 😊

[@rcchurchy4417]

I had a feeling this video was coming! HEL just did a 40% off over Christmas I bought matching front lines to go with the rear I've already installed. Also, rubber hoses allow a gentler braking experience which some people prefer, it's us hooligan speed freaks who like the harsher feel of braided lines! Take it easy, Happy new year!

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks buddy, always good to grab a bargain aye?!! Ride safe for the new year... all the very best!

[@Lastaii]

Good point about not shaking the brake fluid. I get mine online, and I've never thought about it before, but it's undoubtedly been thoroughly shaken up through the post. Next time I'll let it rest for a couple of weeks and see if that makes a difference :D

[@Moonfleet41]

Try a little trick buddy - put some fluid in a plastic water bottle, give it a good shake hard and watch what happens to it, you'll be amazed how long the tiny micro bubbles will sit suspended in the fluid almost like it's a gel..! You can also see how long it takes to dissipate... thanks for watching buddy, all the best for the new year !

[@fatlazypig]

Thanks, great video and I’m doing rear breaks on a Harley project soon. I’ve seen people give up trying to bleed brakes. Obviously didn’t see your instructions

[@randallissimo]

Along with not shaking the brake fluid bottle, I would add that goes for shipped bottles as well. If it came on a truck, let it sit for a few days before using it to let the air bleed to the top.

[@MyZxcvb12]

Thanks for the video. It was very informative, unlike some wasting time, and I learnt nothing. Nice one 👍 😊

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks mate. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@yorkshirepudding681]

Blimey mate, you really have put some work in this year. Another cracking video in plain and simple 'no frills' language. Looking forward to the Q & A with Mr Dyson (as always) along with whatever comes our way in 2018. All the best to you and Penny for the New Year...

[@Moonfleet41]

Thank you my friend, that's very kind of you - yes, it's been a hell of a year, busy, and sometimes pretty grueling, not to mention quite challenging at times, with the negativity that is evolving through YT, but it's heads up and move forward, the only way to go! Tc and ride safe, all the very best for 2018 - thanks for being there - D&Px

[@allenhuling598]

Always enjoy and learn from these 'simple' mechanic skills vids....thanks! Lookin forward to the Q & A!

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks Allen, much appreciated, glad the videos can make a difference - thank you for your kind support and all the best for 2018 !

[@littlejohn9458]

Man I so wish you where here in the states because you would be my new mechanic for my hayabusa. Thank you for the video. Also I tend to look at everything with a bit more scientific point of view. Also

[@newfiebob56]

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge throughout the years. Much appreciated excellent video. Big tanks from across the pond.

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks for watching Bob, and thank you for your kind feedback. !

[@BiffBallbag]

This shit can drive you crazy, just went through it on a caliper I now have mounted inverted after switching to an aftermarket swingarm on an old Harley FXR.

[@1970sthrowback]

Glad i found this channel and video. About to do exactly this because of changing to a HEL rear brake hose. Keep up the good work, ill be checking more of your videos this evening after fitting my new line 👍

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks mate, and welcome aboard !

[@morrissongroundworks4920]

i spent 7 hours as a novice bleedi g a dry front system. untill i did this and didnt even need to bleed at all. just band the lever overnight (wasnt spongy) but did it anyway

[@markrobinson6747]

Life saver my RSV1000R now has a rear brake

[@luckyaffpv343]

Litterly "life saver" lmao

[@toodgs]

Ok you have convinced me, in Oz I just go to a bike shop and get them to pressure bleed and all is hunky dory, In Laos where I live now it is a gift from god if you can find a spark plug, let alone a pressure brake bleeder. So now I am going to take the caliper off the front of my chook chaser (Honda 250 Baja) undo all the brake hose clamps and hang the bloody thing in the air and bleed it. I tried back bleeding it as well as normal but there is a section of hose across the top yoke that has three right angle bends and is about fifty millimetres above the master cylinder, that will be the culprit. Enjoyed your thoughts as usual.

