I'm going through my '80 Standard bit-by-bit- still had original tires, belts, etc-started with tires, timing belts, oil, coolant then went after the brakes. None of the calipers were frozen and the master cylinders worked and I had no leaks anywhere- brakes worked but like I said the fluid was 30 yrs old.
So I opened the bleeders front and rear, attached tubes into a bucket, and pumped the master cylinders until nothing but air came out. I detatched the brake lines at the master cylinders, taped a funnel to the banjo fitting, made it higher than the rest of the system, filled it with brake fluid, cracked the bleeders, and filled the lines and calipers with new fluid. Then I drained the funnel, untaped the banjo fitting and reattached it to the master cylinders trying to leak as little fluid as possible. Refilled the master cylinders, bled the brakes. And bled the brakes. and bled the brakes. And still could not get a firm pedal (lever).
The way I do it is to put the tubing from the bleeders down into a clear jar (beer bottle), put the bottle in a bucket to catch the leakage, then bleed the brakes until all that flows into the bottle is brake fluid, no air bubbles. Check the lever (pedal) and it felt pretty good. Enough for today.
Come back the next day and the brakes were spongy (?) right word not right spelling I think- This went on for three days so I went to my fellow 'Wing brothers (and sisters) on the Internets for help-
I found a thread on goldwingdocs.com about brake bleeding and way down in the thread I found a post that suggested bleeding the way I had been doing, then tie-wrapping the pedal (lever) in the fully pushed (pulled) (you know what I mean) position overnight- so that's what I did.
Guess what- got home from work the next day- cut off the tiewraps- and I had BRAKES!!!!! Don't know why it worked- but it did - now new fluid and good brakes. Pads are not worn out and the calipers work well- I know the calipers probably need rebuilt but right now that's on the to-do list.
So I opened the bleeders front and rear, attached tubes into a bucket, and pumped the master cylinders until nothing but air came out. I detatched the brake lines at the master cylinders, taped a funnel to the banjo fitting, made it higher than the rest of the system, filled it with brake fluid, cracked the bleeders, and filled the lines and calipers with new fluid. Then I drained the funnel, untaped the banjo fitting and reattached it to the master cylinders trying to leak as little fluid as possible. Refilled the master cylinders, bled the brakes. And bled the brakes. and bled the brakes. And still could not get a firm pedal (lever).
The way I do it is to put the tubing from the bleeders down into a clear jar (beer bottle), put the bottle in a bucket to catch the leakage, then bleed the brakes until all that flows into the bottle is brake fluid, no air bubbles. Check the lever (pedal) and it felt pretty good. Enough for today.
Come back the next day and the brakes were spongy (?) right word not right spelling I think- This went on for three days so I went to my fellow 'Wing brothers (and sisters) on the Internets for help-
I found a thread on goldwingdocs.com about brake bleeding and way down in the thread I found a post that suggested bleeding the way I had been doing, then tie-wrapping the pedal (lever) in the fully pushed (pulled) (you know what I mean) position overnight- so that's what I did.
Guess what- got home from work the next day- cut off the tiewraps- and I had BRAKES!!!!! Don't know why it worked- but it did - now new fluid and good brakes. Pads are not worn out and the calipers work well- I know the calipers probably need rebuilt but right now that's on the to-do list.
