Bleedin' brakes!

[ROD]

PM replied Byzmax..........
The pipe between m/cyl and T is a male 'car' type fitting on each end. It is just lying there in the photo,unconnected.

[snafu]

Rod

Had a look at your build thread, in particular the pics in this post « Reply #176 on: October 26, 2009, 05:40:39 AM ».

I noticed that the caliper is oriented with the park brake lever to top, if your calipers are the same as the ex Manky green trike (see 
http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/forum/index.php?www ) then you will have a problem bleeding the system as the bleed nipple will be lower than the highest point in the fluid chamber of the caliper. 

The calipers on the green trike have the caliper oriented with the park brake lever to underside so nipple is at, or very near highest fluid point.

In the design of all hydraulic braking systems a bleed nipple should be at the highest point of fluid within the component.

Hope this helps.

snafu

[Basket case]

Best I can do at the moment.....You can just make out the T with the brake switch sticking up to the right of the battery.

Dont want to ask the obvious but is that caliper mounted so that the bleed nipple is upper most ?? I cant tell properly from the picture..
Bazza

LOL....the above post appeared while l was doing this 

[snafu]

 

[Basket case]

Great minds and all that 

[ROD]

I asked previously on here about orientation of the calipers.Didnt ask specifically about bleed nipple position.I'll go look to see if I can get it higher.I honestly didnt realise it was that critical!
 UPDATE.....Just been out there pulled one caliper off. If you look at page 74 of Andys build it shows the n/s caliper.Looks like he has a banjo bolt with bleed nipple. This would make the bleed nipple even higher on the caliper than the existing one.Im presuming that you then bleed it from both nipples then? Looks like I will have to swop n/s for off side calipers to get same orientation. BUT has Andy bled his system?
As you say Baz,its hard to tell the orientation in the pic ,but if you look at it square on ,by swopping n/s for o/s it could be higher.,but compared to Andys  it is def different at present.Gonna try this today (after buying MORE fluid!)
 Another thought....I wonder if it would be poss to leave my orientation but temporarily move the caliper into nipple uppermost position,bleed it and replace it? Wonder if this may lead to complications later on?

[tbone]

Petty of me i know but......http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6615.0.

[Manky Monkey]

Hi guys. Sorry, haven't been following this thread as closely as I should've.
Yeah, I swapped my calipers over, nearside to offside & vice versa. Main reason was because it made the routing of the handbrake cables easier. That was mentioned in the original disc brake conversion article I wrote for 100% Biker magazine, which is reproduced here somewhere, (& needs a serious re-write cos some of it doesn't make a lot of sense).
I ran a small amount of fluid through the system on my current trike build, but have now got the front end disconnected again so I can work on the steering stops/yokes. A couple of the joints were weeping a little, but I should be able to cure that with the brake union sealant I suggested earlier in this thread. Yeah, I've used banjo bolts with integral bleed nipples on the calipers. They're made by Goodridge.
Although I haven't bled the current system through yet, it's exactly the same as my last trike, which was then sold as a rolling chassis to Ska Man, who built it back up again exactly the same & had no braking problems either. All I can suggest is taking the calipers off the trike one at a time & holding them as high as you can with the bleed nipples uppermost while you bleed them.
Don't lose heart Rod. I'm sure I'll face all sorts of problems with my build when I try to fire it up & run it. Tis the nature of the beast I'm afraid.   

[Basket case]

ROD SAID; "I wonder if it would be poss to leave my orientation but temporarily move the caliper into nipple uppermost position,bleed it and replace it? Wonder if this may lead to complications later on?"

This would be fine....but every time the system needs bleeding that would have to be done each time....
Sounds like you'll have this done soon  I admire your persistance and patience..
Bazza

[ROD]

TB ...Yeah I did take note of your reply at the time ,but thought it looked high enough to be honest!
 Baz...Patience ..yes.
         Persistence..I shouldve been more vigilant at the outset!
        Cock up on my part..absolutely!
 *bows to all forum members who have helped on this thread ,and also well spotted snafu and baz!*
 TBH I ve never built stuff completely from scratch .Have modified dozens of suspensions/brakes etc,but mainly only by using brakes etc from other models .therefore already set up ,so to speak!
 Not out of the woods yet! Gotta go experiment bleeding calipers in new positions!
 The money for the brake fluid is flowing out of my pockets as fast as the fluid is running out the bleed tube!! Im now really begrudging going to spend money on more fluid!
 
 *UPDATE***
 SWAPPED CALIPERS LEFT FOR RIGHT. MORE FLUID IN ...ABOUT 4 PUMPS AND I HAD A PEDAL ON BOTH REARS!
 Had Planet Rock on the radio as I did it ..song they were playing was apt....Yes..."Yours Is No Disgrace" !

 A re route of all rear plumbing ,and making up new pipes along axle should see this sorted by end of the evening.
 

[oldskoob]

do ya know i never noticed that!
dohh!!!!!
i feel like a prat for not twigging that one either
never mind alls well that ends well eh Rod

[Manky Monkey]

Hurrah!
So glad you didn't give up Rod! Now put that angle grinder away. 

[tbone]

Well done mate. Roll on the christmas hols .

[ROD]

Im going for this w/end as a trial run. IF my new bolts arrive from pro bolt for the yokes.(got 2 missing).
 Just want to say thanks to everyone (you know who you are)for the moral support/help/phone calls etc . I honestly nearly did give up! So thanx again everyone.
 The power of this forum is amazing!

[ByzMax]

Top news that.