[@Moonfleet41]

Good lick with it mate, sounds like a bit of an awkward design, a few bikes are like that.... hope you can suss it out.. and i bet its hot and sunny there too.. we have 5 degrees and rain.. and its meant to be spring..!!!!

[@toodgs]

Night time now and down to about 28c, still on the job.

[@kiddcisco]

Perfect and I have a big syringe handy and just rebuilt my ZX-9R rear caliper!

[@aidenbradley1231]

Hi Del, hope you had a great Christmas buddy. I remember your previous video on bleeding brakes. I was having an absolute mare trying to bleed my brakes. I then watched your video.. 10 minutes later. Solid brakes with loads of feel. Top bloke. Happy New Year dude 🤘🏻

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks buddy, we're always so glad when a video hits the spot and gets someone out of trouble, it makes it all worthwhile... Have a great New Year, all the very best, D&Px

[@frankmalgato5818]

My Friend your video are excellent Thank you for going to the trouble of making them , i learn alot from them thanks again Friend

[@Moonfleet41]

Thank you for your kind words Frank, it makes it worth while when it is appreciated.

[@atomicdmt8763]

brilliant! might have to try this w my BMW K1200..... front brakes - since the guidance is to push the pistons back fully and hold back (tool) while bleeding... thanks!

[@kennethmccurdie5833]

Apologies in advance if this comment has already been made. Glycol based fluids, DOT 3, 4 and 5.1, are hygroscopic meaning that the liquid attracts moisture from the atmosphere. Hence it’s most important that the bottle containing the fluid is kept closed when not being used.

[@Moonfleet41]

You are dead right my friend, wise words, well said - thank you for the nudge!

[@David-lq2xg]

When you move the caliper higher, make sure the bleed screw is on top, he had the bleed screw on the bottom, which may still trap some air in the caliper.

[@rodmitchell8787]

Great video as usual,I go another step further and spend time tapping the caliper with a screwdriver handle between bleeds to help the bubbles up to the bleeder, works for me, even better,borrow the wife’s vibrator 😂

[@Moonfleet41]

Or.... park your Harley next to it and leave it running ;-)

[@SchoolforHackers]

Sorry, I like Rod’s better. 🍓

[@iliaspanousopoulos9976]

Thank you kindly for the tip saved me a lot of time. Cheers champ.

[@Moonfleet41]

You're most welcome, glad it helped you mate!

[@Maffster69]

Great vid buddy, while the calliper was above master cylinder I would have secured the pads just like you did, then I’d probably would have hung a weight off the brake lever... The brake fluid under pressure would have squashed the air bubbles into smaller bubbles allowing them to rise to the Calliper easier having more space to move... just a thought... happy new year guys

[@Moonfleet41]

Good thinking that man! It's the same procedure with any brakes, pressurise the system by binding in the lever, and it forces bubbles up to the top - it's actually a good regular thing to do any time - thanks for watching, and really appreciate your input, and y our kind support... happy new year !

[@georgeerhard1949]

The large syringes you can get at feed and tack stores, they're used for medicating livestock.

[@MaxxVelocity]

Or Amazon for those of us in an urban metropolis.

[@harrycalibra]

nice one thanks for the upload your never to old to learn new tricks respect at you Del . Ride safe 😎👍

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks Harry, glad you enjoy them mate.

[@harrycalibra]

@@Moonfleet41 I'm actually doing this job tomorrow on my ZXR750H2 getting the old girl ready for the MOT and summer happy days😊 👍 stay safe bud 😉

[@paulsnoz]

As always thank you for your great advice, this was extremely helpful.

[@Moonfleet41]

You are so welcome!

[@Boeing247D]

Thanks for the great video's! Saved me a LOT of money on my 2017 H-D trike by doing the work myself rather than having to trust someone at HD to do it right.Hope you have a great New Year1

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi buddy, I think we can trust Harley to do things right, but they do like to charge a lot for it! And after all, most of it is housekeeping and not technical stuff, so it's on us to help ourselves don't ya think?! Even with cars, any dealer will do whatever you ask them to do, and they have a business to run, I think partly the blame is on society, cos these days we've all become so helpless when it comes to manual maintenance, don't ya think?! And then again, that also goes for a lot of manual skills in life, from DIY to cookery, who bothers any more - shame aye?! Take care buddy, thanks for your support...Happy New Year!

