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Help with ABS brake bleeding


TNDragonrider

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Okay folks I just finished rebuilding the three master cylinders on my ‘04 VFR.  While working on the secondary master cylinder I had it removed for a couple of days.  I believe this might have caused all/most of the fluid to drain out of the ABS pump.  So I tried to bleed the front with a handheld vacuum pump but I’m getting nothing.  Do you know the best way to accomplish this?

Some suggestions are:

1) Slowly operate the brake lever to remove all the air, it could take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.

2) Purchase a air assisted brake bleeder from Harbor Freight to speed up your he process.  But I believe I’d have to stay on top of the fluid replenishment.

3). Your suggestion(s)…..

Thanks

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Do you have speed bleeders?  Non-ABS here, but the SMC was kind of tricky to get refilled.  If I remember correctly what I did, I used a clamp to hold the SMC activated (squeezing the caliper up to the fork leg), pushed down on the brake pedal, then released the clamp to let the SMC take in fluid from the rear circuit.  I want to say doing that a few times got fluid moving through it and working once I got it down.  If I did not have speed bleeders installed, I think it would be a lot tougher to do the SMC from dry by myself.

 

I tried a vacuum bleeder on the SMC, but it really doesn't do anything.  You have to do some variation of the bleed procedure in the FAQs here, or fake it like I did with trigger clamps and speed bleeders 🙃

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18 hours ago, TNDragonrider said:

Okay folks I just finished rebuilding the three master cylinders on my ‘04 VFR.  While working on the secondary master cylinder I had it removed for a couple of days.  I believe this might have caused all/most of the fluid to drain out of the ABS pump.  So I tried to bleed the front with a handheld vacuum pump but I’m getting nothing.  Do you know the best way to accomplish this?

Some suggestions are:

1) Slowly operate the brake lever to remove all the air, it could take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.

2) Purchase a air assisted brake bleeder from Harbor Freight to speed up your he process.  But I believe I’d have to stay on top of the fluid replenishment.

3). Your suggestion(s)…..

Thanks

When I used an air assist power bleeder, I had a friend handle the fluid input. Definitely helped!

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51 minutes ago, TNDragonrider said:

The ABS light remains on and I guess to cycle the pump it has to be driven.  I tried putting it in gear on the center stand and running it up through to 3rd gear.  The light never went out.

Both Front and Rear wheels need to be spinning in synch for the light to go off. This will happen at approx 6mph provided the Pre-Start Self-Test is successfully completed.

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