[mal81394]

Hey guys,

So my quad needed new front brakes. Originally I bought the pads, a new master cylinder and just replaced those but then I noticed that the wheel cylinders were bad and only one side would move. So, I replaced the wheel cylinders today on both sides and cleaned out he small short lines between them. My problem is that the brake handle has zero pressure. None at all. I spent about 3 hours bleeding in all different ways. Vacuum pump, pumping handle, gravity bleeding...and now when i open the bleeder screw i get a nice steady stream of fluid coming out and no air. Still not pressure though. I am at wits end and thought I would ask if anyone has any ideas. I checked all of the fittings and there are no leaks anywhere. If I pump with the drums on I can still turn the drum with my hand so it doesn't get very tight. Also, with the drum off, only 1 wheel cylinder on each side moves...not both. Any ideas would be great!! I am starting to think my new master cylinder is bad....literally went through a bottle and a half of brake fluid today :crying.

 

[Bucsfan]

Did you turn the "cogs" on each cylinder? The service manual says to rotate them in the direction the arrow is pointing until fully expanded, then back off 3 clicks for new shoes.

 

[mal81394]

That is one thing that I haven't done yet. However, the wheel cylinders barely move as it is.

 

[Bucsfan]

If everything is back together (i.e tires and all) just pull the plug on the drum cover and use a flathead screwdriver to rotate the cog. Not sure why they wouldn't move if you've just replaced them

 

[fishfiles]

like mentioned by Bucsfan , improper adjusted brake shoes will not get a hard lever ---------- take a pair of hose pinchers or if you don't have a pair , then use a vise grip with a piece of rubber or cardboard so as to not damage the rubber hose with the pliers teeth , pinch the brake hose right at the master cylinder , pump the lever against the blocked hose , if the lever gets hard then the problem is air in the hoses or improper adjustment , there are threads about using the pinch method to bleed the brakes ---------

 

[retro]

http://www.hondaatvforums.net/forums/brakes-suspension/15549-how-bleed-your-brakes.html

 

[rodp]

There is one more thing with bleeding brakes that's rarely mentioned. Never ever shake the fluid bottle, it takes 24 hours for all the air you've just put in the fluid to bleed out. The amount of folk who shake the bottle to see how much is in it is unbelievable, then they wonder why they can't get a hard lever or pedal.

 

[RemMax]

Is your new master cylinder oem or one of the eBay/china models???

I recently changed to Quadrax disc and a eBay mc on mine and I gotta pump the handle Everytime to get a full lever but there's no air in it
Guessing it's something cheap in the Chinese mc....
RemMax

 

[SamUK]

I back bled my brakes when I fitted the disc conversion, air poored out the MC. I had no lever at all yet no air, I pumped the lever furiously for a few seconds and then opened the bleed screw at the calliper, a little air came out, same the other side. Put the MC lid back on pumped up, opened the bleed screw one side at a time, no air, pumped the lever and they’ve been great ever since.
First time round I stood the bike on its butt and bled them like that, it worked but not as good as back bleeding.
You need to adjust the shoes until the bind slightly with the disc before you attmpet bleeding. You can black bleed using a pump style oil can, new of spotless of course.

There’s no set way of bleeding them, there tricky and seem to trap air no matter what you do, wether you have drums or discs.

 

[hodge5]

I just rebuilt a master cylinder on a Kawasaki 400. I couldn't get it to bleed. I pulled the brake handle off, and used a tool to push the plunger further in. Getting the full stroke worked- the handle wasn't enough. Once bled, the handle worked fine.

 

[SamUK]

I just rebuilt a master cylinder on a Kawasaki 400. I couldn't get it to bleed. I pulled the brake handle off, and used a tool to push the plunger further in. Getting the full stroke worked- the handle wasn't enough. Once bled, the handle worked fine.

That’s a good idea Hodge.

 

[c1v1c966554]

Master cylinders can come out of the box BAD. I learned that the hard way after working on my grandparents slave cylinder in their mazda..

 

[lrodgers1]

Adjust 1 shoe till it gets tight, back off till you can turn the drum to the other adjuster. Tighten the 2nd and leave it tight. Drum should not move. Do the other side the same way. Then bleed the wheel cylinders. Once you get the air out back the adjusters off till it will roll.