[@topschrott1]

Sehr gut erklärt, so hab ich das meinen Lehrlingen auch immer gsagt. Ich wünsche dir und deiner Familie einen feucht Fröhlichen Rutsch ins neue Jahr.

[@Moonfleet41]

Danke für deine freundlichen Worte, mein Freund ... wir schätzen deine freundliche Unterstützung sehr! Frohes Neues Jahr und ein erfolgreiches Jahr 2018!

[@indianatone218]

Thanks dell I've put a braided hose kit on me bandit and the bleeding was doing me head in .came in for a sandwich and a cuppa I knew you could help lol thanks for doing vid bless ya .Ant from sunny Wales ! Yeah it's sunny .if ever your coming through here call for a cuppa but don't bring the coach .!

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi Anthony, nice one mate, am glad we could help! Sometimes all you need is to see it done, but it's not you, honestly, everybody has problems with brakes at times, they can be a nightmare to bleed up at times... glad you got is sussed! Enjoy that sunshine mate...

[@adamt3337]

I use an manual /hand oil pump ....totally cleaned 300ml much easier to reverse bleed

[@sabamacx]

Huh, I would have shaken the brake fluid container to prepare it. Great tip, thank you.

[@Moonfleet41]

Yep, seen lots of people do it and it always makes me chuckle, but not so much them, when you explain what they've done and tell them they need to leave it to stand for a week...!

[@delvinmartinda7852]

I already shaken mine fuck😂

[@steven8-stones719]

Just what I needed to do so this video comes as a gift from heaven!!! Happy new year 🎊 guys thx for all!!!! Just I didn't win anything at all this year!!!

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi Steven, thank you for all your kind support, this last year, we really appreciate it, and like Penny says so often, we wish everyone could win a prize... we maybe have an average of 500 or 600 entries for every draw, and there can only be a few winners at best.. sorry we didn't pick you out, we wish everyone could win buddy.. Hope you had a happy new year, take care and stay in touch.. D&Px

[@steven8-stones719]

This year I'm bound to win jejejej At least I can have a trow at it every week at least Keep them coming Thx guys!!!

[@zachryan6475]

Only good explanation of this I could find. Thanks man

[@Moonfleet41]

Glad it helped!

[@seeker7259]

Cheers for the video Del, I'm about to do my first dry hose change on my TL1000s fighter build, this'll save me a bit of head banging.. Also an easy place to get decent size syringes from is your local agricultural merchant/equine store. They'll have loads of different sizes for medicating livestock. Although an average agri merchant is likely to be a lot cheaper than a horsey shop.

[@seeker7259]

Also I've heard of people using poundland vibrators (!!!) to help get those remaining bubbles into one end of the hose. If guess if you cant afford SnapOn then go buy StrapOn lol...

[@graemesydney38]

Gee, you made hard work of it. This used to be called the 24-hour trick - bleed the system and then lock down the master cylinder/lever and leave it a lengthy period (hence 24-hour trick - although overnight (me) or an hour or so). Keeping the system under pressure forces all those bubbles to the exit. Works for me - I've never had a problem of getting it rock hard.

[@raytokens2291]

À couple of good tips there bruv. When I started doing stuff on my bike 6 years ago even with a manual those tips to help you are not in it. Those things you have to work out on your own. I have always done all the work on my bike since owning it. I knew very little about bikes and what I did know was from old 2 stroke motorcrosres. It ain't hard, it's the little things like what you showed today and in other videos that are a massive help. Well done not a lot of people go into it that well and explain why. I know your channel has got me out off the shit several times. All the best for 2018 to both yourself and Penny and hope for even more great content lover the coming year.Take it easy ride safe both of you. Oh yeah............ Happy New Year D&P we luv ya.

