I installed a new front brake line today on my 98 FXD. I also bought I set of speed bleeders. Installed line, installed speed bleeder, pumped the brake 100 times...nothing. I called speed bleeder and they said since I put a new line on it there is too much air in the line and I should reinstall the factory bleeder until fluid comes through and then reinstall the speed bleeder and bleed it out the rest of the way. Did that...fluid started coming through and reinstalled speed bleeder. Looks like I have solid fluid coming through, but now my brake lever goes almost to the grip. I attempt to bleed it some more, but what happens is when I let go of the lever I see the fluid in my clear bleed hose go down. So as I pump the lever the fluid bobs up and down in the hose but it doesn't actually look like it's pushing new fluid through. Isn't the whole idea of this speed bleeder with the check valve so that doesn't happen? What am I missing? Did I screw up the master cylinder from all the pumping and now need to rebuild it? Thanks for any help.

 

Personally I'd do this.
Loose the speed bleeder and put back in the stock bleed fitting.
Put a clear hose on it and stick that into a open container.

Open the bleeder and let it gravity feed while you make sure you add fluid without spilling it and without allowing the fluid to run low in the master cylinder. Allow half a bottle to run thru the system then close the bleed fitting and fill the master cylinder back up and then conventionally bleed the brakes as follows.

Apply pressure to the brake lever. While holding the lever tight, slightly crack open the bleed valve until the lever gets almost all the way down.
shut the bleed valve closed. Release lever.
Add some brake fluid as needed to the master cylinder and repeate the process.

Hold brake lever firm
Crack valve while Squeezing lever down
Let fluid bleed till lever gets close to grip but doesn't touch grip.
Close valve while lever is under pressure.
Let go lever so it sucks fluid into the line from the master cylinder
Add fluid to master cylinder
Repeat

 

So here's what I did before you responded. I just bled it the old fashioned way with my wife operating the lever and me on the bleeder. The standard "open bleeder, depress lever, close bleeder, let up on lever" method. I did it for long enough to where I am pretty dang confident there is no air in the line. I took it for a spin around the block and it definitely stops. I can lock up the front wheel...I did a couple very low speed runs locking up the front brake. Now I am not sure how far the brake lever can go down and be considered normal. I looked in my service manual and didn't see any type of spec on that. Where the lever gets firm measuring from the curved portion of the lever (the closest part to the grip) to the front of the grip is right at 7/8 of an inch. I wish there was an actual spec on that but I can't find one. Still wondering if I jacked up the master cylinder with all the pumping of the lever. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

 

Here's a photo of my front brake pulled in.....about an inch from the curved part to the grip.

Seems to be what you said.

 

Thanks Gliden. I think mine might go down just a tad more than yours but not much. But we are dealing with totally different systems...single vs dual and late model vs older. What I ended up doing is I took the front caliper off and cleaned everything and lubed the slide pins. I put the factory bleeder screw back in at as you said (not sold on the speed bleeder, wish I could get my 20 bucks back) and then gravity bled them and bled them again using the lever like you said. The whole time was solid fluid. The lever is still at the same spot, but what I think it is is that since this is a floating caliper and not a fixed caliper like later models there is inherently a little more squish in these calipers. I rebuilt the front master on my 05 Heritage and afterwards that thing was solid as a rock. I guess I can't expect them to be the same though as they are totally different style calipers. Anyway, I am confident things are as they are supposed to be. Thanks for the help.

 

Just a helpful tip that worked for me. When you're done bleeding, pump the lever 3 or 4 times and then while the lever is compressed wrap a bungee cord around the lever AND grip. Leave it like that over nite. This will force most of the remaining air bubbles to surface in the reservoir.

 

Good one Mike. Someone also said to tap around the banjo bolt at the master cylinder resovour with a small wrench to dislodge any air hiding in that banjo bolt upwards and out the resovour as well.

Good stuff....

 

You might also be getting expansion in that clear line.

 

acceptable Lever pull should be halfway.

 

Your lever photo looks fine to these rheumy ole eyes! An alternative to tying the lever is to simply park it with the forks turned to the left, so the master cylinder is at its highest. Having ridden it, any air is likely to be gathered at the top of the brake line and will come back into the master cylinder by simply lightly operating the lever a few times. No need to squeeze it.