Any tips on a reverse clutch bleed?

[dcnblues]

Looks like I need to bleed my clutch. I've never liked conventional gravity bleed jobs, with or without a vacuum pump. Flowing fluid downhill against the rising bubbles never seems right to me. So I am buying a syringe and I'm going to push the clean fluid in from the bottom. This looks pretty good, btw: Big syringe

-Not sure if I need to remove the slave cylinder to let bubbles rise up out of it. I'm pretty sure the push rod is held in place, but it could also get messy. Any tips welcome.
- I'm also not sure whether replacing the clutch lever might have let some air in when the levers pushrod was removed. Again, any advice?

Thanks.

 

[sixpack577]

No air can be let into the system by changing the lever, if it was, then you have a leak at the master cylinder, would have a spongey lever/losing lever pressure, and the master cylinder would need rebuilt.
I have also bled many brakes and clutches with a horse syringe, pushing fluid up the lines, and it does as good of a job as a vacuum pulling fluid down, however, it is easier to make a mess pushing fluid through an open bleeder, vs pulling it through.
I use a vacuum anymore as it is easier for one person to do, holding the vacuum is easier than holding the syringe.
Do not remove the slave cylinder either.
It has a seal around it, and the fluid pressure from the syringe will just push it out of the cover, as the pushrod that goes through the engine case and actuates the clutch is all that holds it in place.
Leave the sprocket cover/clutch cylinder cover on the bike, just open the bleeder.

 

[Bumblebee]

Looks like I need to bleed my clutch. I've never liked conventional gravity bleed jobs, with or without a vacuum pump. Flowing fluid downhill against the rising bubbles never seems right to me. So I am buying a syringe and I'm going to push the clean fluid in from the bottom. This looks pretty good, btw: Big syringe

-Not sure if I need to remove the slave cylinder to let bubbles rise up out of it. I'm pretty sure the push rod is held in place, but it could also get messy. Any tips welcome.
- I'm also not sure whether replacing the clutch lever might have let some air in when the levers pushrod was removed. Again, any advice?

Thanks.

I always bleed the system in the manner the manual says to......Suzuki engineers designed that manual and know what they are doing.

I've always gravity bled my systems and have never had any issues doing it that way...

I use a vacuum pump just like @sixpack577 does and it works great. The only thing you have to watch for when using it is not to get too overzealous and pull too much allowing the reservoir to go dry...

 

[wreckwriter]

I changed my clutch line recently, vacuum bled it in about 3 minutes with no issues.

 

[Berlin Germany]

@dcnblues

read my lill essay at my homepage
here

 

[Ked0607]

I changed my clutch line recently, vacuum bled it in about 3 minutes with no issues.

That yellow busa though drool........

 

[dcnblues]

No air can be let into the system by changing the lever, if it was, then you have a leak at the master cylinder, would have a spongey lever/losing lever pressure, and the master cylinder would need rebuilt.
I have also bled many brakes and clutches with a horse syringe, pushing fluid up the lines, and it does as good of a job as a vacuum pulling fluid down, however, it is easier to make a mess pushing fluid through an open bleeder, vs pulling it through.
I use a vacuum anymore as it is easier for one person to do, holding the vacuum is easier than holding the syringe.
Do not remove the slave cylinder either.
It has a seal around it, and the fluid pressure from the syringe will just push it out of the cover, as the pushrod that goes through the engine case and actuates the clutch is all that holds it in place.
Leave the sprocket cover/clutch cylinder cover on the bike, just open the bleeder.

Great info, thanks! I also picked up this tip about tapping the lines. Hadn't seen that one before: Dellboy reverse bleed

 

[dcnblues]

@dcnblues

read my lill essay at my homepage
here

Also an excellent read, thank you so much! I definitely love the Teflon wrap on the bleeder threads!

 

[dcnblues]

I changed my clutch line recently, vacuum bled it in about 3 minutes with no issues.

I'm just never satisfied doing it conventionally. I always feel like there are some bubbles (even if small) collectively laughing at me as they swim up the downstream due to buoyancy. And I never seem to get a rock hard result. Yeah, I know, get steel lines. I'm thinking about it...

 

[sixpack577]

Great info, thanks! I also picked up this tip about tapping the lines. Hadn't seen that one before: Dellboy reverse bleed

I just vacuum it down, pump the brake or clutch, hold it, ziptie the lever to the bar, and leave it several hours.
That forces all the bubbles to the end of the line, the bleeder, and always gets more air out.
Come back, bleed again, done.
As far as his method goes, that's fine, but the rear caliper is the only one that you can get higher than the master cylinder.
I used a syringe for years, and finally bought a vacuum, as it's quicker, easier, and less mess, and I always ziptie the lever and come back(ziptie a small weight and hang it on the pedal).
Good luck with it.

 

[sixpack577]

I'm just never satisfied doing it conventionally. I always feel like there are some bubbles (even if small) collectively laughing at me as they swim up the downstream due to buoyancy. And I never seem to get a rock hard result. Yeah, I know, get steel lines. I'm thinking about it...

ziptie lever to the bar and come back in a few hours, you'll get the last of the air out.
Works every time.

 

[dcnblues]

I always bleed the system in the manner the manual says to......Suzuki engineers designed that manual and know what they are doing.

Don't get me wrong, my default state is wanting to hug Suzuki engineers, but you do see the irony of writing this as we all have to take our bikes in to replace a badly designed brake master cylinder?

 

[Bumblebee]

Don't get me wrong, my default state is wanting to hug Suzuki engineers, but you do see the irony of writing this as we all have to take our bikes in to replace a badly designed brake master cylinder?

Master cylinder is just a component and not designed by Suzuki....

We can still hug them for keeping the Hayabusa alive.....

 

[dcnblues]

I just vacuum it down, pump the brake or clutch, hold it, ziptie the lever to the bar, and leave it several hours.
That forces all the bubbles to the end of the line, the bleeder, and always gets more air out.
Come back, bleed again, done.

So are you saying "the end of the line" is the top bleeder next to the clutch? Because giving it time lets the bubbles rise in the line as they are buoyant.

 

[sixpack577]

So are you saying "the end of the line" is the top bleeder next to the clutch? Because giving it time lets the bubbles rise in the line as they are buoyant.

With the clutch applied/ziptied it will be the bleeder at the clutch cylinder, as the hydraulic pressure is going that direction.
But, if you have a bleeder at the master cylinder, I would bleed it second, if you ziptie the lever.

 

[sixpack577]

And sorry, I see you're doing brakes, I had seen the clutch in a previous post, but they are done the same.

 

[dcnblues]

No, it's my bad. For some reason I imagined a bleed nipple up near the reservoir. I had to go look at the bike to make sure it wasn't there. Scumbag brain...

 

[Bumblebee]

No, it's my bad. For some reason I imagined a bleed nipple up near the reservoir. I had to go look at the bike to make sure it wasn't there. Scumbag brain...

Brembo MC have them....

 

[sixpack577]

You can bleed the clutch master cyclinder(and brake mc) if it doesn't have a bleeder too, I do.
Just open/close the line bolt once like it was a bleeder.

 

[dcnblues]

Not sure I understand. That wouldn't be messy, or do you just wrap it with paper towels?