Had to drain/flush/bleed the clutch line yesterday.

[leftfield6]

Took my new-to-me 700S out for a drive yesterday, and, unfortunately, got stuck in traffic.  Hot as freaking hell, and bumper-to-bumper traffic.  As i was creeping along, my clutch began to lose itself.  It wouldn't engage/disengage, and I had no feel in the lever.  When I did clunk it into gear,  the clutch didn't slip, but it was obvious the slave wasn't moving the clutch.

So, got it home, and removed the reservoir cap.  Oh my freakin Lord.  The fluid was the color of root beer.  It may well have BEEN root beer.  I had obviously a fair amount of crud in some very old fluid.  Luckily I had a big ole unopened bottle of DOT 4 brake fluid sitting on the shelf, and a Braves game on the radio.  The clutch line is a PITA to bleed, but got it done.  Much better now.  I'll take it out later, get it nice and hot, and see if I got all the air out.

Next will be the brake line.  I'm assuming I won't like what I find there either.

[hppants]

Bike calls for DOT3 - will using DOT4 hurt anything?

Once you bleed the front brake, you will find stopping much better - at least I did.

[leftfield6]

Bike calls for DOT3 - will using DOT4 hurt anything?

Just double-checked.  The reservoir cap on my clutch line reads "Use only DOT3 or DOT4 brake fluid from a sealed container"   

Actually the cap on the brake reservoir says the same thing.

[happycommuter]

There's a reason I incessantly harp on new owners to flush/bleed the hydraulics.  Fork oil too.  The forgotten fluids.

I had to wait till I stalled out during an emergency stop to deal with the issue.  Do it early and be vigilant in checking for mushy levers. 

The tranny should not be clunky and the front brake shouldn't feel wooden and slide for a while.  And yeah, DOT 5 is the wacko incompatible stuff.  DOT 3 or 4 are interchangeable for general use.

[SirSeanSean]

I thought the difference between DOT 3 and DOT 4 was that DOT 4 had a higher heat tolerance than DOT 3. 

[happycommuter]

Yes, DOT 4 has a higher boiling point.  I doubt I'm aggressive enough for this to really be a concern of mine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOT_4

[BenjaminEsquire]

I know this topic is a little old but quick question. Did anyone hear about using a block to adjust the clutch lever so that it does not go all the way to the handle while flushing? I have to flush the bike this winter and i was wondering if anyone has heard about this method.

[tomb raider]

Got A Harbor Freight around, if so, get a flush kit, like $20. Works GREAT, and you can use it on your Vehicles to..

[ERAU-944]

I know this topic is a little old but quick question. Did anyone hear about using a block to adjust the clutch lever so that it does not go all the way to the handle while flushing? I have to flush the bike this winter and i was wondering if anyone has heard about this method.

clutch no, brake yes.

the clutch level goes to the handle every time you use it, why would that be a problem when you're flushing the system?

[leftfield6]

I know this has thread has been "resting" for a while, but I found a pic on my camera that I wanted to share.   It's fuzzy as heck, but this was the state of my clutch fluid when I purchased the bike.

 




Yes, it's all nicely flushed out now, as are the brake lines.

[Laminar]

Bike calls for DOT3 - will using DOT4 hurt anything?

DOT3 and DOT4 are fully interchangeable - any system designed for 3 can use 4. You can mix the two without issue. DOT5 is synthetic and cannot be mixed - the system must be completely flushed and any trace of 3/4 removed before 5 can be added.

Got A Harbor Freight around, if so, get a flush kit, like $20. Works GREAT, and you can use it on your Vehicles to..

Flush kit? Like a vacuum bleeding kit? You can get a self-bleeding kit (basically a little plastic bottle) for under $5, it's what I use.

I know this topic is a little old but quick question. Did anyone hear about using a block to adjust the clutch lever so that it does not go all the way to the handle while flushing? I have to flush the bike this winter and i was wondering if anyone has heard about this method.

clutch no, brake yes.

the clutch level goes to the handle every time you use it, why would that be a problem when you're flushing the system?

The Official 550/650 manual makes no mention of holding either lever off of the bar while bleeding.

I know this has thread has been "resting" for a while, but I found a pic on my camera that I wanted to share.   It's fuzzy as heck, but this was the state of my clutch fluid when I purchased the bike.

 

Here's what I pushed out of the Sabre's clutch and brake lines:


Flushing the system is much easier if you don't allow air into the system at all. Keep the master cylinder full as you pump old fluid out. Though you'll waste a little new fluid mixing with the old, the flush takes almost no time since you don't have to deal with air in the system. I just keep pushing fluid through until it comes out clear and there's no particulate.

[Shaivong]

How do you keep air from getting into the slave cylinder?

[Laminar]

If the lines are tight and the master cylinder is full enough no air should get into the slave cylinder. When bleeding the slave cylinder, use a vacuum pump or one-man bleeder kit (available at Harbor Freight or an auto parts store). Also, I squeeze the lever, open and close the bleeder screw, then release the lever. This ensures the pressure inside the slave cylinder is higher than outside, so no air will get in.

[Shaivong]

Thanks! Do you really need the vacuum pump, or can you pump the fluid through with the master cylinder?

[Laminar]

I've always just pumped with the MC.