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problems bleeding front brakes please help asap

41K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  Yearn4GSXR 
#1 ·
i am having problems bleeding the front brakes on my 04 gsxr 750.. i have been trying to bleed them but can not get the air out of the lines. i have checked to make sure that all the nuts and bolts are tight where the brake lines connect at. i have pumped the brake handle several times the held it in to let the air and fluid out. i even went and purchased a brake bleeder from the store and used that but it is still not working. should i start with a particular side? or what can any one help at all would be great.
 
#5 ·
ok i will try it. there was a whole actual write up on how to do this... does anyone remember where it was located.
 
#7 ·
ok so tried to do in the order posted and not sure if it worked this is just driving me insane. brake lever is still pulling all the way bake to the handle bar, not sure how much presure it should take to pull the brake handle in the first place
 
#8 ·
Okay, this is what worked for me. I have an 05 750 so it's the same setup. I bled the M/C first, I tapped it with a screwdriver handle to dislodge any air bubbles. Then I moved to the furthest caliper from the M/C and worked backwards toward the M/C. So in other words:
1.M/C
2.Left caliper
3.right caliper
4.M/C
You may also want to try gravity bleeding in this order before you try pressure bleeding.
Hope this helps
 
#11 ·
i will try it again but i need a break for now cause i am getting pissed at this point. thanks for the info i will let you know how it goes.
 
#12 ·
When I've had serious problems I bleed it from the caliper, both ends of the like and then sueezed the rubber hose going to the resi just to make sure I got every little bubble out. Sometimes I've had to run through the whole process twice but it will start to tighten up.
 
#13 ·
I had the same freaking problem with the GSXR I tried everything. I have done about 8 bikes and never had a problem. I decided to ditch the GSXR calipers and installed R1/R6 calipers, Guess what, Problem gone. Im quite new to GSXR's and have heard alot of crap about their brakes
 
#14 ·
Are you getting any fluid out if the bleeder at the calipers? IF your pistons have closed at all you can force them open and this will push fluid back through the lines.

Most likely your MC has air in it. Turn it different angles to force the air out. Also adjust your lever to go far in.

WHen I switched to Brembo Radial on my R1 It took me hours to get it. I even had speed bleeders on the calipers. Didnt matter. Just keep working at the MC.. And dont let the fluid get too low.

Good luck
 
#15 ·
bleeding brakes

I had the same problem on my 05 600 I tried everything then finally went to the auto parts store and bought one of the one person bleeding tools for $15 it looks like a handheld vacuum pump with a bottle attached to it, went home bled the MC first then the calipers and it worked perfect, I have used it on several bikes since then and has worked every time.
 
#16 ·
Ive used this method on several of my bikes but you must be EXTREMELY careful not to use too much pressure. Go to your pharmacy and get a generic syringe used for giving small children liquid medicine (not the kind thats uses a needle) Get a small amount of clear line and attach it to the syringe. Suck a small amount of brake fluid into the syringe, attach the other end to the bleeder screw.

Zip tie the brake lever open, and open the master cylinder cap. Then while loosening the bleeder screw carefully and slowly inject brake fluid through the bleeder screw using care not to inject air, or over fill the master. Other members have already pointed out what brake fluid does to the paint lol. I cant guarantee this will work for you, but it has worked for me. Did it on my TLR and worked great. hope this helps ya!
 
#17 · (Edited)
It takes a long time to get all of the air from the front brakes...even with a bleeder. As everyone said, start at the master cylinder bleeder. Then bleed one side, then the other and repeat alot. Make sure the bleeder hose is submerged in some fluid. Also keep the reservoir filled while your doing it.

When you are done, You will have a good amount of resistance on the lever and it should not go to the bar. When you get that, bleed at all three points a few more times.
 
#18 ·
Another thing that can happen is air can enter the system past the bleed screw threads if they're opened to far (you just need to crack them) or a loose fit in the caliper. You can try a wrap or two of teflon tape on the threads but only on the threads and not the sealing (needle) tip of the screw. Speedbleeder makes a sealer for this but the teflon tape will do the job.
 
#19 ·
I had the same problem last winter when installing new lines on the front. This is what happened to me and I will sound like an idiot for it but live and learn. I took of the fluid cap but there is a rubber diaphram under it. I did not know this and when drained it extends to the botton of the res. I filled the res with fluid but above the diaphram. hence no fluid was getting to the lines. After hours of pumping until my arm was more sore than a boy in puberety and reciting every cuss word I know I figured it out. maybe I'm not the only one to do this.
 
This post has been deleted
#20 ·
I have a 1987 GSXR1100 I've restored. I am having similar issues. I can pull the brake lever all the way back to the bar. I bled the brakes forever to no avail then I bought a master cylinder rebuild kit from Suzuki... no help. So I just purchased a brand new 2 piece braided brake line set and a vacuum bleeder kit. Once again I worked on bleeding for hours still not really any improvement. I have had first gen GSXR back in the day and went thru the bleeding braided line upgrade and never had any problems. I see nothing leaking or any indication of air getting by anywhere. I am so stumped on this. It makes no sense to me. Anymore ideas would be greatly appreciated.
calipers maybe??
 
#21 ·
Thanks for the input. I thought of that but can't figure how that would cause lever pull. The caliper pistons are not frozen and I see nothing leaking from them either so I have to assume the seals around the pistons are still good. I kinda wish Performance Machine still made calipers for this old dinosaur.
 
#23 ·
Maybe the seals in your M/C went bad due to the new fluid or old debris that went through it when you initially blead your lines. Its happened to me before when I put new fluid and just never was able to get the "air" out. If your bleeding the lines and you notice any difference in line pressure then it might be your M/C
 
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