I'll start off by saying I inharited this bike from my father who passed away. He had the bike for about two weeks before he passed so I really don't know much about it as this is my first Harley.

When I got the bike, it had a soft rear pedal and would slow the bike, but not stop it. I bought and put on new pads and got the same thing. I then tried bleeding them with no improvement. I cracked the nut on the back of the master cyl. because I was going to drain all of the fluid out of the system since I didn't know how old it was and I thought that may be part of the problem. Now I have absolutley no pedal, and my brake light even stopped working!

Did I screw up the master cyl.? It has 6-piston rear calipers and aftermarket forward controls. I don't know if that makes any difference or not, just trying to describe it to the best of my knowledge.

Planned on taking it into the shop in a couple months but I really wanted to figure out how to work on this myself. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, have tools and space, I just don't want to make it worse.

I can get pictures if that would help.

Thanks in advance!!

Ryan

 

Sounds like you'll have to bleed the rear brakes,now.Press down on brake pedal as you back off nut.Tighten nut.Pump brake pedal several times.Repeat,until all air is released from brake line.

 

Yeah, I blead the crap out of them and the pedal won't even hold itself up anymore. And with the brakelight not working now, I'm thinking it's something a little more than that.

Ryan

 

I'm thinkin you're master cyl is shot.After all, it is 18 yrs. old.I just replaced a front mast. cyl. on my bike.There are some good scores on Ebay.Just make sure you know the bore size before ya go shoppin.

 

Bleeding bl33ding brakes is alchemy in my experience! I suspect there is nothing wrong with your brakes. In my own experience they sometimes seem to bleed themselves and work like a dream, other times they can be a real b1tch. Yours are the last of those at present. In the DIY forum you will find hints and tips on bleeding your brakes. Follow those and get to know them and it is very likely they will come good.

Your current problem is simply that you still have air in the system, despite your best efforts to date, so you have to get rid of it. There are various instruments of torture to help with this, but the best is probably an experienced friend. A problem shared and all that!

 

did you check to see if there is fluid in the master? if there is, bleed like any other brake system. i never had bleeding problems with my bikes but i have friends that have had bleeding problems. i was there helping them and the brakes just wouldn't cooperate.

 

Yes the master is full, and I made sure it stayed full. Do the brake lights work off of pressure because the worked before I started this whole brake job? They still come on with the front brake, just not the rears. That's what's making me think there's something more wrong than just air in the system. I'll have to get out in the garage instead of infront of the computer one of these nights and give it a look.

 

brake light switch $6.49 at napa.http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Det...4SB_0307169082

 

The brake light is run by pressure you may have some contaminated brake fluid in lines

 

The brake lights run off pressure from brakes. You might have fluid contamination in line. You could use vacum bleeder to pull fluid in.