Hi to everyone, I've serviced all my brake callipers today coz after 400 miles riding at the weekend I noticed squealing coming from the brakes when I tried to push the bike backwards to park.
Its the usual problem of corrosion forming in the seal grooves causing the calliper pistons to become stiff. (Too much salt on the roads). I have today changed the pistons (and banjo bolts) for stainless ones. On bleeding I've put 500ml of fluid through using the old fashion method as described in the workshop manual and the lever is so spongy it touches the grip. I searched this forum for help and saw the suggestion to tie back the lever and go for a beer :new_all_coholic(actually I'm having a Scotch, I fancied one COZ I'M SO PI--ED OFF). I hope it works.:doubt I'll report what I find tomorrow. BTW. I didn't type the two S's in case it offends anyone. :hat10
I've now got to buy more brake fluid as I haven't started to bleed the rear brake yet.:BangHead
go ahead say it ....PISSED ! :thumbsup
we're all big boys here .
http://speedbleeder.com/
I installed these on both of my 2001 girlies, and I bleed my brakes with ease and without any helpers. Cheap, simple, and works great...........
I'm just about to do this to mine. I had the same problem last time I did it and ended up removing the left caliper ans raising it so that any air in the link pipe made its way up and out.
Took mine apart at the weekend and gave them a clean as left front was sticking, I found that most of the air came out at the top with lots of pumping of the lever and gentle tapping of the brake lines. Tied the handle back for an hour or so afterwards and pumped a little more and have lovely firm brakes.
Unfortunately for me the clean is a short term fix as the pistons are moving better but still not as free as I would like so I will be replacing the seals in the next week or so.
The overnight tied back lever made no difference. I've tried turning the callipers in all orientations while bleeding to get the air to move also holding them up to clear air from the supply pipes, all makes no difference. I'm not getting any bubbles in my bleed pipe just pure fluid. I have also cracked open the master cylinder banjo to bleed fluid through that joint but again just fluid coming out. I give up.
I bled the rear brake with no problem at all, why can't the front be the same?
Now I'm really PISSED OFF. :BangHead
OK, I've just read Hockleyboy's post "gently tapping the brake lines" I'll give that a try, Thanks. :thumbsup
The Speedbleeders look a great idea to make life easy but I don't see how they will help shift trapped air, although they will prevent air getting back in during the bleeding process.
If you don't have access to a power bleeder then another way of getting rid of those nasty little airlocks is,
With normal bleed tube and container attached, pump the brake lever several times (about 10 if counting) and hold it in to the bars, keep it held to the bars and release the bleed nipple, let the fluid escape and close nipple THEN let the lever go, repeat procedure untill nice tight lever returns. If you are still getting a soft lever and all the air is out then the pads may need bedding in.
:hat10
I wonder if the seal in the master cylinder is ok? To test look for swirling in the reservoir while pulling the lever, or replace cylinder to hose banjo bolt with an ordinary bolt. lever should then solid.
Got to say it takes a lot of pumping of the handle before the bubbles stop coming out into the reservoir but it does seem to work for me in the end (have done it this way a few times) when it appears there is no more air when bled the ususal way.
Thanks guys for the advice, :notworthy
I've just passed 500ml of fluid through each calliper with them in position. Saw a couple of tiny bubbles but nothing more. Still lever pulls to grip. Have left it tied back again. I'll try the method MG has suggested next. The idea to plug the outlet of the m/cylinder to test it, is a good one too (it'll be on my 'Last Resort' list).
I will let you know how it all goes. :thumbsup
Pity I can't turn the bike upside down. :doubt
I just went back out to bike, untied lever, pumped it ten times to grip, released bleed nipple while still holding lever to grip. Saw no bubbles in bleed tube. Repeated again and still no bubbles. Started to do it a third time and lever now won't pull to grip. Suddenly I've got a working front brake. Thanks Metalguru, I have no idea why, but it worked. :thumbsup
:sign13 Next time I have to service the front callipers I will make sure the reservoir is full of fluid and seal the lid air tight with a thick rubber gasket. I'll make every effort I can to keep the fluid in the lines and air out. Then on reassembly the bleeding should be easier.
I may have pumped air into the system when I failed to top up the reservoir during forcing out the stuck piston when I began the servicing. I didn't worry at the time coz I was planning to change the rusty banjo bolt in the m/cylinder which would introduce air anyway.
:wave
Sometimes a vacuum bleeder does the trick when all else fails, Mityvac sells one tha is not too expensive and is easy to find
This may sound like a load of bollocks but trust me it works.Put a CLEAN peice of pipe on to a CLEAN oil can and shove it onto the nipple.Open the nipple and pump loads of fluid in.I here this is called back bleeding.Lock the nipple and bleed as normal. I had to do this on the Tiger last year when I stripped them for powder coating.
