2000 FXDL - dual-disc front brakes

When I first started the job the brake lever would go in almost all the way to the grip but it would engage the brakes and stop the bike... but I wanted to firm them up.

I tried the traditional bleed method and with the harbor freight vacuum pump... both to no avail... I just can't get any fluid to come through the lines...

I ended up removing both calipers and cleaning them and now obviously I have no pressure in the system and still can't get any fluid moving through the lines.

I tried for hours... eventually I shot air up through the bleeder....just to see if the path was clear, this sent the rest of the minimal fluid left in the lines to the master cyl but now I can't get anything moving back down.

As of right now I zip tied the lever closed and left the cap off of the master cyl as many others have chimed in and done to build some pressure.... Any other suggestions would be helpful.

 

Speed Bleeders

 

Have you tried the old fashioned way of bleeding, which is apply brakes/open bleeder valve/shut bleeder valve/release brakes? It may take a while for the fluid to reach the bleeder valves and push all the air in the system out.

I've tried a couple different types of vacuum bleeders through the years without a lot of success. I guess I was not using them properly. I put Speed Bleeders on my last bike and my current bike and they are much better than using the method described above, especially if you are doing this by yourself.

 

Yes I tried the traditional way of bleeding... after opening both calipers and draining how many times do you think I would have to do it before I started pulling fluid down? I was doing it old-fashioned and vacuum pump for at least 20 minutes to no avail....

 

Where can I buy that locally without ordering on the web?

 

I bought mine off the web but I have also seen them sold at Pep Boys. Other parts houses could as well.

 

Speed bleeders wont help one bit if you cant get fluid to the calipers in the first place - they are of more use on a car where you'd need a second person to pump the brakes while you crack the bleeder.

Remove the lines from the caliper and use compressed air to expand the pistons, then get a large syringe and fill the calipers with fluid, reattach the lines. Now remove the line at the master cylinder and again - fill the lines with the syringe and go back to the original method. It should be much easier now that you have fluid in the system.

 

i think you need to bleed the master first.until that's done you're not pushing anything out of the master cylinder.try the search function for master cylinder bleeding.

 

When I went to ss braided lines that is exactly what I did. I used a 1 oz marinade syringe, plus speed bleeders.

 

what exactly should I do with the compressed air? shoot it down into the caliper through the hole where the line comes into?