Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums Performance Mods Bleedin' brakes...

I'm having a heck of a time getting my brakes right. I just replaced the rear pads, changed the OEM lines with braided, and installed speedbleeders. At first they weren't tight enough to go for a test ride. Now the brakes (front, I think) are too tight so she feels like she's dragging when I get on the throttle. The engine sounds more labored at speed so she's working against the brakes. All the banjo bolts and crush washers look fine, no seepage. I am getting good flow through the lines when I bleed them.

Here's how I bled the brakes:

-Took each caliper off the rotor, opened bleeder, compressed the cylinders all the way down using a paint stirrer, closed bleeder.
-Filled reservoir, open bleeder, pump fluid through lines until I don't see any air, give 2 more pumps, close bleeder when lever/pedal is fully depressed.
-Pump brake a few times, fill reservoir to upper mark, test feel of brake.

I'm about to start on my second bottle of brake fluid so I want to see if I'm doing something wrong before I break the seal on the bottle. I have the manual and read the instructions in there first. I have bled brakes before but it was about 15 years ago on a little Ford Escort I had (first car).

Get the wheel off the ground and spin it. Will it move? It should drag a little. If it moves with a LOT of effort, sounds like there's some crud in there. Grump posted about some brake cleaner (the name eludes me) so try a search for cleaner and username grump and go back 104 weeks to catch it.

Check out this thread. dunno, could work?<>.

Some of the pistons did look a little grungy, I'll have to see if I can find that thread. Do you think it was brake cleaner that you can find in an auto store (Brakleen?) The wheel did spin but with the noise of the engine and the gear/speed I was in, I knew the engine was struggling harder than it should have been.

Brakleen!! That was it!

If both wheels are spinning and your motor is struggling, I would doubt the brakes are the problem. What happens after you apply the brake and then let off. Do the wheels still spin?

Regardles, sounds like they could stand a good cleaning...

Yes, It was Brakleen.
These brakes aren't rocket science, just a PIA to bleed out.

Also remove and check the guide pins that the pads slide on. Make sure there isn't any crust or burrs on them and "lightly" (the word is LIGHTLY) lube them with some brake grease.

If I use the buffing wheel on a dremel will that be ok for removing crud from the guide pin? The pads didn't move over the guide pins very smoothly so that could be it as well. Brake lube? Any product names?

Any auto parts store will have it. It's usually called Hi-Temp Brake Grease. The stuff I've bought has been either blue or an off-white color. It comes in a small plastic tub like butter, which will last you forty years. They may sell it in tubes also. I just went to the garage to check for a brand name but both of my tubs are suddenly missing. Hmmmm, the son must be doing someone's car brakes somewhere......

As for the pins, a little emery paper, whatever you have. You just want them smooth, you don't want to grind any meat off of them.

I've always used white lithium grease. Like you say, a tube lasts forever.

I'm back on the road

After cleaning all the accumulated brakedust and grime off the calipers I still had the same problem where the pistons didn't seem to retract enough when I released the brake after I bled all the air out of the lines. I checked airguy's brake thread and a tip that ssjones posted did the trick (Al, thank your daughter's boyfriend for me). After I bled the lines I pumped the brakes so that they were tight on the disc. Then crack open the bleeder for just a moment (maybe a quarter turn and then immediately close again) and that did the trick. The brakes feel much better and I don't have the same dragging feeling that I had the other day.

Now I just have to figure out why my exhaust note sounds different. Could be the change in weather and I just have to replace my air filter. I have the Freak kit but I don't know if I want to mess with it so close to the GA rally. I definitely need to check the valves, they're starting to get a little chatty.

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I have the Freak kit but I don't know if I want to mess with it so close to the GA rally.

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Bring it with you

Mail the freak kit to Chy's. You'll have 2 dozen bike mechanics to help. I bet we could have it on in 2 beers.

That's what I need, a bunch of people looking over my shoulder, beer in hand, saying "you gonna do it that way" or "man, you're slow, we've got some riding to do" (I take forever to do mods and stuff).

Everything seems to be ok but it looks like brake fluid is seeping out from under the reservoir cover. I wiped the mating surfaces before I reassembled but shouldn't there be something like a non-permeable gasket between the cover and the res.? I accidntally dropped her in the driveway so that certainly threw the fluid around in the reservoir (it was closed up at the time). I forgot to put the kickstand down and by the time I realized how far over I was it was too late. After I picked her up and started checking things over I noticed that a little bit of brake fluid had come out and was on the outside of the res. The cover is cranked down as hard as it'll go but I'm concerned because if I lose enough fluid my brakes could get softer and softer. I'm getting new tires this week so I'll probably have the shop give it a look as well.

I've sometimes had seepage from the front reservoir if I did not clean/dry the rubber, plastic, and both mating surfaces really well just before final assembly.

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shouldn't there be something like a non-permeable gasket between the cover and the res.?

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Yeah there's the cover, then I think a plastic cap and a rubber pladder/cover/gaskety thing too. I get a little seepage too. I think it may just be fluid that you couldn't quite wipe out of the crack there and just eventually finds its way out. if it continues to seep for a few days maybe I'd worry.