Another %^*&$%##%% Clutch Bleed Job from Hell

95spfldmax · Apr 4, 2013

Here I go again.......

Trying to bleed the clutch and getting NOWHERE!!.......Master cylinder indexing. Not convinced it's functioning properly......fluid comes out when loosening banjo bolt down near slave cylinder.......already changed to second slave cylinder...no difference......nothing coming out of bleeder screw....no air or fluid.......and NO lever whatsoever..........what the buzz.........mighty vac no help........something's off.....

95spfldmax · Apr 4, 2013

Does everybody else's clutch and brakes bleed right up for them??

Traumahawk · Apr 4, 2013

How many times have you pumped up the master cylinder? You will have to pump it up a LOT...to build pressure. Something like 50 to 100 times (it seems) to build pressure. Ive changed to steel braided lines on the brakes and clutch, and had to do the same thing on both.

CaptainKyle · Apr 4, 2013

Get a syringe & try to reverse bleed it & see if that works for you.

naughtyG · Apr 4, 2013

I had exactly the same problem when I did my clutch. As Kyle said, the best way is a big syringe.

Leave the M/C top open but be careful to protect everything from fluid splash
Connect a big syringe, full of fluid, to a piece of clear hose, and connect that to the bleed nipple
Open the nipple just enough to be able to pump fluid from the syringe, you *should* see fluid/air bubbles come up in the M/C reservoir
Do this a couple of times, then close nipple and try again - that's how it worked for me!

donnelly317 · Apr 4, 2013

if you dont have a syring...

-20oz pop bottle
-clear tube that will fit over bleed port
-fill up the 20oz bottle with some fluid so that when you hook up the tube from the bleed port the other end is under the surface of the fluid in pop bottle
-crack the bleed port
-pump and pump away till no bubble go threw line ( remember to keep filling resivor so you dont push more air into line)
- go back and tighten up port
- wala! all done..

ps the fact that the hose is under the surface of the fluid allows you to keep pumping away anything that gets sucked back in is fluid not air... it wont suck it up very fast so the pumping has the extra hand over the sucking when you release lever

95spfldmax · Apr 4, 2013

Thanks for the feedback, guys...........

I'm done for the night but I will try these suggestions tomorrow night......same bat time....same bat channel.......

Tell me......if I leave the clucth lever tied to the bar with a zip tie......and leave the bleeder open "for a while"....shouldn't the fluid gravity feed out of the bleeder at some point? It hasn't yet only leaving it for maybe 20-30 minutes so far.......

donnelly317 · Apr 4, 2013

95spfldmax said:
Thanks for the feedback, guys...........

I'm done for the night but I will try these suggestions tomorrow night......same bat time....same bat channel.......

Tell me......if I leave the clucth lever tied to the bar with a zip tie......and leave the bleeder open "for a while"....shouldn't the fluid gravity feed out of the bleeder at some point? It hasn't yet only leaving it for maybe 20-30 minutes so far.......

Dont know forsure... if ur cap is on resivor deffinetly not but I would worry about it. Try on of the two ideas above they will work..

naughtyG · Apr 5, 2013

Careful leaving anything open overnight - last thing you want is brake fluid spill! It eats paint for breakfast!

Also it absorbs moisture like crazy, so it's best not to leave it open to the air for too long, esp. if it's humid in your part of the world..

NHVmaxpower · Apr 5, 2013

Meat baster /syringe push back from slave like Kyle said. You'll be done in 10 seconds.

jfeagins · Apr 5, 2013

First thing I do is to 'bench' bleed the master by leaving the banjo bolt OFF, and too the side, but carefully placing my finger over the hole. CAREFULLY covering up anything plastic or painted yada yada yada. By using my finger over the hole where the handlebar banjo attaches as a valve, I am able to quickly build pressure in the master cylinder. AFTER that happens, I quickly reattach the banjo bolt and begin bleeding from the bottom cylinder. IF the master loses pressure, I will again take off the banjo and repeat the steps with my finger as a valve.

Don't know why our master cylinders are so hard to bleed up. It's just always been that way for me. Kind of a flippin' mess at times, and I end up washing the whole bike immediately afterwards to ensure I didn't miss a drop of brake fluid somewhere that might mark the paint or plastic.

95spfldmax · Apr 6, 2013

CaptainKyle said:
Get a syringe & try to reverse bleed it & see if that works for you.

naughtyG said:
I had exactly the same problem when I did my clutch. As Kyle said, the best way is a big syringe.

