Brake and Clutch Fluid

[Cajunrider]

I replaced my front/rear brake fluid and the clutch fluid this morning. I was very surprised to see how dark the brake fluid was. A very dark brown at the bottom of the reservoirs. The clutch fluid was a little darker than new DOT 4 but not even close to the brake fluid. If you have 15,000 miles or your bike is over 2 years old, it's time to do it. I have 18,000 miles and my bike is 16 months old. IMO the brake fluids were well overdue. I purchased a plastic Mityvac MV8000 to draw the fluid out at the bleed points. $39.99 + tax. Very simple to use and quick. I didn't have anyone around to add fluid in the reservoirs as I pulled them down. It would have taken 1/2 the time if I would have had help. Total time including pulling the left floorboard, heel and
toe shifters, and left side engine cover was about 2 hours.

[cactusjack]

Gee, thanks for making some of us look bad, Mitch.

Now I will be compelled to do mine. 32k and still on the original fluid. I have the vacuum pump, I just need some motivation.

It will give me something to do on Sunday. I'll have to move my handlebars up, so the master cylinders are level or I'm going to be dumping DOT4 all over the place.

[chainsaw]

That DOT 4 makes an excellent paint remover.

[dogdoc]

+1, be sure to wipe it up off anything it touches it will de-glaze everything. I changed mine out a while back. No vac pump, no help, just me, took a couple hrs but got out all the old dark fluid and in with the new. if you ride in the city it turns dark faster, dont wait.

[ringadingh]

Its cheap insurance on making sure you have no moisture in the fluid, When I changed mine I found it to be dark with a bit of sediment in the bottom. Agood flush got it all back like new.

[Cajunrider]

Scott,
I leveled up my bike side to side and didn't move the bars up. Didn't spill any DOT 4 at all. It was close to the inside rear corner on the front brake and clutch reservoirs though. I refilled to the same spot. Putting the rear tire up on a 2x4 placed flat would be pretty close IMO. It would save the trouble of moving the bars up.

[macmac]

I use a turkey baster as my most special tool.... It gets the masters nearly dry. A little clear plastic tubing assists in keeping thing clean, and it goes into a juice jar, I cap up and take to the dump.

I assist graviety pretty well, and don't work the levers very hard. I spend more time tapping on the lines with a small wrench than anything. That shakes the bubbles i would imagine adheard to the tubing up and back out the master.

A sort of two way bleed method I like. Whats liquid and heavy goes down and what's air is light and i let it out thru the return valving, wiggling the levers but not causing a froth..

Creating a froth of air in the BF takes a long time to settle out...

[dabull]

anyone got any procedures for us rookie mechanics?

[macmac]

Dot 4 and Dot 4 only. Remove rather than pump old fluid thru the masters. Do one system at a time, not all 3... When the bleeder is out on which ever system you do, clean it and anti seize it well. Mop up the bf left over before you install it with a twisted up paper towel.

Tie which ever lever IN to mop up best. this will stop bf flow for a moment, so you don't wash away the anti seize. A help can replace a tie better, but I get no help ever usually.

Do not pump the levers like a demon and do not pump them all the way often. You don't want to bump inner seals over unused areas where a ridge may have been built from wear.

With a clear jar and clear tubing on the exit side, you can see better when brown turns to more clear. A jar will fluid in it tends to keep air from going back in..

At first it won't matter since you will add more new fluids.

Cover paint with rags for so much area as you plan to make a mess of... This stuff will eat paint for breakfast lunch and dinner!

Pump the levers in counts, I like 3, and crack the bleeder and shut it off again lightly. Wait a moment for the fluids to move within the system... pump again 3 times lightly moving levers about 1/2 way.

Getting yer head in a bad place has no room here, be paitient. Allow graviety to work with you and not against you.

I have seen so many kinds of fancy tools that only fit one or a few vehicals that i never bothered to buy any one of them and can bleed a pick up truck alone, the old way.

Sometimes it takes long and other times it is the only way that works.

Tap lightly with a short clean wrench on any lines at joints mostly where say a flex line connection makes a bump in the flow... Air tends to gather at such places.

Install the master covers lightly as they will be on and off often.

Do NOT allow the master to go dry once new BF was installed.. if it does you just let a lot of air into the master where the work happens!

If you get lazy and leave the cover off the master will spit BF back onto the bike and get on the paint!

'If' you suspect no air returning to the master with the cover off you may move the levers both ways real easy and see how it spits back with out ejecting BF, but be real carefull...

Do not man handle the bleeders. When they feel snug and have stopped you STOP. These are delicate parts.

[Cajunrider]

Originally Posted by DaBull

anyone got any procedures for us rookie mechanics?

I used the Mityvac pump connected to the bleed points with the provided reservoir between the bleed and the hand pump. Removed the lid on the reservoir (one system at a time) and pulled the old fluid from the bleed point while pouring fresh DOT 4 into the reservoir until I started getting clear DOT 4 into the vacuum pump reservoir. Be careful not to pull the level all the way down in the reservoir. You will pull air into the system. Cap the bleed making sure it is tight and fill the reservoir back to the full mark. Install the lid and move on to the next system. You have a bleed on each front caliper and 2 bleeds on the back caliper. Draw fluid from each bleed point. Don't skip any because you will leave behind old fluid. The clutch bleed is on the slave cylinder behind the chrome left side engine cover. Remove the left floorboard, heel and toe shifters, and the cover. You will see the slave cylinder with the bleed point on top of it. Replace the fluid the same way you did the brakes.

[ringadingh]

Those are a couple good methods to change the fluid, and Gadgets sight also has some good instructions with pictures as well.

[cactusjack]

I came home from work tonight and did my brakes. It was getting too late to do the clutch so I'll leave that for another day.

My fluid was pretty much the same color of brown. Now it's nice and clean again.

[Cajunrider]

Way to go CJ....Amazing how clear that fluid is in the sight glasses now isn't it. It's so clear that I can't tell if there is a level or not.

[superduty]

This is very helpful. I'd like to change out mine, and do the coolant over the winter to be all ready for next year. I'd like to do it myself and learn more about working on my bike.

Thanks.

[mynomad99]

Yes, its me again....Don't know if any of you guys know, BUT....Brake fluid, unlike other fluids, WICKS moisture. (that means it ABSORBS moisture). Hence, the brown color. Don't believe me, pour some on the ground, get your trusty garden hose out and spray it. It becomes a beautiful color of cream. Its has mixed with the water. Regular oil just floats away....and leaves that wonderful rainbow effect on the ground that makes me stain my skivvies when I see it while riding. The fact is....moisture brings down the fluids boiling point, which means it loses it effectiveness...well nevermind. It's made to turn brown when its contaminated. It should be changed. And thats the facts jacks.....

Bobby