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks Ray much appreciated, glad the videos could help you - all the best for 2018, all the best, D&Px

[@Changtent]

A method that I use is much simpler yet. The old style drum brakes used a check valve at the master cylinder which required "pumping" your brakes to force brake fluid down to the brake cylinders. Disc style brakes don't need or have that same check valve at the master cylinder. For disc brakes only: Fill your reservoir with new clean brake fluid. With a clear 'drip hose' on your bleeder screw, open the bleeder screw and allow gravity to feed the new brake fluid through the system from the reservoir down and out the bleeder screw. Don't pump the brake pedal, or any other action. Just wait. Usually takes 20-30 minutes for the first new brake fluid to exit the bleeder valve. Refill the reservoir as needed (don't let it run dry). Once you get a clear stream of brake fluid coming out your bleeder valve and no air, you're done. Tighten the bleeder, remove your drip hose, top up the reservoir & install the cap. Test your brakes.

[@Changtent]

Note: For the above procedure, your master cylinder must be at a higher elevation than your brake cylinder.

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi Jim... yes indeed sir, i "gravity bleed" the brakes on all my cars too.. and it can sometimes with on bike on the front, but only on a single hose system, if it has a splitter half way down going to two calipers then it seems to stop at the split point.. and as for the rear.. the reservoir and slave cylinder are often very little higher than the caliper so the siphoning effect doesn't 'take', and on some Harley Dynas, the master cylinder is actually below the caliper... (perhaps you could gravity bleed that backwards if you held the lever down to open the valve)... either way, thank you for your input.

[@Changtent]

@@Moonfleet41 Good stuff Del, thx.

[@petrovski1948]

Brilliant video...as usual. Thank you.

[@greenmarine5]

Suggestion, Anneal the copper washers before installing for a much superior air tight fit.

[@rickw.6401]

superbly clear and thorough vid, thanks for the help

[@Moonfleet41]

Most welcome Rick, glad you enjoyed it.

[@rsbharley4766]

Nice one Del, looking forward to the Q & A tomorrow. Have a great weekend. Cheers

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks buddy, happy new year to you and yours ! D&Px

[@frankmummolo7727]

Brilliant. Watched it several times!

[@garya3056]

Superb vid, Del. I feel like I was in a proper classroom with the maestro! Can’t wait to see the look on our pharmacist’s face when I ask for a hypodermic! 😀. Happy new year to you both and take care of your broom!

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks buddy, I got a strange look too!! And what was even more irritating, was they didn't charge me for the syringe, as there is a policy here of handing them out free so that drug users can always use fresh needles, god knows what she was thinking about my story of bleeding brakes with it !! Ho hum, maybe I'll buy them online in future lol !

[@garya3056]

Moonfleet41 lmao!

[@roamingdev4990]

Useful info as always Del. Thank you.

[@jzawadzki2000]

For anyone looking for a bigger syringe, try your local veterinarian. The 60mL catheter tips work well for this ;)

[@TheHirade]

We always heaten up the oil to prevent bubbles, as the oil is thinner and does not keep the bubbles as good as in cold state. What do you think?

[@Moonfleet41]

Im not so sure that brake fluid become thinner when its heated.. but the air bubble would certainly expand and become more buoyant,. thats just logical.. so maybe it works.. not tried it though buddy.

[@MrAlmar07]

Nice one Del, I'll be trying this method tomorrow on a mates VFR400 I'm working on just now, albeit for the front end. Hope you're both good bro. Awrabesht from me & the clan. 😉👍💙

[@Moonfleet41]

Good luck with it mate, hope it goes well for you... take care of everyone there, keep safe! D&Px

[@davidprice2861]

You get a couple of large syringes with refill kits for print cartridges, they hold 100ml and I think they are from veterinary supplies..

[@hanzkoenig]

Wicked! Thank you so much for all your amazing vids. I've learned so much watching your vids in the last years! ,Happy New Year to you and penny!! Safe riding :-)

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks Hanz, really appreciate your kind words, it's great to have such feedback - have a wonderful new year and ride safe buddy, D&Px