Anyone successfully bleed Brembo's?

[DougE]

I have looked at older threads about bleeding the brembo brakes with the inward facing bleed screws. The only thing i saw was to bend a wrench to access it but just wondering if there were any other alternatives?

brakes are feeling spongy and i wanted to do a brake flush. I've done a brake flush and bleed on an 09 but the 13 with brembos is making me scratch my head.

 

[shade]

It sucks bleeding that way but i used an adjustable monkey wrench to loosen the bolt.
otherwise you could take the caliper off and put something the same thickness in between the pads.
Mine also got spongy over time. Replace the lines with braided and no more spongey.

 

[DougE]

It sucks bleeding that way but i used an adjustable monkey wrench to loosen the bolt.
otherwise you could take the caliper off and put something the same thickness in between the pads.
Mine also got spongy over time. Replace the lines with braided and no more spongey.

Yea it’s just a tight space in there. But braided lines are definitely up on my list.

 

[c10]

take wheel off / use old rotors or something true FLAT in between pads . I screwed this up my first time and used a wrench that slightly deformed the pads causing feedback at slow speeds in lever feel . Replaced pads , and made inserts from hard wood at my friends shop .

 

[GIXERHP]

What He said^^^^^^^^^

Tada,,, I use old brake pads and a zip tie!

 

[Berlin Germany]

hi men

when ever a frontbrake feels spongy with the original hosing with crossing the fender, (1 long and 1 short line)
this type of hosing should be replaced by 2 long lines from master to each of the calipers.

the short hose works as a collector in its middle (high point) for any air bubble
and any air bubble.
even it is very small,
makes a brake spongy

the 2 long lines bleed themselves (and the calipers) to the master´s reservoir.
of course, this only applies to the minimal bubbles that you don't get out during normal bleeding.

so at last (2 long lines installed) the brake lever should be pulled strong and tied in this position close to throttle for around an hour or two.

if then (2 long lines) the front brakes still feel "weird"
the calipers should be cleaned deep.

at the radial calipers at gen2
i myself didn´t had that issue (dirt inside) yet
but after a while, i would say after 60 or 70 000 km, this cleaning may be a way.


ps: even at the abs versions the cross-fender-hosing is a pure nonsense because it is also an air bubble collector as well.

 

[DougE]

hi men

when ever a frontbrake feels spongy with the original hosing with crossing the fender, (1 long and 1 short line)
this type of hosing should be replaced by 2 long lines from master to each of the calipers.

the short hose works as a collector in its middle (high point) for any air bubble
and any air bubble.
even it is very small,
makes a brake spongy

the 2 long lines bleed themselves (and the calipers) to the master´s reservoir.
of course, this only applies to the minimal bubbles that you don't get out during normal bleeding.

so at last (2 long lines installed) the brake lever should be pulled strong and tied in this position close to throttle for around an hour or two.

if then (2 long lines) the front brakes still feel "weird"
the calipers should be cleaned deep.

at the radial calipers at gen2
i myself didn´t had that issue (dirt inside) yet
but after a while, i would say after 60 or 70 000 km, this cleaning may be a way.


ps: even at the abs versions the cross-fender-hosing is a pure nonsense because it is also an air bubble collector as well.

Thanks for the detailed information!

 

[GonzoPL]

hi men

when ever a frontbrake feels spongy with the original hosing with crossing the fender, (1 long and 1 short line)
this type of hosing should be replaced by 2 long lines from master to each of the calipers.

the short hose works as a collector in its middle (high point) for any air bubble
and any air bubble.
even it is very small,
makes a brake spongy

the 2 long lines bleed themselves (and the calipers) to the master´s reservoir.
of course, this only applies to the minimal bubbles that you don't get out during normal bleeding.

so at last (2 long lines installed) the brake lever should be pulled strong and tied in this position close to throttle for around an hour or two.

if then (2 long lines) the front brakes still feel "weird"
the calipers should be cleaned deep.

at the radial calipers at gen2
i myself didn´t had that issue (dirt inside) yet
but after a while, i would say after 60 or 70 000 km, this cleaning may be a way.


ps: even at the abs versions the cross-fender-hosing is a pure nonsense because it is also an air bubble collector as well.

