![]() ![]() The clutch reservoir was located under a body panel on the left side of the bike. The rear brake reservoir was located under a body panel on the right side of the bike (many will have it on the left handle bar). My motorcycle had one reservoir on the right handle bar for the front brakes. Make sure it’s a newly opened container of fluid. You may also find the service interval for fluid replacement which is usually ever two years.įor my motorcycle, the same grade (DOT 4) and type (brake fluid) is used in brakes and clutch systems. It also includes the grade of brake fluid to use, which is a very important detail. My owner’s manual included where the fluid reservoirs are located on my motorcycle and how to fill them to the correct levels. Your friendly local auto parts supply shop can help you find out where to safely dispose of the old fluid.While the owner’s manual will often list most of the information you will need to do this job, there are a few things that will not be listed there and the service manual will contain the remaining needed details. Never reinstall old brake fluid it is hygroscopic and repeated exposure to air (and humidity) will significantly reduce its efficacy by lowering its boiling point. Remember to dispose of your old brake fluid responsibly. Air compresses, and bubbles will reduce or eliminate your brakes’ effectiveness. Any of these, used according to the manufacturer’s directions, will help keep you from introducing air into your brakes’ hydraulic system. It can be as simple as a purpose-made small plastic bottle with some tubes and a magnet, or slightly more expensive like the ever-popular MityVac, or a fancy compressor-assisted vacuum pump. While you can use any old clear plastic tubing for this job, I recommend buying a brake bleeder. If your ABS module gets bubbles in it or goes dry, it can lose its mind, and that can be a very expensive repair. Bleeding brakes in the wrong order can cause ABS faults. Often these brakes need to be bled in a specific order, including cycling the ABS module in between bleed points, so again, read your MOM or shop manual to find out what your motorcycle’s demands are. Some motorcycles have ABS, and as such can have multiple bleed points. Bleeding one into the other counts as mixing, so anything short of emptying your system completely, cleaning it with brake cleaner, and refilling from empty, will mix the fluids. That obviously creates a very dangerous situation. They are not compatible, will not mix, and can create a goobery mess, clogging up passages and resulting in sudden non-functional brakes. They are compatible and can be mixed without messing up your system, but for the best performance and peace of mind, stick with the fluid specified by your motorcycle manufacturer: the one that is stamped into your reservoir lid.ĭOT5 brake fluid is silicone-based and should never be mixed with DOT3, DOT4 or DOT5.1. Each one has a higher mandated (but sometimes not actual) boiling point than the next. Now this is important, and why the powers that be made it so confusing I do not know: DOT3, DOT4, and DOT5.1 are all glycol-based fluids. Fill the reservoir as necessary as you bleed fluid out of the system, and seat the float and gasket very carefully on reinstallation. Note and remember their orientation, remove them and gently wipe all the old brake fluid off them, then set them aside somewhere clean and safe. Note that under the lid there is sometimes a small, flat styrofoam float, and always a rubber accordion gasket. Prepare a clean, stable surface to put the parts on (I use blue shop paper towels on my workbench). ![]() Set your handlebars so that the reservoir is as level as possible, and clean the cap thoroughly before removing it. Wear nitrile gloves, since brake fluid is also toxic and terrible for your skin. Whenever you work with brake fluid, cover everything that might get dripped on with a shop blanket or old bath towel, and have another damp towel at hand to clean up any spills. It will remove paint and mar finished surfaces in minutes. Be careful with brake fluid it is an excellent paint stripper. ![]()
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