Help With My Brakes

Discussion in 'Technical Help' started by Kristian Box, Jan 12, 2020.

  1. Kristian Box

    Kristian Box New Member

    Jan 12, 2020
    2
    3
    Dudley, West Midlands
    Hi, I could do with some advice. I have a thunderbird 900 with a front brake problem. I have no resistance in the brake leaver. I have change the seals and bleed nipple in the caliper, changed everything in the master cylinder system, but this dose not seemed to have worked. Everytime I try to bleed the brake fluid through nothing happens, the nipple also seems to be suckling air back in, but it's not the nipple itself as I have tried it with the old and new nipple, same happened with both. Any ideas?
     
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  2. Red Thunder

    Red Thunder Crème de la Crème

    Dec 2, 2014
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    High Wycombe
    I have experienced this too
    My solution was to push the pistons in as far as possible, thus reducing the air in the system
    Fill with brake oil and squeeze the oil in, make sure the reservoir is full otherwise you may end up pushing air in
    Detach the calipers from the legs and rotate them so any air rises up and can't get trapped
     
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  3. capt

    capt Elite Member

    May 8, 2016
    3,050
    750
    western Australia
    If you have rebuilt the calipers with new seals , pull them apart again , pour brake fluid into pots , reassemble , pushing pistons in slowly , displace as much air as possible , bleed line by loosening the banjo Union , then move on to full system bleed !
    This is painfully slow way , but it beats the hell out of pumping your master cylinder to death ... !
     
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  4. Yorkshireman

    Yorkshireman Crème de la Crème

    Dec 12, 2015
    3,399
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    As above, plus, when you are bleeding the caliper hold the brake lever back to the bar then close the bleed nipple before slowly releasing the lever to its rest position, that way it can’t draw air back in past the threads of the nipple, it’s only a small amount if it does that but it makes bleeding harder.
     
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  5. Callumity

    Callumity Elite Member

    Feb 25, 2017
    3,358
    800
    Nr Biggar
    Bleed nipples seat where the chamfered point seats in the bore. It is not uncommon to find air leakage around the threads. Solution is a good smear of copper anti seize grease to fill the threads.
     
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  6. Kristian Box

    Kristian Box New Member

    Jan 12, 2020
    2
    3
    Dudley, West Midlands
    Thanks for the help guys. Will try these out and let you know how I get on
     
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  7. Tricky-Dicky

    Tricky-Dicky Crème de la Crème

    Dec 12, 2016
    2,441
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    The other option is to use a suction bleeder on the calipers or a large syringe and force fluid into the calipers used both these methods on suborn systems before to good effect.
     
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  8. andypandy

    andypandy Crème de la Crème

    Jan 10, 2016
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    Shaw
    If at the end of all the above excellent advice you still have a little bit of air left in the system, you might find it useful to tie the brake leaver back to the handle bar and leave it overnight.
     
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  9. MadMrB

    MadMrB Elite Member

    Dec 24, 2018
    3,562
    800
    Northamptonshire, UK
    When I replaced the brake lines on my Bonneville last year I used a cheap vacuum pump to bleed the brakes. Even for an idiot like me it was relatively simple, the back brake was done in minutes, and the front just required the brake lever to be tied overnight to get it perfect.

    This is the one I used, not the best quality, and it doesn't have any clips to secure the pipe to the bleed nipple, but it did the job nicely anyway: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077FQY2DS

    I plan on servicing the Street Triple brakes this year, so I've ordered a simple cheap kit with a one way value to go between the bleed nipple and the pump that hopefully should make the job even easier: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07K16YS49
     
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  10. Sprinter

    Sprinter Kinigit

    Aug 17, 2014
    6,029
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    uk
    Agreed, and make sure all the inside of the caliper is wet (so the bubbles cant stick to the sides) before you reassemble them.
     
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  11. joe mc donald

    Subscriber

    Dec 26, 2014
    14,328
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    slough / burnham
    Kristian Box.
    Welcome to the family. Yes all these little tricks work well. Myself I got some clear pipe stick it on the nipple open up a quarter turn and suck the tube till the pipe is nearly full. Then put it into a jar with enough fluid to cover the end of the pipe and hey presto works a treat. Do make sure to at least put two three reservoir through each brake to ensure all the air is gone. Do hit the upload a file button bottom right corner and show the inmates the steed.
    Regards
    Joe.
     
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  12. t552

    t552 Senior Member

    Nov 17, 2014
    416
    113
    Bristol UK
    These brakes are harder to bleed as the master cyl is only 11mm dia and does not move much fluid. Sucking the fluid through from the caliper via a vacum pump will give the best results.
     
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  13. DanielB

    DanielB Noble Member

    Jan 13, 2019
    881
    393
    Abingdon, Oxfordshire
    just an obvious thing...as I came across this with caliper refurb/then bleed on my Triple recently...make sure whatever plastic pipe your are using to bleed through is a snug fit on the nipple. Mine wasn't (initially) and so air was leaching in rendering the whole process a bit chaotic.

    So, in summary...have a good seal on them nips!
     
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  14. Kristian Box

    Kristian Box New Member

    Jan 12, 2020
    2
    3
    Dudley, West Midlands
    Thanks for all you inputs, found out the problem was a small leak in the caliper. The pistons are damaged. Anyone any ides where I can find spare pistons from?
     
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  15. Sprinter

    Sprinter Kinigit

    Aug 17, 2014
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  16. DanielB

    DanielB Noble Member

    Jan 13, 2019
    881
    393
    Abingdon, Oxfordshire
    I'm afraid I do not know bikes well enough to know if yours is particularly old or special....but for the caliper refurb on my 2002 Triple I got new pistons (and seals, as a refurb set) off of eBay. Yes, it was eBay but it was a proper triumph/brake specialist selling them...so I'd just have a Google and see what you find.

    Good luck. Refurbing my calipers was the best thing I've done yet. I felt like a hero!
     
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  17. t552

    t552 Senior Member

    Nov 17, 2014
    416
    113
    Bristol UK
    #17 t552, Jan 26, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2020
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  18. Kristian Box

    Kristian Box New Member

    Jan 12, 2020
    2
    3
    Dudley, West Midlands
  19. DanielB

    DanielB Noble Member

    Jan 13, 2019
    881
    393
    Abingdon, Oxfordshire
    That is the sort of thing I got...it is doing what it needs to do!
     
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  20. Wishbone

    Wishbone First Class Member

    Nov 4, 2018
    865
    643
    Essex UK
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