Did a clutch bleed today

[Bryn]

Started off doing the front brakes, extremely easy with a bit of pipe fitted with a one way valve on the end... so decided to carry on and bleed the clutch while I was at it....

Strange thing is that every time I pumped the lever there were air bubbles coming out and down the tube.... this didn't happen with the same tube on the brake callipers. Carried on and put a good half a bottle of brake fluid down, and noticed the old stuff was pretty brown  ( 09- 14000 miles)

Still got bubbles until I gave up. The clutch seems to be fine after I bled it   ( goes into gear ok on tick over )  I suppose 3 scenario's... the air is getting in behind the nipple , past the edge of the bleed pipe, or the clutch is full of air  ( which would be weird as I've never noticed any clutch issues  )

Anyone had the same experience ?   

[SirToU]

I hate the bloody clutch.... Always takes me forever......

I tend to bleed it, then leave it overnight or for a couple of hours and it sorts itself out.....

Basically, I figured out air bubbles always rise in liquid, just slower in thick liquid... Give the tube a couple of flicks...  :-) and leave the little bubbles to rise to the master.

ps.  Had to do this with the rear brake on my Z'd.... Had the problem with air in system and this solved it.


Neil

[MGvalerio]

Anyone had the same experience ?   

:embarrassed:Yes

MGvalerio.

[Bryn]

Thanks for the replies.... I've left it overnight...think I'll get another bottle of DOT 4 today and do it again this afternoon  .... saying that , clutch lever seems ok this morning 

[Boomer]

Ahhhso,.... grasshoppers need to unbolt slave cylinder, clamp piston to stop it moving, raise slave to higher than master cylinder height, and THEN bleed system through.
Fast, efficient and easy.

I fixed the air bubbles problem by putting plumbers teflon tape around the threads on all my bleed nipples.
I also use a one way valve bleeder from Halfords along with a Mityvac to pull the fluid through.

I have never fully understood why the brake/clutch systems don't have bleed nipples at the highest point in the system.
Would make far more sense to me.
I would design calipers to have the brake line connect to the highest point of the caliper and have a bleed nipple at the highest point of the master cylinder.

[Bryn]

Ahhhso,.... grasshoppers need to unbolt slave cylinder, clamp piston to stop it moving, raise slave to higher than master cylinder height, and THEN bleed system through.
Fast, efficient and easy.

I fixed the air bubbles problem by putting plumbers teflon tape around the threads on all my bleed nipples.
I also use a one way valve bleeder from Halfords along with a Mityvac to pull the fluid through.

I have never fully understood why the brake/clutch systems don't have bleed nipples at the highest point in the system.
Would make far more sense to me.
I would design calipers to have the brake line connect to the highest point of the caliper and have a bleed nipple at the highest point of the master cylinder.

Got the one way bleed thingy... but how can you get the slave clutch cylinder higher than the handlebars , or am I being thick 

[pistole]

slave higher than master ?

i wanna see that trick man

.

[Boomer]

Whoops, was thinking of the GTR1000 clutch slave. Mine has a braided hose. Clamping the piston does make it easier to bleed though.

Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk

[Bryn]

Whoops, was thinking of the GTR1000 clutch slave. Mine has a braided hose. Clamping the piston does make it easier to bleed though.

Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk

  Thought I'd lost my senses   


Thanks for the clarification   

[Kwikasfuki]

I bled both front and rear brakes today just for the sake of it. Don't think they needed doing.

On the newer models looks like the fairing needs to be removed to bleed the clutch.

[GLA55Y]

I changed the clutch fluid today. It was dirty, with a black residue in the reservoir. Lots of bubbles coming through when bleeding and all good now.

[virginiajim]

From my experience, fluid type clutches on bikes, tend to have the fluid get darker earlier than the brakes.  The clutch can be a bugger to flush/fill if it goes dry.  If that happens, buy another bike.  It's easier.

[O.C.]

From my experience, fluid type clutches on bikes, tend to have the fluid get darker earlier than the brakes.  The clutch can be a bugger to flush/fill if it goes dry.  If that happens, buy another bike.  It's easier.

    

[Boomer]

Buy a compressor and an air powered bleeder. WAY better than the hand vacuum ones as you can pump the lever/pedal whilst sucking the air/fluid out.