nklr mccain is all tip and no iceberg. he's not intelli...

[Jeff Saline]

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 20:38:54 -0500 "Brian Starr" writes:

> I want to thank everyone for their expert advise. I'll be sure to > change my > coolant every two years. > > Also, the point about eh brake fluid is well taken. I'll research on > how to > change it in the manual or via the web.

<><><><><><> <><><><><><> Brian, Below is a post from message 149675 which was posted on the 15th of Jan. It might be helpful. You can find stuff like this in the archives by inserting a text like "brake fluid" and submitting it. I got 7 hits on it from this year. Oh, the info to get to the web site is at the bottom of each message. Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html Best, Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT <><><><><> <><><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><><><><><><> Text from message 149675, 15 Jan 2006. Here is some generic information that should get you through brake bleeding. I really believe that if you understand how a system works you can figure out how to service or repair it. To understand how the system works you need to understand the basic principles. Disclaimer. This is generic in nature. It should explain the basics but for those reading who possess other knowledge and facts and experience you may want to take this with a grain of salt. Errors are mine as always. Hydraulic brakes operate on the principle that fluids don't compress. When you move fluid at one end of a sealed system the fluid at the other end must move the same amount. For a simple brake system, like on the KLR or BMW Airhead, squeezing the brake lever will move a piston in a master cylinder. The piston will move fluid inside the system and on the other end of the brake system will be a caliper. The caliper has a piston or two that will move and cause brake pads to be squeezed against a brake rotor. The brake rotor is connected to the wheel. When the caliper pistons squeeze the brake pads against the brake rotor the friction will slow the wheel. The master cylinder and the caliper are connected by a brake line. Normally the brake line has flexible and rigid sections. Please reread the first sentence of this paragraph. Air compresses. When a brake system is opened air will normally get into the system. Air compresses and compressed air is stored energy. Kind of like compressing a spring. Since a hydraulic brake system only works correctly using hydraulics and not pneumatic principles you don't want air in the system. When air is in a hydraulic brake system it is similar to having a spring in the system. You may be able to transfer the energy from the master cylinder to the caliper but it will be springy and uneven. That gives the brake lever or pedal a "soft" feel. So the idea is to have a brake system with only brake fluid in the system and no air. To remove the air from a brake system you "bleed" the brakes. This involves moving the fluid and air from the system until only fluid remains. It's a simple task usually and only takes a few minutes with practice. This is what you'll need to do it the way I do it. -Fresh brake fluid from a sealed container. I suggest using DOT 3 or 4 brake fluid. Some newer equipment will call for DOT 5 brake fluid. Do not mix DOT 3/4 and DOT 5. They are not compatible. -Tin foil to put over parts of the bike you don't want brake fluid to get on. (Brake fluid will damage paint and spills should be washed off) -A turkey baster that will never be used for cooking again. -A small diameter clear hose that will fit snuggly over the brake bleeder on the caliper. This is the part near where the brake line goes into the caliper and looks like a grease fitting. -A bottle or jar to collect used brake fluid. Dispose of the used brake fluid properly when through. Some places will take it with used oil and some won't. I stop by the local Midas shop and the few times I've taken them a sample they've disposed of it for me. -A wrench to fit the brake bleeder. How I usually bleed brakes. I put the tin foil over the fuel tank and other parts so when, yes when, not if, I spill some fluid I don't damage the paint or other parts. I wipe the master cylinder area clean as I don't want to get dirt into the system. I also clean around the brake bleeder. Open the master cylinder. This may take some doing as often the covers are held on with small screws that get stuck. Be careful when removing the screws. Use the turkey baster to suck as much fluid out of the master cylinder reservoir as you can. Some times I find it handy to absorb remaining fluid with a clean paper towel. If there is gunk in the bottom of the reservoir I usually try to wipe it clean. Use the wrench to loosen the brake bleeder. Just make it loose and then gently snug it closed. This in not the time to be using your massive gorilla like strength. Put the clear hose on the brake bleeder and the other end into the bottle or jar. If you leave a loop in the hose the air bubbles won't be able to get back into the caliper and brake system once they are in the hose. Carefully pour some brake fluid into the master cylinder reservoir. Not all the way to the top as you'll probably spill it. Gently squeeze the brake lever. If you pull it too quickly some brake fluid will usually squirt out of the reservoir and onto the tin foil if you are lucky. If you aren't lucky it will land on your fuel tank where you don't see it until the paint is damaged. One or two gentle squeezes should be good. Hold the brake lever in the applied position. While holding the brake lever in the applied position use your third arm to reach down to the bleeder and open it. Since I only have two arms I have the wheel turned to the left and while on the right side of the bike I reach behind the wheel and up to the caliper. I can do this alone. Some folks have trouble with this part. When the bleeder is opened some fluid should go into the hose and the brake lever should move to the grip. Continue to hold the brake lever at the grip and close the brake bleeder screw. This is the beginning of the brake bleeding process. You've begun to move fresh clean air free fluid from the reservoir into the brake system. Only after the bleeder is closed should you slowly release the brake lever and then squeeze it. Slowly as when you squeeze it you should see the brake fluid squirt into the reservoir a bit. If you do it fast it will squirt out of the reservoir and onto the tin foil. That's the last warning to do this slowly and gently. Rapid movement of the brake lever will agitate the brake fluid and often causes air to get into the system. And we're trying to get the air out of the system so why introduce air by rapid lever movements? Squeeze the brake lever and open the bleeder. The lever should move to the grip and fluid should go into the hose. If you see air bubbles you know you are getting them out of the system. Close the bleeder and then release and squeeze the lever once or twice. With the lever squeezed open the bleeder. When the lever moves to the grip close the bleeder. See a pattern here? Squeeze, open, close, release, squeeze, open close, release... Continue to bleed the brakes until fresh clean bubble free fluid comes out of the bleeder. Make sure you keep fluid in the master cylinder reservoir. If you allow the reservoir to drain, the system will suck air and you'll be at the beginning of the task again. Finally when you think you are done check the lever feel. It should be firm and high. If it feels mushy you probably still have some air in the system. If you do have air in the system and just can't seem to bleed it out some folks claim good results with squeezing the brake lever and bungi cording it in the applied position for over night. Then maybe tapping on lines and hoses to help loosen any trapped bubbles. This may help free the bubbles and allowing them to float to the master cylinder. Again, slow gentle brake lever movement will help with the bleeding process. Once you're done make sure the bleeder screw is tight but don't break it off in the caliper. Put the correct amount of brake fluid in the master cylinder reservoir and put the cover back on. If the cover has a rubber gasket that sticks down a bit you may be able to push it back towards the cap. Make sure the cap seals well. Don't over tighten the screws if that's how the cover is held in place. Clean up the mess you've made kicking over the used brake fluid container and squirting brake fluid out of the master cylinder. Test the brakes a few times just to make sure they are working correctly. Then plan on doing a brake fluid change again in about 12 months. Best, Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Randy Rademacher]

