Brake Bleed?

I have yet to receive my factory manual and was hoping for help. I am looking to bleed my brakes (current feel is like squeezing a banana through a garden hose). I have an '85 XJ 700 Maxim X, dual disc brakes. I'm pretty sure it is the little valve on the front half of the caliper, but i don't want to unscrew that nut and be drenched in any type of fluid. Am I right in my assumption, or just a ignorant? Any help would be appreciated.

:roll:

 

Nick
Have you bled brakes on anything else?

If yes then I'll try to help.

If no, I'll still try to help but in a different way

 

I'm going to assume you've not done this before.

When you open the "little valve" (called a bleed nipple) about half a turn or so, it lets fluid out - either by gravity or when you squeeze the handle. This gets rid of the old fluid, and - if you do it enough - any air in the lines. The idea is to open the nipple, squeeze the handle, close the nipple, release handle, and repeat -- watching the fluid level in the master cylinder as you do.

Do a search on Google for "motorcycle brake bleeding" and you'll find a ton of how-to's. There's a variety of methods in addition to the above.

 

I have bled brakes before, I just wanted to verify I had the right location of the bleed nipple before starting. Seems to be the only one on the caliper to support that particular function and description.

 

I get the bike ready for the season by doing a full-up, clean-out and bleed of the front hydraulics.

Open the Master Cylinder and clean-out the whole thing. Get rid of the fluid in the Master Cylinder. Pull the rubber expansion diaphragm away from the cover. Clean both sides of it and the inside of the cover with DiscBrake Kleen Spray. Wipe-out the Master with paper towel until it's clean. Spray it out and clean-out the fluid level viewing window.

Open a new bottle of fresh, clean fluid. Fill the Master up a little bit. Attach a "One-way brake line self-bleeding tool" on the nipple at the furthest distance from the Master (if you have duals) ... open the nipple, work the brake lever and push some fresh fluid ... right straight through the Master, the lines, all the way down through the caliper and out the bleed tool ... until what you are pumping-out, down at the caliper is as clean and fresh as what you are adding to the Master Cylinder.

Do both sides if you have duals. Keep the Master filled so you don't push an air bubble. Bleed them out until the fluid is clean and free of air bubbles.

That ought to give you a handful of brakes back-up on the front. If after you close the bleed nipples and "pump-up" some pressure and open the nipple to release the fluid under pressure a few time ... you find that the system is still feeling a little spoungy ... it might be time to overhaul the Master Cylinder and install a rebuild kit to restore the system to like new.