Stahlbus brake bleeding nipples

[John Roberts]

Available from Motorworks, it seems that they make brake bleeding so much easier because air cannot get drawn in between the nipple and the caliper body when doing the job by yourself single-handedly.

Bleeding the brakes is a job I loathe, every fucking time I do it I manage to let the level of the fluid in the reservoir get too low thereby drawing air into the system. These nipples are £23.56 each, but sod it, life's too short, I should have got these when I bought the bike in '82 and the way things are going I'll have it for another 33 years- hell yeah.

So has anybody tried these, are they as good as I hope they will be?

 

[John Roberts]

Update

Just found a UK supplier from the manufacturer's website, stahlbus.com:

MotoDex Performance First Ltd, Rotherham, S61 1RL, 01709559148

They sell them for £16.52 each.

 

[fayeslane]

A power bleeder makes the job easy and are not too expensive. You do need access to an air compressor though. Bought mine to resurrect the brakes on my K1, I found it impossible without it.

 

[John Roberts]

A power bleeder makes the job easy and are not too expensive. You do need access to an air compressor though. Bought mine to resurrect the brakes on my K1, I found it impossible without it.

Well that's me out then.

I have got a MityVac, it was a very versatile piece of kit but still sucked air in between the nipple and the caliper.

Edit: I find the rear brake on my RS particularly difficult to bleed for some reason, I'm not sure but it could be that part of the brake has a high point which traps an air lock. Anyway, it's a right sod for whatever reason.

 

[Beemerboff]

The American Speed Bleeder - www:speedbleeder.com are a lot cheaper and have worked perfectly for me,

I tried a Mityvac but I must be too dumb to use it - never managed to get it to work but the problem area is usually drawing air at the nipple and Mityvac dont address that.

The SpeedBleeders have a sealing compound on the threads, and they sell the compound separatly so you could buy a bottle and see if it makes the old fashioned way any easier.

 

[DrFarkoff]

Just go to a local farm supplier and buy two plastic dosing syringes

get a bit of windscreen washer pipe or fine rubber hose to go on the end if the syringe and a nipple

(I usually pull the plunger out and coat it with rubber grease before using it You'll understand why if you don't after about half an hour)

Use one to suck out old fluid from reservoir top up the reservoir with fresh fluid (with the other) and with the "dirty" fluid syringe fitted to the brake calliper nipple ( Already emptied and the plunger pushed in to its empty end (and you NOT holding the plunger!))

Open a bleed nipple and start gently pumping (be aware that Some master cylinders will squirt fluid in the initial cm of the pump so I usually set the rubber diaphragm back on just to prevent brake fluid splash)

When the syringe at the caliper is nearly full GENTLY nip up the bleed nipple and remove tube and dispose of the waste in an ecological manner!

Please dispose of the waste responsibly leaving it around can be extremely hazardous to Pets and Kids of they are daft enough to drink it

There's a couple of plus points

price being one

simplicity

you are pumping against friction so the end result is usually good

materials and you are separated

less chance of fluid spillage

N.B. if by any chance you still have spongey brakes

Suck out the reservoir and swap the clean syringe full of fresh fluid to the brake pipe nipple

Open the nipple and apply gentle but constant pressure to the plunger and you should see the MC start to fill up and any air should appear as bubbles during this stage
You should also have the handlebars tuned slightly to raise MC above the brakepipe and give a rising passage as far as possible for the air to escape

Don't go mad pressing the plunger there's a 1000 to 1 difference in the flow rate of a 60ml syringe and the tiny bleed hole in the MC

 

[ghiribizzo]

Here's one we prepared earlier...

Lovely muddy fluid coming out.

 

[John Roberts]

Yep, tried using a syringe as well, got me nowhere. However, that's a great tip re using rubber grease on the plunger, doc, mine swells up after a few minutes' use- oohermissus and quietatthebackthere - and I've been thinking of making a stainless steel plunger with a suitable O ring to overcome this problem, in the hope that neoprene doesn't swell.

I thank you.

 

[ghiribizzo]

There must be differences in the material of the plunger from various brands - the ones I use don't swell up. That 'dirty' one has been on the go for maybe 5 years. They are German Braun ones.

 

[Cook1e]

I have got a MityVac, it was a very versatile piece of kit but still sucked air in between the nipple and the caliper.

PTFE tape on the nipple threads. Take care not to block the holes.