Bloody Red Bleeding Brakes!?!

[Rapid Dog]

2001 R1100S-ABS
Yuk!
I bought a Mighty Vac brake bleeder and started the procedure of bleeding the system last night.
I've got over 18K without a bleed on the bike.

Started by removing the M/C lid on the handlebar.
Eww! The fluid was reddish-brown.
Sucked all that out with a syringe and refilled it.
I followed the manual and did the undertank reservoir first.
Gobs of reddish fluid came out. Looked like a tube in somebody's post-op procedure. I It seemed to have alot of air in the line also.
Took a full bottle to get it clear, but still air came out.

Next did the rear brake undertank reservoir.
More red crap, but it cleared out pretty quick.

I did bleed the rear brake res next at the caliper, more nasty crap, real nasty.

Last the left front caliper, man, this s**t looks like rust particles!

Questions:
1) I had the bike in Seattle for about 6 months when it was new. Could water have gotten in?
Never opened the system tho'...


2) It looks like I need an adapter nipple for the right front caliper, yes? Can I get it at an automotive store?

3) What is up with the fluid level on the handlebar M/C?
If you fill it at the actual angle that it is, there is no way it will show in the window within the center circle...too much angle.
Do you remove the handlebar and hold it level when you fill it?

4) Granted, I have the original front pads, that are only about half worn, still real good shape.
But so far, after bleeding, the lever does not feel firm at all!
Am I doin' it wrong?

Insight ple-ease!

[CarlosT]

1- Red means old and hot fluid...no biggie. Get yourself the newest Valvoline Syn brake fluid...the stuff in the gold bottle.

2- You gotta replace the right nipple with a regular bleeder screw like on the left caliper. Use a heat gun to soften the Loctite before attempting to remove the bleeder...use vise grips. There were other threads where I posted the BMW part # for the bleeder.

3- I found that removing the windshield is the best way to do the refilling right. The book sez to turn the handlebar full lock to the left and loosen the right grip enough to rotate the master cylinder level...then everything falls into place. It's next to impossible to do it by the book unless you remove the windshield.

4- Mity-Vacs suck (pun intended). Bleeding the old fashioned way is the way to go. Bleed and let it settle overnight. Come back the following day and bleed again. Then let the system settle under pressure overnight by applying a wire tie to the front brake lever. This should do it.

If you got ABS the sequence is to bleed the ABS unit first...again I'd do it the old fashioned way. Sell the Mityvac at a flea market.

The real deal is to make a pressure bleeder like the pros use but since I sold my S I could give two sh its.

Good luck.

[CarlosT]

Pretty cool eh? I don't even know a fu cking Beemer anymore and I'm still dispensing good knowledge. I wanna pat myself on the back

[MoDog]

Removing the windshield is definitely the trick...for both the clutch and the brakes.

[Nitro]

ABS or no ABS there is no need to bleed for the ABS unit unless you cannot get all the air out. Even if you do get some air in the system put the system under pressure overnite so the air is squeezed out then bleed again. As for bleeding, one word SPEEDBLEEDERS!

[Rapid Dog]

Hmmm...so WHY do MityVac's suck?
Just curious, as, I noticed when bleeding withit, there was air bubbles galore, when I switched to the old way, I got no bubbles...WEird.
It's like it was sucking air thru the tube at the bleeder nipple.
'zat what you mean?

[Don Ro]

"It's like it was sucking air thru the tube at the bleeder nipple."
****************************
Yes, that's what they do...especially when the tube/nipple seal is sub-optimal. No biggie, the units still work well in my experience.
.

[Rapid Dog]

so, just suck like crazy.
I ran a bottle and a half thru thre first (front) ABS nipple, thinking there was air in there...
Must be nice and clean now.

Synth fluid....I read a thingie saying NOT to use synth fluid.
Any other opinions on tha

[CarlosT]

The Valvoline Syn brake fluid (gold bottle) is compatible with DOT 4 fluid...it's referred to as a DOT 5.1 fluid or something like that. It's not silicone-based and it will still eat your paint like regular DOT 3/4 so be careful. No problem using it with the Beemers or mixing it up with the old fluid. When in doubt, read the bottle label.

This is not to be confused with the seldomly used DOT 5 silicone-based fluids which are NOT compatible with anything else.

The Mityvac's fine for when you're flushing the system but when you're trying to drive those little buggers of bubbles making everything spongy, you'll be there all day. Time and pressure (not vaccuum) are your friends when it comes to bleeding brakes.

You could easily make your own pressure bleeder with a hand-held garden sprayer pump and a spare BMW master cylinder cover. Drill and tap the master cylinder cover and attach a hose fitting. Attach the garden pump hose to the fitting and voila...basically you got yourself a honest-to-Gosh pressure bleeder.

Fill the master cylinder, put on the rigged up cover and pump, pressurize the system (lightly...please) and open the bleeder. The action of the pressure bleeder is a lot more like the hand pumping action than the futil sucking of the WimpyVac

One day the R1100Sgoodies guy or some other smart guy (yeah I know...it coulda been me) will put out a kit like this and charge you guys $80 for $20 worth of parts

[Rapid Dog]

now you tell me...

Well, thanks Carlos-who-sold-his-S.
and the rest.

That is all helpful.
I used the MityV at the ABS res because I wasn't sure if pumping the lever would pump out the res....very mysterious to me...
Now I know, it's a closed system with two bleeders..duh...

Now to find that bleeder for the right side.

[ama]

if it's firm you want, try some stainless steel braided brake lines.

[CarlosT]

The ABS is an open system when bleeding brakes...except for the new fandangled power EVO brakes...who knows what's involved to bleed those. If you got an older S, pumping the brake lever will get brake fluid to flow through the ABS module. The problem is that gravity is not working for you when bleeding the rear...the reservoir is just a touch lower than the ABS unit.

BTW you don't have to completely remove the tank to get to the ABS bleeders...just prop the tank from the rear with a block of wood.

[CarlosT]

I think that the bleed sequence is ABS module first because it sits higher than the calipers so more air would tend to collect there...or so you'd think.

[Rapid Dog]

Right.
According to the BMW repaair manual, first bleed (suck) the fluid from the ABS res.
Then proceed to the calipers.
Still loking for that bleeder. Don't understand why there is that thingie with aplug and no bleeder on thr right cal...

[Rapid Dog]

Just talked to a dealer. They said that there is no need to replace right plug with a bleeder.
You just bleed the front(s) thru the left caliper bleeder.
Let it bleed.