K11 Owners Group

owrstrich

where it swivels to change the angle at the bottom of the master cylinder...

i noticed the brake line was rubbing down in the tripple tree area... eventhough i got the plastic tube over it i though i would losten the nut and change the angle...

well i did loosen it up and change the angle but then i decided to adjust angle of the levers on the bar and out of nowhere i squeezed the lever with the nut still loose...

it squited 1 squirt out on my misaligned bagster... i thought ch1t i need to tighten that nut before i release the lever but my vise grips were too far away... i had to release the lever...

so i tightened it up and squeezed the lever and it was soft and went all the way to the grip... but on the second squeeze it felt like it always has... so i buzzed across the parking at about 30mph had had good frontal brakes and a good lever...

im thinking im ok... it was just 1 squirt... what do you think...

thanks...

j o
_________________
yeeeeeehaaaaaaa...

Jim · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:33 am Post subject: brakes

I'm thinking it was just one little squirt. Not sure I figured out what the hell you are doing, though. As long as you didn't get any air in the line, and you got the fluid off the Bagster and any painted parts right away (brake fluid eats paint faster and better than paint stripper), you should be OK. You can always add fluid - there are four little screws on top of the master cylinder.
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repairing
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

owrstrich · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:44 am Post subject:

perhaps my situation was demonstrated in greater detail than necessary resulting in a loss of clarity...

i was concerned with releasing the lever and sucking air into the line more than anything...

i had a bottle of bruichladdich islay legacy ser II with me so i washed off the brake fluid with that...

j o
_________________
yeeeeeehaaaaaaa...

Don Sproule · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:50 am Post subject: One lever worth of brake fluid

I've often said that Scotch is best suited for cleaning dirty motorcycle parts but I never thought of using it to clean brake fluid. What would you use to get rid of the smell?

Don Sproule

Jim · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:02 am Post subject: brakes

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it would only suck air in if the top was off the mc and there was no fluid in it.

When's the last time you bled the brakes anyway, eh?
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repairing
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

Jim

What smell? If it was Scotch - especially a good Scotch - wouldn't you just lick it off?

Das Boot · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject:

J.O.

I am guessing you loosened the bango fitting to reposition the front brake line? If the level in the sight glass is still ok, with the bike on the centerstand and the bars turned max left you should be fine. However, I would bleed the fronts anyway. A bottle of Dot 4 brake fluid at 3 or 4 dollars and 15 minutes worth of work is worth the piece of mind. The front master cylinder is a weak design as it is. Keeping fresh fluid through them and a little light grease or silicone on the outer piston end will help its life and maybe yours Very Happy

For whats its worth, you don't need speed bleeders or a mity vac. A piece of tubing that fits over the bleeders thats around a foot long and a 11mm box wrench and a phillips screw driver to take off the 4 screws at the top cylinder is about it.

Just make sure the level in the master cylinder is at least 1/4 filled at all times while you are bleeding, otherwise you will suck air in. Normally, I simply loosen a bleeder with the tube on it to flow into a cup and watch the slow drip at the bottom and slowly keep filling the top. Stop when its clean and then go to the other side and do the same. Do not work the brake lever while doing this or you will suck air into the lines and have to start over. If they do not want to bleed themselves. Then get a helper and do it the old fashioned way. Have a person to work the lever and a person to loosen and tighten the bleeder at the bottom. Put a towel around the master cylinder to cover everything up. The person at the top pumps the lever a few times and HOLDS the brake lever all the way in while the person at the bottom loosens the bleeder. You will only get a small burst of fluid. Then retighten the bleeder and then the person at the top can release the lever. Refill the master cylinder as needed to keep the fluid at least 1/4 filled and keep repeating until the fluid is clean flowing out of the bleeders.

You probably already know how to bleed brakes Very Happy

But thats my thoughts anyway Smile

_________________
Dom

Large John

Das Boot

Jim · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:58 pm Post subject: ????

Yew!!! Do I need to lock this thread???

"good scotch? is that an oxymoron like sanitary napkin???"
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repairing
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

owrstrich · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:12 pm Post subject:

so im gonna have to bleed them... im thinking it sucked air when i released the lever when that banjo was loose...

i went for a 1 up today and tried the fronts under varying conditions...

im thinking i got some air in there... lever seems the slightest bit soft on 1 squeeze but is better on the 2nd squeeze...

also... i was buzzing the palms to pines highway today and my grips started getting hot... the switch was off... so i tried it forward... backward... middle... no difference... my grips were sometimes warm and sometimes roasting... one of those hummm moments...

during a visual inspection i concluded that 1 of the wires thats soldered to the oem switch had broke off and was touching the other wire completing the circuit...

the more i f with the bug eye brick the more i f it up...

crazy aint it...

j o
_________________
yeeeeeehaaaaaaa...

Don Sproule · Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 10:24 pm Post subject: I squeezed one....

The old "better on the second squeeze" is a classic symptom of air in your brakes. Better get bleedin'. You may need to stock up on some Dot 4 and single malt.

Don Sproule

Klinker