Squishy Front Brake

[turbo250x]

My front brakes were squishy so i bought another master cylider an brake line off ebay and they are the same way. My dads 250x stops WAAAY better than mine. Any advice? Thanks

[Throttlejockey]

Pull the disc guard push in on the caliper, pump brake lever. Repeat several times and let me know if it's better.

You can also try turning the bars to the left with the bike on the kickstand, pump the lever and put a zip-ty on it to hold it in overnight.

[turbo250x]

I've already done those things lol. Any more ideas? Thanks

[Jakeblues]

New pads, or deglaze the ones you have maybe.

[turbo250x]

put new pads on it rite before i changed out the master cylinders lol. anymore ideas? Thanks man, any help is appreciated

[redrider58]

air bubbles in the brake line, pads, and not a lot of dot 4 is left.

i have had the same problem, i had a leaky fork seal, and the fluid got all over the brake and it screwed over the pads. they where toasted.

[turbo250x]

I bled the brake lines throughly when i put the pads on and when i put the new master cylinder on. and no,leaky fork seals. Thanks though. Any more ideas are apreciated.

[Anakedman]

Change your fluid

[rolandb]

Is it that the brakes do eventually pull up tight, just the lever travels further than it should before it gets firm? Or is it that you NEVER get a firm feel to the lever? If it's the former, your disc is warped. What's happening is, as the wheel rotates, the disc moves slightly side-to-side, separating the pads/pushing the pads back into the caliper a bit. Then when you pull on the lever, you expend the first portion of that pull getting the pads just to contact the disc again, then the last part of the pull is the actual braking action. Which is why the lever has too much travel, but eventually does brake/firm up.

You probably won't be able to see the warpage on the disc. Use a dial indicator to measure the runout.

[mgentz]

after you've tried all that.....get a stainless front brake line. You seem to want more performance out of your system and feel that the stock lever travels too much. If this is the case, an SS line will not expand and will tighten things up for you.

[turbo250x]

The brakes never get firm. I can pull the lever all the way to the grip without it gettin firm.

[Liebsce]

Was it OK before you started working on it?

[turbo250x]

No it wasn't. And i just put the front wheel and rotor off my dads 250x on my bike and they were still squishy so it isn't the rotor either. I rode it around with it on there and it did no good.

[Jakeblues]

Sounds like it continues to get air in the lines. Did you replace the crush washers on the banjo bolts (the hollow bolts that mount the lines), is the caliper bleeder valve secure and in good condition?

How exactly did you bleed the brakes? sometimes it takes a long time and lots of fluid to get out all the air using the "squeeze lever, open bleeder" method.

[turbo250x]

I ran 3 resivoirs full of fluid through the line using that method. and the bleeder valve is fine. any other suggestions?

[mb651b]

I'm not knocking your mechanic skills but are you properly bleeding the brakes. It's usually a two man job. Are you releasing the brake lever before tightening the bleeder valve back up, if so it is sucking air back in. Make sure the valve is tight before releasing, once tight grab another handful and hold it until your dad bleeds the pressure and then tightens it back up again. And make sure you keep the reservoir topped off the entire time because if it gets remotely low it will suck air in through there too. If you are properly bleeding it then it has to be either your line is expanding or a faulty master cylinder especially if you switched caliper so you know your caliper isnt losing the pressure. Could be fluid leaking around the piston in the master cylinder, a piston set runs about $30 and a complete master cylinder is about $120. Sounds like its been a real pain in the a** ? Good luck! Let me know what you find out.

[Jakeblues]

If you put a small piece of tubing over the bleeder valve, then put the other end in a container (I like the glass qt milk bottles) with an inch or two of fluid. open the bleeder and leave it open until the task is done, tighten it before you remove the tubing. If you make sure the tube end remains submerged. Now it is a one man job using this technique.

[turbo250x]

My dad helped me when I was bleeding the brakes. The caliper isn't leaking either?? anymore suggestions? Thanks for everyones help

[keithpincock]

You still have air in there. Bleeding motorcycle brakes are a pain and are not like bleeding a cars. Do a google search on "bleeding motor brakes." There are lots of special tools that make it easier. Read this article on TT: https://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=263172

[warrior73]

if nothing is leaking u still have air in there. try a vacuum bleeder