No front brakes tried just about everything i can think of

card16969

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So i am at wits end after using a mity vac repeatedly, manually bleeding them till i am blue in the face using over a quart of rbf600 and zip tieing the lever back for a day i do not get brakes until the lever is pulled in 90% of the way and sometimes i have to pump it once before that to get them to engage the next pull. If i bleed them i get great pressure for 2-3 pulls and then it goes to nothing again. I bought the bike last year and the brakes were weak so over the winter i rebuilt the calipers and put all new seals in them since the seals were really blown out, I put in ebc extreme pro pads and galfer lines with no result so i ordered a master cylinder rebuild kit from justin at honda toledo east and rebuilt it with no change at all. Ive noticed if i do not have my lever adjusted out to the farthest possible position i do not have any front brakes at all. I know the pads need to bed in but until i pull the lever almost completely in you do not feel them grab at all and sometimes the lever comes all the way back to the bar. Ive used stainless lines before but have never had a problem like this, ive had to bleed them a couple times and jiggle the lines and zip tie the lever back to get the air out but its never been this bad. Anybody have any ideas ?
 
The common thing with all 'brakes don't work' threads is this:

i rebuilt the calipers and put all new seals in them since the seals were really blown out,

If you are at your wits end, pick up some stock calipers cheap on ebay and see if same thing happens. I don't know the answer, just troubleshooting.
 
fill reservoir and seall all as normal. Get a rag place it near m/c top bolt pump lever as tight as you can. hold lever on last pump with lever still held break bolt at m/c barely for air to escape repeat a couple times issue solved.top fluid back off. If not i got some calipers..
 
fill reservoir and seall all as normal. Get a rag place it near m/c top bolt pump lever as tight as you can. hold lever on last pump with lever still held break bolt at m/c barely for air to escape repeat a couple times issue solved.top fluid back off. If not i got some calipers..

alright ill try that, thank you as always i appreciate the help.
 
fill reservoir and seall all as normal. Get a rag place it near m/c top bolt pump lever as tight as you can. hold lever on last pump with lever still held break bolt at m/c barely for air to escape repeat a couple times issue solved.top fluid back off. If not i got some calipers..[/QUOTE

Ok i pumped the brake up till good pressure then barely cracked the bolt loose (first two times i did it too much where i was getting fluid) and then closed it, did this 10 times total 2 with getting fluid out. The lever has gotten a little firmer but if i pull the lever and let it go wait a couple mins then pull i still have nothing or close to nothing and have to pump it back up to get pressure again. Also i still only have pressure on the furthest out position. Any of the other positions it hits the handle before i get pressure, tomorrow im going to take it for a ride and see if it increased at all and also going to try a stock lever back on it and see if it makes a difference. If i did something wrong as far as that process or your have any other ideas please let me know!
 
After cracking the bleeder, you ARE holding the lever IN until after re-tightening the bleeder, correct?

Sorry, gotta ask...
 
it was doing this so i figured it was the master cylinder so i rebuilt it and still have the same issue. And yes pull lever till i have good pressure, hold and crack open bleeder and close wash rinse repeat. I did what goldenchild said about cracking open the banjo bolt on the master at the lines and getting the air out there which seemed to give me more pressure but after taking it for a ride its right back to the same thing
 
Gotta be the master cylinder..something's not holding pressure but no fluid linkage...
 
Gotta be the master cylinder..something's not holding pressure but no fluid linkage...

i guess i can tear it down again, theres no fluid loss anywhere, it has to be the passage ways in the master since the piston and seals are brand new.
 
I have m/c if you need one and think that's issue. yeah and you just barely want to break line and keep psi on lever.
 
I have m/c if you need one and think that's issue. yeah and you just barely want to break line and keep psi on lever.

its just weird because brakes were not like this before they were just weak, i pulled the master cylinder and it sat while the bike was torn down over the winter. Considdering i rebuilt it i dont get what else could have gone wrong with it over the winter it just doesnt make sense.
 
I just had the same problem, on a customers bike, it was the master cylinder!
 
Now is a great time to upgrade to a Brembo MC.


Hint: When I bleed brakes I use this procedure different from others.

1) pump the lever slowly not super fast. One second per pump.
2) After about 3 cycles I will pull the lever in but not bottom it out.
3) keeping very little pressure on the lever I will open the bleeder till I feel the pressure drop and closing the bleeder before it bottoms out.

I am not doubting you know how to properly bleed brakes since you are a graduate from a motorcycle mechanic institute, I am just adding some ideas to your issue. But I am still sticking with an issue up in the MC by what your describing.
 
Now is a great time to upgrade to a Brembo MC.


Hint: When I bleed brakes I use this procedure different from others.

1) pump the lever slowly not super fast. One second per pump.
2) After about 3 cycles I will pull the lever in but not bottom it out.
3) keeping very little pressure on the lever I will open the bleeder till I feel the pressure drop and closing the bleeder before it bottoms out.

I am not doubting you know how to properly bleed brakes since you are a graduate from a motorcycle mechanic institute, I am just adding some ideas to your issue. But I am still sticking with an issue up in the MC by what your describing.


Oh trust me im always willing to take advice from someone with different experiences and different way of doing things and give them a try. I would love to upgrade to the brembo m/c but after everything ive done to the bike im broke right now so ive got to fix the issue.
 
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