I fell like a real dumbass. I've restored several cars from the ground up and never had a problem bleeding brakes. I tried a different master cylinder on my 1985 KLR600 and followed all the guidlines in the Service Manual. However, I cannot get any pressure to build up. I must be missing something really simple. I even tried going back to the original and had the same result. Could anyone out there please help me!!!!!! Thanks, Randy

[kl650a@verizon.net]

Hope you didn't get hurt when you fell. Just keep up with the bleeding process. It takes a long long time to get it to pump up. You are expecting it to act like a car and giving up too fast. Had me worried the first time also. Walt

On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 6:17 PM, Randy Rademacher wrote: > I fell like a real dumbass. I've restored several cars from the ground up and never had a problem bleeding brakes. I tried a different master cylinder on my 1985 KLR600 and followed all the guidlines in the Service Manual. However, I cannot get any pressure to build up. I must be missing something really simple. I even tried going back to the original and had the same result. Could anyone out there please help me!!!!!! Thanks, Randy [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Chromatech1]

Check your fluid level - Add

[clutz003]

I went through this several months ago (and I know the dumbass feeling!). I made sure that the master cylinder had enough fluid in it so it would not suck air but not so much that when I rotated the handlebars back and forth it would spill out (it is not good for the paint on the tank). I sat on the bike and while constantly pumping the lever turned the handlebars full left and right. After maybe 5 minutes of small bubbles and a few big ones (make sure to keep adding fluid as you go along) it finally firmed up. Keep a rag with you as fluid will spurt out every now and again. Good luck. Craig A18 San Jose CA --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Randy Rademacher" wrote:

