slabby brakes.

[baldybongo]

I think mine are seized. Cant bleed em, spent ages just pumping and nothing happens.
Does anybody know if another model brake would fit on the front end without any modification?
Thanks in advance.

[biggus mickus]

Have you had all the fluid out of them? If so, it will take a while to refill the calipers with fluid.
Are any bubbles coming back up the lines to the fluid reservoir? If not, the tiny return hole above the master cylinder might be blocked, try a bristle off a wire brush or simmilar to clear it.
Does the old brake fluid look all dark/rusty/manky? If so, I'd strip the master cylinder and make sure everything is clean and the seals are not perished.
My favoured method of bleeding previously empty calipers is to start off by opening the bleed nipple, then pull the lever to the bar, close the nipple, then let the lever back out. Repeat lots of times until some resistance is felt at the lever. Repeat for the other caliper if using a twin disc setup.
Once you have got this far, the brakes will still feel spongy, pull the lever back to the bar (or as far as it will go) and let it snap back to the off position and wait and see if any tiny bubbles come back up into the reservoir. Repeat until no bubbles return. This process can take a LONG time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but it usually works.

Cheers, Big Mick.:thumbu:

[lowrider]

I like to bleed them backwards.
Need to get a biggish syringe and push fluid through from the bleed nipple up to the master.
Much quicker and really works

[biggus mickus]

If you need a large syringe, go and ask your local vet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not tried that method yet, but I've heard that it works.

Cheers, Mick.:thumbu:

[baldybongo]

Cheers guys I work just up the road from a Vets so will pop in tomorrow, and still getting manky fluid up into the reservoir and all the lines were empty when I started. This seems to have taken forever though I am pretty impatient. Thanks for the advice.:thumbu:

[dracken1]

i often find bleeding brakes backwards works well. i get my syringes from the local farmers mart. 100cc jobbies.

[Grav]

I do the reverse bleeding method too, I got my syringe from the Vet. The look on the poor vets nurses face when a scrawny scouse bloke asked for a syringe was priceless and the relief was evident when I explained what it was for..... :D

[harry]

Cheers guys I work just up the road from a Vets so will pop in tomorrow, and still getting manky fluid up into the reservoir and all the lines were empty when I started. This seems to have taken forever though I am pretty impatient. Thanks for the advice.:thumbu:

If the clean fluid is turning manky it would make me think the master cylinder is knackered.

It's usually the seals breaking up that discolour the fluid. :thumbd:

[strima]

I would strip the callipers to check the pistons and seals. Might be worthwhile replacing with stainless ones.

[johnr]

I like to bleed them backwards.
Need to get a biggish syringe and push fluid through from the bleed nipple up to the master.
Much quicker and really works

yep i do that too. after you first do it that way. you never ever bleed them from the top again!

[minxy]

I'm havign real problems with slabby master cylinders at the moment. We have to consider that there's 25 year old rubbers holding them things together! You running standard wheels?

[Borg]

Make sure the brake pistons are not fully pressed into the calliper. otherwise theres no room for the fluid.

[Grav]

Wemoto sell master cylinder repair kits for around £30.

http://www.wemoto.com/

[baldybongo]

Yippee!
Thanks for all your advice peeps, finally working.
In the end I checked there was fluid going through pipes, done up all the brake nipples and just stood there pulling the lever in and out and watched all the air come up through the top until it finally binded. Seemed like forever.
(Just gotta work out what to do about the fluid spilling on the paintwork now)

Doh!! :thumbsu: