I'm wondering about replacing the brake fluid in my '04. I'm assuming it's never been done. I've read opinions about whether this is necessary or not, with a lot of people thinking it's not. Honda manual says do it every two years. It just seems like it couldn't hurt on a now 5 or 6 year old bike.

I'd like to know if it's a straightforward job or not, and what exactly the procedure is. If anyone has done this and has pictures of it, that would be fantastic.

Brakes are something not well documented on this or other forums. Maybe because they are straightforward and fairly simple to do. I have never attempted brake maintenance myself because, I don't want to find out the hard way I've done something wrong .

What I can tell you is that Brake fluid is very unfriendly to plastic parts so before you begin the job make sure the dash or other plastics are covered well.

One other characteristic of brake fluid is that it has no color, it is clear. When you look in the viewing windows on the reservoir it should be clear. As brake fluid becomes contaminated (from air & moisture) it will turn amber to a darker brown. If you have neither of these conditions and the brakes are working fine then leave it alone. If you notice that your fluid level is down you can top it off.

One thing you should do is to visually inspect all of the rubber brake lines for any sign of cracking or deterioration. If you find any cracking (similar to dry rot on tire sidewalls) you have a reason to drain and replace fluid as you replace the brake lines.

I'd love to see a tutorial on brake pad replacement and or brake bleeding for the SW. We have almost everything else documented quite well!

Good post and reply. I look forward to a tutorial from the more mechanically adept.

Edit

These youtube clips may provide some insight. Bike brakes work in a similar way so generic advice should help.

Youtube clips

Thanks. I'll take a closer look at the fluid windows to check for discoloration, although whenever I've done this I can't really tell if the color is off or not. (Maybe that's a good thing). I understand that it should be clear, meaning, I guess, transparent, meaning I shouldn't really see the fluid at all?
And I'll look at the hoses to check for cracking.

Anyone else have a pictorial, or other experience to share?

I'll also have a closer look at my shop manual to see if they cover this procedure.

I understand brake fluid should be changed every three years. The dealers my partner and I used did it on my bike and his BMW at least that often.

Sure looks like it would be worth 20 bucks (plus a few more for shipping of course). Maybe it would also help with the plastic protection issue? Keep things a bit neater?

Also, thanks for the youtube link. Gives me a good starter understanding of the process, and makes it more clear that the bleeder kit is a good idea.

I just changed the fluid and bled the brakes. This was a first time experience, so I made a few 'oops' but was able to work through it thanks to some advice from Jake on the yahoo forum. I documented my experienced and wrote the following tutorial. Hopefully it will be of help to others.

http://www.4shared.com/file/116785031/2a6569e9/Brake_bleed_tutorial.html

Hey Mike, thanks a million. Great tutorial, and warnings. One of the video clips in an above post shows a gizmo - basically a bottle - that automatically re-fills the cylinder as you're bleeding, presumably eliminating the need for an assistant. I can't remember if the Harbor Freight bleed kit - also above -has this feature or not.

Ride safe, with fresh new firm clean fluid and operation.

Great Post...I appreciate you taking time to do this. I have used the mityvac for years but just purchased an air operated bleeding system and will try it on my GL1500 some time soon. We are getting ready for an August trip to Branson. I will probably change the Swing this winter. I suck all the old fluid out of the resevoir with a turky bastor and fill it up with fresh fluid prior to starting the bleeder process. This gets fresh fluid thru the lines faster. Also lets you wipe out the bottom of the resevoir while it is empty. You will not induce air this way because the lines are still full up to the resevoir. It is when you are sucking fluid thru the lines and allow the resevoir to go dry that will get a person in trouble. And as you indicated having someone filling the resevoir while bleeding is the answer. You may see a few air bubbles in the line while sucking the fluid which comes from the air around the bleeder screw threads but usually does not create problems because it comes around the threads and directly into the clear line while suction is induced. You can use vasoline or something similar to smear around the thread portion of the bleeder before starting which generaly cures this if you are concerned. You can also squeeze the brake and open the bleeder while the brake is pressed to force fluid out but make sure the bleeder valve is closed prior to the brake lever traveling all the way. This is a slower way and usually takes two people in coordination to accomplish bleeding this way. It works fine as this was the method prior to vacuum tools. Some people still prefer to do it this way and I would if I did not have the proper tools. I have speed bleeders on the GL1500 and have never liked them. Just could not get results that the vacuum units gave me. Of course that just may be me. Thanks again. Dick

Thanks for info and tutorial!
Really useful!

Holy Shite! Here's a phase one report on my attempt to bleed the brakes:

I read Mike's tutorial; I even read the Yahoo forum posts from Jake; I bought me a MityVac and 4 bottles (12oz each) of Dot 4 fluid (not enough, as it turns out). So far I'd estimate that I've put in about 6 or 7 hours over 2 days. The job's not yet done.

Here's what I've experienced, and learned so far:

1) using the MityVac is a pain in the butt. I think my right hand will be sore for at least a week, if I can even use it at all.

2) Jake was right, you'll need (or I'll need, maybe you're different, or more experienced) a lot of new brake fluid. I've gone thru the 4 bottles and need more, and that's with re-using one bottle for about 2 hours - a no-no, by the way, since I guess it gets air in the fluid as you re-use it and re-pour it, so you end up bleeding air that you keep putting back into the system. Whew!

3) DO, I repeat, DO grease the threaded part of the bleed valve. Let me repeat this in case you mis-read it: DO, DO, DO, grease the threaded part of the bleed valve. Why, you ask? So that you can avoid hours of frustrating attempts to bleed air that keeps seeping into the line thru this valve as you're trying to bleed the system. As soon as I put some vasaline on this valve the line stopped taking on air, and the vacuum capability of the MityVac increased to a meaningful level. DUH!

4) As Mike said, and as everyone else who ever bled their brakes has said or has learned the hard way, DO NOT allow the master cylinder to drain of fluid and start sucking air. Mine just barely started sucking air - I could hear it - before I re-filled the cylinder, but this minimal lapse on my part made it necessary to re-bleed what may have been a pretty well bled rear line.
Re-doing this job is NOT something you want to have to do. It's enough of pain to begin with.

5) It is nice when you start to see your bleed line running clear of air bubbles. But don't be fooled. There's probably more air in there further up the line, and you'd be well advised to keep bleeding for a good while longer. Then you can experience the sinking feeling of having your accomplishment go to hell on you.

6) After 6 or 7 hours of this nonesense I'm not even close to the "rock hard" feeling in the levers that one is supposed to aim for. I've begun to doubt that I'll ever have the pleasure of knowing that feeling. I've been tempted to quit several times during this process so far, and if it hadn't been for my decision the try greasing the threads, I probably would have.

7) If I ever wish to inflict this same suffering on myself in the future - do it every two years? I understand completely why people NEVER do this job - I may just get a power operated (compressed air as I've discovered) bleed kit with an attached re-fill dispenser for the master cylinder. I can only imagine that this would make the task tolerable, maybe even simple, and lend itself to the recommended service cycle.

There's probably more, but I guess this is all I can bare to say for now. I'm hoping that I'll be able to complete the job successfully - finally - and will have the brakes I deserve, goll darn it!

Whoever is thinking of trying this for themselves: BE FOREWARNED! The first time, I suspect, is NO FUN AT ALL. At best, it will be a valuable learning experience. Or, it just might be the kind of thing that decides a person to, next time, take it to the pros.

Good luck! Final report awaits!

Oh, and my bad. I did pump the rear brake lever several times, in and out, while the bleed valve was open, not realizing that I was bringing air back into the system. This no doubt contributed to the problems I've had particularly with the rear brake lever continuing to be mushy.

By the way, I just read in a wikipedia article that a successful bleeding job will NOT necessarily result in a "rock hard" feel to the lever. There are other factors which can contribute to a continued slightly mushy feel, such as pad wear (I think). The rule of thumb seems to be that the lever should feel no worse than when you began, and hopefully a bit tighter.

I haven't done it, but if there is a bleed valve on the caliper it should be pretty straightforward. Suck everything out of the master cylinder, refill with fresh fluid, and pump it out the bleed valve using the usual "Squeeze.....wait......ok, squeeze.....wait.....ok" method. (Guaranteed to cause marital friction.)

Remember that the rear lever also actuates the center piston on the front caliper. I don't know how they address that issue. If there are two bleed valves on the front, the answer is obvious. If not....then I have no clue.

I've never had any success with any sort of "one man brake bleeder" system. Do the two-person version, no matter how much it annoys your wife.

Get a chunk of clear plastic tubing to attach to the bleed valve so you can direct the fluid into a container. As mentioned above, it WILL ruin paint and plastic parts! Nasty stuff. Barely crack the valve open. Otherwise fluid will leak around the threads and cause a mess. (It might anyway.) And make sure your help does not release the handle until the valve is CLOSED.

It'll take several open-close cycles to get the fresh fluid through the lines and caliper. I've seen colored brake fluid for sale to help make it more obvious, but the stuff is cheap enough I've always used the Overkill Method.

I've never done this on a bike, as I mentioned, but dozens of times on cars. It's messy and annoying, but not complicated. If the pedal (or handle, as the case may be) feels spongy, you have air in the system. Period. It's that simple.

I've been told that if you do this every year, preferably in the spring, you will NEVER have hydraulic problems with your braking system. It will outlast the bike. Brake fluid is strongly hydrophilic and absorbs water from the air. Water is the killer, not "old fluid." Keep it fresh and clean and the seals have no reason to dry up and rot. Always buy brake fluid in small containers, and don't bother trying to save the leftovers. Any container that has been opened should be discarded after you're finished. Be obsessive about cleanliness. A tiny bit of grit or oil in the system can literally kill you.

Another thought just popped into my head. Maybe a long shot.....

Ever heard of "cavitation"? It's the phenomenon that causes bubbles to appear behind a boat's propeller blades even though it's under water.

I suspect it's possible that if your helper squeezes too hard on the handle and you suddenly release the pressure you could get a cavitation-like phenomenon that would cause bubbles to appear by magic throughout the system. The brake levers and hydraulics are designed to greatly multiply the force applied to the levers. As long as your helper maintains "positive" pressure you won't suck air at the bottom end. So I'd suggest you tell them to concentrate more on maintaining a constant pressure until you tell them to release the handle than trying to muscle it. Also, try to crack the valve open VERY slightly so that fluid just oozes out. That'll maintain pressure inside the system at a fairly high level as the lever is squeezed.

Just a theory.