Single person brake bleading kits experinces

[Bendy toy]

My previous bike (Yamaha) rear brake suffered badly with corrosion under calliper piston seals. It had to be annually stripped and cleaned regardless of usage. The front had blue spot brakes (anodised) so had not yet developed the problem.

Hoses were stainless braided end to end.

I bleed my bike brakes single handed with a simple neoprene tube and 8mm spanner.
Even when I let the rear brake reservoir run low it was no problem to clear the line.
Cars on the other hand I need help.
Reverse bleeding has been fine on non ABS bikes but I've not risked it on the BMW.


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[Steptoe]

My previous bike (Yamaha) rear brake suffered badly with corrosion under calliper piston seals. It had to be annually stripped and cleaned regardless of usage. The front had blue spot brakes (anodised) so had not yet developed the problem.

Hoses were stainless braided end to end.

I bleed my bike brakes single handed with a simple neoprene tube and 8mm spanner.
Even when I let the rear brake reservoir run low it was no problem to clear the line.
Cars on the other hand I need help.
Reverse bleeding has been fine on non ABS bikes but I've not risked it on the BMW.


Sent via iPhone so expect strange words

Same here ... What is the point of a single person brake bleeding kit on a motorcycle - on any bike you can reach the brake lever with one hand and the bleed nipple with the other on both front and rear brakes. If you can't manage doing that put the tools down and walk away, you're incompetent .

 

[kevingambrell]

Same here ... What is the point of a single person brake bleeding kit on a motorcycle - on any bike you can reach the brake lever with one hand and the bleed nipple with the other on both front and rear brakes. If you can't manage doing that put the tools down and walk away, you're incompetent .

I can hammer rivet a smoke box on but find it far easier using an air hammer, anything that makes a job a bit easier il use.

 

[mpgscott]

Good point guys, i did mine last time myself so not an issue.

Just that if the use of the single person kit makes life easier then im all for that. You can be the best mechanic in the world and have that one second feck up where you cock it up, if the single person system can help negate against that then great.

So only seen the one response regards calipers off the bike for bleeding so what are most peoples thoughts on this??

 

[kevingambrell]

Thinking about it its not a bad idea to force the old fluid out of the calipers.

 

[Alan R]

So only seen the one response regards calipers off the bike for bleeding so what are most peoples thoughts on this??

having the caliper off its mounting point makes it difficult to both hold and also spanner the bleed screw. The mounting points act as a third hand and provides resistance to the spanner leverage.
As per the BMW maintenance DVD, on front brake calipers I remove the pads and push back the Pistons and hold them back with plastic shims inserted between the pistons and the disc.
On the rear, simply push the caliper body back by hand to push the pistons back. Again, hold them closed with plastic shims.
A note of caution, the above procedure is only possible because the calipers and piston sliding surfaces on my bike are clean and corrosion free ( l clean the calipers annually as they operate in quite a hostile environment). Dirty or corroded pistons will be almost impossible to push back with your fingers and may damage the inner and outer seals.
Alan R

 

[Bendy toy]

I've tried Gunson easy bleed TBH no easier than a length of plain tube. I've reverse bled non ABS brakes which worked ok and I've tried pressure bleeding. The last option was not with the trouble because you spend more time fitting the cap and adding air than you save doing it the "hard" way.
Vacuum systems are likely to be best but you need a 1/2 decent pump and PTFE tape


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[Steptoe]

I can hammer rivet a smoke box on but find it far easier using an air hammer, anything that makes a job a bit easier il use.

So what's easier ? - seriously, opening a bleed nipple with a tube attached that has the end in a container, or opening a bleed nipple with tube attached that has a one way valve that has the end in a container ? One hand is at the bleed nipple, the other at the lever.

Both ends are in fluid in the container so no air will get drawn in regardless of the one way valve.

Bleeding a car is impossible to do without a one man bleed kit, but a bike, com'on some are a making a big deal out of a job a 10 year old could do.