I've got one of these now so will let you know what I learned tomorrow:
http://www.tooled-up.com/product/sealey-vacuum-tester-brake-bleeding-kit/139179/?Referrer=googleproductlisting&gclid=CIP6xd7YxbUCFaTMtAodRjoAUw
Quote from: aesdj on February 20, 2013, 08:23:54 PM
This may sound like a load of bollocks but trust me it works.Put a CLEAN peice of pipe on to a CLEAN oil can and shove it onto the nipple.Open the nipple and pump loads of fluid in.I here this is called back bleeding.Lock the nipple and bleed as normal. I had to do this on the Tiger last year when I stripped them for powder coating.
I've done this many times on pesky hydraulic clutches. I used a large syringe though, and pushed the fluid all way through to the master. Messy as the master cylinder overflows fluid all over the place, but it makes sense to push air "up" the natural way it would move.
Seal the bleeder's threads with anti-sieze or something. A vacuum bleeder WILL pull air from around the bleed nipple.
Cosmo
Well, all day to strip, clean and re-assemble one front caliper and strip clean and generally bugger about with the rear caliper. Seized pistons, seized carrier pins seized brake pad pin. Couldn't have been much worse really. Now need new pistons. So bleeding the bleedin' front brakes is still on hold.....
Quote from: Bixxer Bob on February 21, 2013, 05:01:46 PM
Well, all day to strip, clean and re-assemble one front caliper and strip clean and generally bugger about with the rear caliper. Seized pistons, seized carrier pins seized brake pad pin. Couldn't have been much worse really. Now need new pistons. So bleeding the bleedin' front brakes is still on hold.....
I bought stainless steel pistons on eBay from eBay seller "vfrpaulvfr" I checked and he's not got any listed now but he has got some S/S pins which I think will fit the front callipers although he sells them in a set of three, for Beakers. You could ask him if he's any more 27mm pistons? I paid £12.99 a pair inc. P&P back in December, I thought very cheep so bought 3 pairs, and they fitted perfectly.
:thumbsup
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-Tiger-800-cnc-machined-st-steel-brake-pad-pin-set-/271151079975
Bugger, pulled the trigger too early :XXcomputer, already got a set coming at much more money :BangHead
Don't forget to buy some 'Red Rubber Grease' for the carrier pins. Do not use 'copper slip' as that swells the rubber and makes them stick.
This is an example:- http://www.wemoto.com/parts/picture/hl-382572/ you might find it cheaper on eBay. I've seen it in cycle shops rather than Motorcycle shops. I also prefer to smear it lightly on the piston seals when fitting them rather than using brake fluid like the manual suggests.
:thumbsup
Yup, got some of that. Good tip though, others might not have thought of it.
Front all done, calipers were pretty good so just needed a good clean. Bleeding was straight forward and got a good lever pretty much straight away. Maybe because I started with it full of air rather than push old fluid through? Bled the left caliper first taking time to allow any air to rise to the nipple then bled the right one, again taking it slowly. Once it was done a quick check-bleed on the left one and lever is nice and firm.
I didn't use the vacuum kit as I wanted to see if it was possible to bleed conventionally and get a good lever without buggering about. Just waiting for parts :hat10
Well done, but after the trouble I had a good ol' Cockney phrase springs to mind.
LUCKY BLEEDER
:ImaPoser
Yup. Old post.
Was having trouble after installing new stainless brake lines. The 10+ pumps of the lever before cracking the bleeder screw did the trick :bad ...even when my vacuum bleeder wasn't doing the trick.
I've just bled my front brakes using the same method - 10 pumps etc.
My set-up was clear pipe from the bleed nipple into a jamjar half full of brake fluid so the end of the pipe is under fluid.
8mm open-ended spanner and cracked off the nipple in advance of the bleeding;
Filled the master cylinder and replaced the top;
10 pumps and hold the lever towards the bar, then opened the nipple - on the lhs caliper just one big bubble; on the rhs big bubbles then lots of tiny bubbles. Then just clear fluid.
Now the lever feels rock solid and a lot less travel - hope it stays like that :bad :bad :bad
PS Just to update the situation on the front brakes - been out for a ride this morning (Sunday) and the front brakes have the best feel, the most power and the least lever travel, since I bough the bike. I'm very impressed with them now. :thumbsup
Yeah,what happened to Fross? He was at the Scotland meet,not heard from him since!
Quote from: threepot on September 15, 2016, 08:28:12 PM
Yeah,what happened to Fross? He was at the Scotland meet,not heard from him since!
He had the Tiger up for sale shortly after the meet....so reckon he`s in pastures new.....