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My rear brake has been kicking my butt for a while. I have repeatedly bled it, yet I still had a spongy pedal and had to pump it to get a firm pedal. Last week, I noticed a puddle under the master cylinder. I ordered a rebuild kit and installed it, figuring that would solve the problem. Well. it didn't leak anymore and still had the weak pedal feel. I knew it had to be air in the lines. In the course of all the work I've done on the bike, I've probably bled the brake a dozen times and never had a problem. So, I pulled off the caliper and raised it higher than the master cylinder. I gave the pedal a few good pumps and cracked the bleeder. It sputtered and then fluid squirted out. Voila! That did the trick.
As a side bar, I have, maybe 3,000 miles on the Ranger transmission. I couldn't be happier with it. Once the few little gremlins had been eliminated, it has performed flawlessly

I played around bleeding the normal way back several years ago with the same soft pedal results , Then I bought a Mity Vac and sucked all the air out of the system and have had a firm pedal each time I've had to bleed either front or rear brakes .

Eliminating the brake Loc and all that extra plumbing helped a lot also to improve braking .

I've thought of getting a Mity Vac, but I am a cheapskate and don't want to shell out money for something I will use once a year, tops. I use a pump oil can and a piece of vacuum hose to reverse bleed. It worked fine on the fronts, but not the rear. Beats me as to why???

I'm a cheapskate also but early on I went thru the same frustration you did until someone suggested the Mity Vac and to me it was worth every penny . After reading the instruction manual I've found a few other uses for it so it's all good .
I think they also make a unit for strictly bleeding brakes that is much less money .

I think I just got an idea for a nice Christmas present
Thanks!

when I had my BH I used Speed Bleeders, almost fool proof.
Buck

A Mity Vac tool is very handy and I've been using them for years ... I use mine fairly often. Depending on the model/version you decide to buy they're pretty cheap and well worth the cost. I flush all the bikes brake and clutch each year as part of my "yearly winter maint" ... cheap insurance and simple process - why not.

True story : I get a call from a friend about a month ago. Joe has a heavily modified softtail. Joe is not a mechanic by trade but he has a mechanical apptitude and can do simple things. He needed front brake pads, during the replacment of the pads (retracting the pistons) he somehow managed to suck air into the caliper, lines and MC. He spent 5 hours with another friend trying to bleed off his front brakes with no sucess. He finally called me and when I got to his garage it was a mess ... brake fluid all over the floor, rags, tools everywhere. I pulled out my baggie of various size hoses and my mity vac. It took longer to ride to his garage and unpack my shit then it took to bleed the system (seriously). While I was there we flushed the rear brake system and also flushed his clutch.

I know a lot of guys use the speed bleeders and love them. I don't use them and probably wouldn't use them because I'd always worry about them failing ... they're a spring loaded check valve.

I like a lot of air in the system, keeps you living on the edge.

SQ4MN wrote:I like a lot of air in the system, keeps you living on the edge.

Keeps things a little interesting huh? It does wear out the soles on your boots a little faster ...

Iron Maiden wrote:I think I just got an idea for a nice Christmas present
Thanks!

Do you need my address??

SQ4MN wrote:I like a lot of air in the system, keeps you living on the edge.

G'damn,Dave,you're a trip!

V-MAN wrote:

SQ4MN wrote:I like a lot of air in the system, keeps you living on the edge.

Keeps things a little interesting huh? It does wear out the soles on your boots a little faster ...

Dave gets three panic stops per pair of winos

Actually all V8 bikes even when the brake are working perfect keep you living somewhat on the edge. If you ride a Honda or BMW or one of the other hi tech marvel of todays motorcycles and then ride ours you realize that the brakes are not our high card. They work good enough that I don't normally give them a second thought, mostly its just something to bitch about in a bullsuit session.

I had a similar problem when I replaced my whole rear wheel brake assembly, John. I switched over to the automotive style of rear brake (effectively replacing a well worn out Brembo set up).
And also now have to replace the front rotors, as they too are badly worn. (I'm told that putting on lots of miles will do that…)
The problem was, I couldn't get the rear calliper to bleed off. So I did what you did… Yanked the calliper, wedged an equally think chunk of metal between the pads, and it happily bled itself into braking bliss! I can dig it.

I tried all this stuff you guys did too but unfortunately I have a wildwood caliper with 4 bleeders on it for all 4 corners.. it's like chasing a witch on a broomstick at times..

I think that you only bleed the top 2, not all 4

You are right, however only once have I seen air trapped on both sides which was odd and I can assure you that ALL the odd stuff happens to me lol. I've come to embrace that fact.. I may just make a power feeder with an old master top with a fitting and a tube attached to a pressure pot and force the fluid through just to see if I am getting air trapped in the brake light switch "t" by chance, (since that is the highest point on this bike) now that I think about it... but I am seeing the surge blasting fluid out of the master when the lid is off while I press the pedal which usually means "bypass" issues.

J.

Buck wrote:I think that you only bleed the top 2, not all 4