> > I fell like a real dumbass. I've restored several cars from the

ground

> up and never had a problem bleeding brakes. I tried a different

master

> cylinder on my 1985 KLR600 and followed all the guidlines in the > Service Manual. However, I cannot get any pressure to build up. I

must

> be missing something really simple. I even tried going back to the > original and had the same result. Could anyone out there please help > me!!!!!! > Thanks, Randy >

[Ross Lindberg]

I had similar problems as well. I tried just about everything I could think of as well as using a vacuum bleeder and a syringe filled with brake fluid to fill it from the bottom and force the air up. What I FINALLY figured out, is that the bleeder screw does not fit all that tightly in the caliper when it it loosened allowing air to sneak by the threads. Someone on the list suggested putting either some teflon tape on the bleeder screw to tighten up the threads a bit, or to put a dab of grease around the bleeder screw on the OUTSIDE of the threads. Either should work in theory anyway. The other thing to keep in mind is that motocycle cylinders pump a minute amount of brake fluid compared to a car, making manual bleeding an exercise in patience. Keep at it and you'll get it bled. Ross Lindberg Fertile, MN

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, kl650a@... wrote: > > > Hope you didn't get hurt when you fell. > > Just keep up with the bleeding process. It takes a long long time > to get it to pump up. You are expecting it to act like a car and > giving up too fast. Had me worried the first time also. > > Walt > > On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 6:17 PM, Randy Rademacher wrote: > > > I fell like a real dumbass. I've restored several cars from the ground > up and never had a problem bleeding brakes. I tried a different master > cylinder on my 1985 KLR600 and followed all the guidlines in the > Service Manual. However, I cannot get any pressure to build up. I must > be missing something really simple. I even tried going back to the > original and had the same result. Could anyone out there please help > me!!!!!! > Thanks, Randy > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[jokerloco9@aol.com]

Wow, I feel better for reading this. I always wanted to learn about politics on a motorcycle list. Apparently you didn't read the recent warning from the list admin about taking this nonsense elsewhere or get kicked off this list?? Jeff A20 In a message dated 10/27/2008 5:42:36 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, sheltonrichard@... writes: Lets make a deal with the rest of the world...they can have Obama as their new leader, the messiah, the leader of the new world order, and we will do just fine without him, thank-you. If the good ole USA is so bad, and we did fine before the Messiah appeared, why do people continue to risk life and limb to come to this country. Could it be the rest of the world offers little or no freedom, those socialist and marxist hell holes. Could it be that they see the light. Go to Eastern Europe where those folks lived under the iron rule of socialistic tyrants for decades; I have been there numerous times...if you are American, you are a hero to them. They shake their heads at the whiners in this country. Obama will bring this country closer to the tyrants they hate and we will learn to hate also. I note Canada went conservative in their last election...why...the socialistc/marxist philosiphy losing it's appeal up north, aye? If the Messiah wins I just might become Canadian myself...at least you people are coming to your senses. And, ask me if I care what some marxist or socialist, soon to be the European Nation of Islam, thinks about my country and I will tell you, "I don't give a damn!" To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.comFrom: elcanaco@...: Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:21:51 -0700Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: NKLR McCain is all tip and no iceberg. He's not intelligent. It's time to remove your head from the sand. What you received from the BBC was an international wake-up call as to how the majority of the world REALLY views the US. Obama offers a way to change that, and even has many of us 'foreigners' convinced he will suceed if given the chance. It would be a truly wasted opportunity to squander this. As one of the 'experts' on last night's CBC documentary 'The Bush Years' declared, 30% of Americans would vote Republican if Donald Duck was the candidate, and another 30% would vote Democrat for Minnie Mouse. It's the remaining percent that will decide this election. I'm pulling for someone who appears he DOESN'T feel that the US HAS to be the pre-eminent religious, cultural, economic (?) and military force in this world at the expense of any and all who hold contrary beliefs. Thank crikey it will be determined soon.[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] _________________________________________________________________ When your life is on the go ake your life with you. http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/115298558/direct/01/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650Yahoo! Groups Links **************Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of your favorites, no registration required and great graphics check it out! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir= http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]