Bleeding Front Brakes
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
From: Port St. Lucie, FL
The easiest way to bleed the front brakes is to remove the master cylinder and lever from the front bars, open the bleeder screw, hole the master cylinder up to where the lever is pointed to the ceiling and gravity bleed the system. There is a pocket within the master cylinder which will trap an air bubble, you can pump the handle all you want and never get anywhere. It took me only 5 minutes to bleed my brakes.
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,326
Likes: 2
From: scurry, TX
Longhair...you are a genius. I spent several hours including two runs to the parts house to get my brakes bled yesterday. I searched the forum and found this thread. Saw your post and immediately went to wallys for a syringe and hose. Brakes were bled in 5 minutes.
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,483
Likes: 39
From: Passaic County, NJ
Roofer...dare I ask what the 'reverse' method is? I can't help but think that involves giving oral pleasures to the bleeding nipple.
Step 1: Place mouth firmly on nipple.
Step 2: Loosen nipple
Step 3: Blow.
Step 1: Place mouth firmly on nipple.
Step 2: Loosen nipple
Step 3: Blow.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 14,849
Likes: 7
From: Fortville, IN
When my husband did his bars we had the worst time bleeding the brakes. We tried the regular way, the syringe, a speed bleeder....worked on it for 2 days with no luck. The tech at the dealership told us to wrap a little plumbers tape around the valve. That did the trick and we were done in 10 minutes. Good luck!
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,483
Likes: 39
From: Passaic County, NJ
Heather...if you were next to me wearing what you are in your sig...I'd have a pretty hard time concentrating on anything mechanical. 
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 682
Likes: 1
From: Wichita, KS
I tried to bleed the front by hand, but had no luck getting it done. I ended up having to use a Mityvac hand pump. My buddy has one, but they can be bought for about $50. Worked like a champ!
Mike
Mike
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 1
From: Hot Springs Village AR
There is a thread on here discribing how to do it, basicly you just make a I.V. bottle out of a soda bottle and hang it up high and connect the hose to the nipple then loosen the nipple and then take the cover off the resevior and let gravity bleed them it works great