Banjo Bolt Bleeding

[Jolsen]

Gary Steinweg wrote:

Banjo Bolt Bleeding

This procedure addresses hydraulic system bleeding where the banjo bolt is suspected to be the elusive and final source of air entrapment. It assumes the rest of the hydraulic system has already been properly purged of air, yet a limp or spongy lever remains. It assumes all openings in the reservoir are clean and clear of debris or clogging.

The banjo bolts of Intruder motorcycles are susceptible to air entrapment because of their orientation relative to the master fluid reservoirs. The banjo bolt is a high point in the hydraulic system preventing any entrapped air from venting back into the reservoir or being forced all the way down to the brake or clutch slave units where it could be vented out the bleed screw(s).

ALSO, when you pour the hydraulic fluid into the reservoir, wait a few minutes before resuming flushing. If you don't you'll send the microscopic air bubbles down the line where they'll eventually add up to a problem by collecting in the banjo bolt. Allow time for the little bubbles to rise to the surface before proceding after each fluid add.

The traditional method for purging entrapped air out of the banjo bolt has been to crack the bolt loose while pulling the lever and re-tightening it before releasing the lever. An alternative has been to force hydraulic fluid upward from the slave cylinders while opening the banjo bolt to bleed off the air. The first is difficult to do properly, and the second requires special equipment.

There is now a third option that is fairly easy to perform and has been demonstrated to work where the other two methods resist success. Here’s what to do.

For the front brake:

1. Fill your front brake reservoir as full as you can get it. Cap it.

2. Straddle the bike, lock it into 1st gear, and lift the kickstand.

3. Turn the wheel hard left then lean the bike over to the left as far as you can hold it. If there's someone there to help you hold the bike in that position, all the better.

4. Squeeze the front brake lever v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y one inch. ONE INCH ONLY. Release it v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. Repeat this several times until the brake lever firms up.

For the hydraulic clutch - opt-1:

1. Fill your clutch reservoir as full as you can get it. (To aid in properly filling the clutch reservoir, you can loosen the clutch perch and slide it up the handle bar until the reservoir sits horizontal. If you do this, then lightly snug it there temporarily, it will lessen the amount you have to lean the bike to the right to get the banjo bolt lower than the bottom of the reservoir.) Cap it.

2. Straddle the bike, lock it into 1st gear, and lift the kickstand.

3. Turn the wheel hard right then lean the bike over to the right as far as you can hold it. If there's someone there to help you hold the bike in that position, all the better.

4. Squeeze the clutch lever v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y one inch. ONE INCH ONLY. Release it v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. Repeat this several times until the clutch lever firms up.

For the hydraulic clutch - opt-2 (as proposed by BugsInMyTeeth):

1. Follow step 1 above.

2. Follow step 2 above.

3. Follow step 3 above.

4. Squeeze the clutch lever v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y all the way to the grip. Hold it there for 5-10 seconds. Release the clutch lever by letting it fly out on its own. Repeat this several times until the clutch lever firms up.

Regards, Gary in Sandy Eggo
Edited by Gary Steinweg on Jun 29, 2007 at 04:57 PM

[DMIntruder]

The YELLOW text is impossible to read and leads to confusion if you cannot read it.

[Jolsen]

Thats the way Gary wrote it. I will make it a bit darker but keep it yellowish as the op made it.

[DMIntruder]

Maybe it is the monitor I am reading it on but I think red would stand out better. I had to highlight the text to be able to read it.