Leave the M/C top open but be careful to protect everything from fluid splash
Connect a big syringe, full of fluid, to a piece of clear hose, and connect that to the bleed nipple
Open the nipple just enough to be able to pump fluid from the syringe, you *should* see fluid/air bubbles come up in the M/C reservoir
Do this a couple of times, then close nipple and try again - that's how it worked for me!

YOU GUYS ARE MONEY!!!

Note to self: always, ALWAYS......REVERSE BLEED MY CLUTCH!!! (and brakes)

I have an awesome lever only took 15-20 minutes. Gonna take the beast out for a flogging in a little while to see how things are with this new motor. Standby!!

twistedmax · Apr 6, 2013

WELL, how's she run? Take a ride over later I'll be in the garage building seats, maybe you'll need to raid the small parts bin again!

Fire-medic · Apr 6, 2013

I have good results w/the Mityvac for the brakes, but only do the reverse-flush/bleed for the clutch slave/master cyl's. The drugstore should have a 60 ml (CC) syringe for you, cheap. be sure to get the one which is NOT a "Luer-lock." it should just have a plain tapered tip on it about 1/8"-3/16" O.D.

Here is a pic of the one NOT to get. Look where you would be attaching your clear plastic tube. The syringe you should get would be the one on the right. You may be able to cram a piece of plastic tubing into the other shielded one but why make it hard on yourself?

95spfldmax · Apr 6, 2013

Fire-medic said:
I have good results w/the Mityvac for the brakes, but only do the reverse-flush/bleed for the clutch slave/master cyl's. The drugstore should have a 60 ml (CC) syringe for you, cheap. be sure to get the one which is NOT a "Luer-lock." it should just have a plain tapered tip on it about 1/8"-3/16" O.D.

Here is a pic of the one NOT to get. Look where you would be attaching your clear plastic tube. The syringe you should get would be the one on the right. You may be able to cram a piece of plastic tubing into the other shielded one but why make it hard on yourself?

I have a descent syringe and it worked well last night....thanks for the info....

95spfldmax · Apr 6, 2013

twistedmax said:
WELL, how's she run? Take a ride over later I'll be in the garage building seats, maybe you'll need to raid the small parts bin again!

Just got back from a test rip.......motor seems tight and happy...no knocks......second gear holds fine.....stopping here for lunch....... gonna sync carbs....and prob will stop by your place.......pretty cool outside but right now I DON'T CARE!!!

unk:

95spfldmax · Apr 6, 2013

....And while it seems my replacement motor is happy.......and I'M HAPPY.....

I want to thank a "few" people that makes this forum so awesome to help me thru a "mod" like this of replacing a Vmax motor......my first.....

First to Sean Morley......as we all know is so extremely helpful with EVERYTHING VMAX!!......but specifically has the loner kits to use for the cost of shipping......I borrowed the block off kit to paint the motor and the shim kit to adjust the valves............THANK YOU SEAN!!...Keep a watch out at your mailbox.......

And....To Forum itself, which is all of you & Buster too......I'll be making an "extra" donation to the forum soon.......Thanks, guys & gals............

unk:

The Beekeeper · Apr 9, 2013

Did a fluid flush yesterday, front and rear brakes went well but while I was doing the clutch I got careless, as I was pumping the handle and watching the exit tube on my bleeder I heard that horrible sound of air getting sucked into the clutch master........:bang head:.........I wasn't paying close attention and let things go too far, the lever went limp, as everyone else here had done I tried to build up pressure but it wasn't cooperating, I gently clamped the hose a couple of inches below the banjo and cracking the banjo fitting I purged the air and got my lever back right away, I unclamped the line and was able to finish the job without issue, I know clamping the line is not the right way to do this but it worked for me.................Tom.

DMAN999 · Apr 9, 2013

I just gotta say, Threads like these are the one's I really like to see.
This is a great example of why this Forums Rocks.

unk:
Everyone offering great advice and helping a member get his Max back up and running.

95spfldmax · Apr 9, 2013

DMAN999 said:
I just gotta say, Threads like these are the one's I really like to see.
This is a great example of why this Forums Rocks. unk:
Everyone offering great advice and helping a member get his Max back up and running.

AMEN, Brotha!!!!!

Another %^*&$%##%% Clutch Bleed Job from Hell

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