But with ABS you got only one line coming out of ABS pump to the front wheel, so .. can't do it actually. (at least easy way)

Recently replaced all brake lines ('14 ABS version) to Hel braided lines, refilled and bled it using hand vacuum pump, then once more using traditional method. Actually the position of bleeders at the front wheel was not an issue at all, as I was using offset ring spanner. You can even zip-tie the line on the bleeder to make sure it will not fall off during the bleeding.

Brakes seems to work properly, but the brake lever (when fully engaged) was too close to the bar IMO, so I changed lever position to "2" and seems to be ok. Nevertheless I think that these brakes could be even stiffer. I've been told by local moto-mechanic-guru that ABS pump used on Busa is an older generation system which is almost indestructible, but does not need special bleeding procedure and the brake pressure generated by master cylinder is only to activate and control the pump, and it has not direct influence on the "output" pressure transferred to the calipers.
Can someone confirm these ? I belive then in general there is not much of precise knowledge/informations on ABS system among us here..

 

[Berlin Germany]

hmmmm how to say best / easiest way?

have again a look at the way of lining at the front hose
and you´ll recognize that there is a so called high point in the lining from abs-pump over the frame down to the right caliper and from that again a high point in the crossing hose to the left caliper.

that way you have two high points where air can get collected by general physics.

what i guess what could be a solution is to
install such a "tripple T" / 3-way distributor (or similar)

RH and close to the steering head´s at a thought high-point
and connect there the one hose from the abs-pump with such a special screw / banjo bolt with bleeder like this one

and at at the T´s both sides with two simple banjo bolts

two other hoses down to the calipers.


that all is, at the moment, only an idea how it could work,
but i never did so or saw so.

edit:
and yes, it is a cramp to build like that, but how else can you reduce it to just one single high point in the entire tubing of the two front brake calipers?

 

[Berlin Germany]

(...)
Brakes seems to work properly, but the brake lever (when fully engaged) was too close to the bar (...)

sorry i forgot that "issue"

here the answer from "tom" one of the engineers at brembo head office in munich :

if the brake is functioning correctly, the brake lever must - in a standing position! - can be pulled up to the throttle and this distance is estimated at about 3-4 centimeters,
counted from the point when the brake pads start to rub against the brake disc(s).
because alone over this relatively large path of the lever - while standing! - the brake is clear and, above all, very sensitive / sensitive to dose.

if this distance is only 1-2 millimeters in order to then appear rock hard, the brake is not in order and must be fixed.

remember the hydraulic brakes in the car etc. - while standing! - (no matter if a. with brake booster and engine or b. without brake booster like in oldtimers) because then you can with strength - while standing! - step the pedal down to the floor panel as well.

that all - while standing ! - feels like a spongy brake,
but if while a test ride the brake works pretty
and at a abs the stuttering function is feelable,
all is nice.

and - all that no matter if radials or standard master are in use - always the same.

at least - the rubber hoses should be replaced by steel braideds
because after only 4 or 5 years the rubber hoses start pumping like a vein / artery in your arm what then causes a real spongy brake,
because the pressure (from the master) can´t reach fully the caliper(s)
instead, the pressure partly dissipates by the expansion of the rubber hose(s) - as well with the bike as with the car etc. .

 

[Kiwi Rider]

As our learned friend Frank (@Berlin Germany ) has expertly put it, and so clearly correct information, I have little to add . . but I must say I have flushed many Gen 2 Brembo brake systems and have found that reaching through the wheel to access the bleed nipples on the inner side of said calipers with a small wrench and hose in a bottle, is not actually that difficult . . ....unless you have big gorilla sized arms and hands lmao.
I want to say a big thankyou to Frank for taking the time to convey all the info he shares on this forum, keep posting those gems mate, I for one really appreciate it!