Hydro brakes question

Erok000

Erok000

Member
#1
#1
So I've had my brakes for about a month now and everything was fine till yesterday. The brakes dont want to release, and if I roll backwards catch and drag making a horible sound. Im pretty sure I feel air in the lines, how it got there i have no idea.

So how do I bleed the line? I see the bleeder valve but I want to do it right and not just get more air in the line, so I dont wanna just go turning it:shrug:. Then how do I add fluid to the line?


Also I was at Homedepot yesterday and decided to get a new plug( I had a gift card that needed spent,lol:laugh:). I got an E3 plug, but I dont know what to gap it @, the same as the old one? Its a 6.5 blu clone. I guessed and gapped it to 33 and it runs good, but sounds way different , could that be the plug? See I noticed it when I noticed the brakes were acting up. Couldve just been the engine forcing past the brakes. I stopped feeling the clutch engaging, it wasnt stck closed tho:eek:ut: So thats my first start, im also gonna put the old plug backin till I get the brakes right.

Sorry for my rant, im just hoping one of you senior minibikers could pass some usefull knowledge to me at my time of need.:thumbsup::scooter:
 
Erok000

Erok000

Member
#4
#4
man you guys are fast.:hammer: I dont have a bleeder kit nor the money for one right now. I figured it was simple and similar to a car. Ill try without a cool kit and just make a mess,lol. Iono what promod put in, but ima add DOT3( cuz its what I have) is it bad to mix,:shrug: in case he put in DOT4?
Any ideas on vthis stupid plug? :blink:
Thx guys:scooter:
 
texasfabguy

texasfabguy

New Member
#5
#5
You should be able to gravity bleed it,remove the cap on the master cylinder and open the bleeder. close it and pump the handle slowly once or twice then open it again,once the fluid leaks out solid it's done. top off the master cylinder and put the cap back on.

As for the E3 plug,gap it at .35 that should be good.

Also look close at your brake pads,I had one wear out and fall out of the caliper.
 
buckeye

buckeye

Well-Known Member
#6
#6
Squeeze with bleeder open. close the bleeder.Sqeeze with bleeder open close. Do that until no more air bubbles. then add brake fluid til full.
 
Erok000

Erok000

Member
#7
#7
well I went out and started taking a better look at everything. Turns out my pad had worn down to nothing and the caliper was starting to drag. I took the pads off the old brake setup and and that fixed that, Well, for some reason I have to add a few washers to space the caliper to fit just right on the rotor. Funny thing is I had to do that with the stock brakes as well, and this doodle came out of a box:eek:ut: Added some fluid to the resevoir and everything feels fine.

I put the old plug in and it runs the good. Ill try the E3 gapped to 35. but still the same unfamiliar feeling with the clutch. There is no feeling of engagement like there used to be. So I took the clutch off and am soaking the bushing in oil. Altho it wsnt dry. I dont know , maybe I just need a new clutch, this one isnt a year old tho. My bike is geared to fast , so I know Im ruff on the clutch, wish I could find a 10T 3/4" #35.Id rather climb hills then go fast.:scooter:
 
creia

creia

#8
#8
Previously posted by Erok000, in part:
"I've had my brakes for about a month now...
"Turns out my pad had worn down to nothing."
Wow, as a (new) fellow hydro brakes owner, I don't like the sound of those two statements together!:shrug: That seems like a VERY short lifespan:no: Has that been anybody else's experience?
 
creia

creia

#11
#11
On Promod's website I see that they sell a "Heavy Duty Pad Replacement Kit" as an upgrade for the hydro brakes. Has anybody purchased this? Any noticeable difference in performance(i.e., stopping power or how long they last)?
 
Dave_In_Florida

Dave_In_Florida

New Member
#12
#12
I wouldn't worry too much about the pads wearing out until you personally experience it.

My friend has had the hydro brakes on his doodle for 6 months or more and the pads look brand new. It's all how you ride it. If you go hauling ass and braking hard into every turn, you'll burn them up, if you're just cruising around the neighborhood and roll out of the throttle and coast before stopping, they last a long time.
 
Erok000

Erok000

Member
#13
#13
I do know the stock pads are thin and soft. I didnt expect them to last long, I bet they got used up last time I went camping, Uphil you dont use brakes, but downhill is another story lol:laugh: Also as I mentioned, I had to space the caliper on the rotor, I think the 1st time I did it, the outer pad was dragging more then I thought, this time I sapced it out a lil more. I will try those pads from promod when I got the money, for now I need to determine if my clutch went bad or something else....
 
ProMod

ProMod

#14
#14
Here is some info that might help in regards to brake pad replacement.

There are a couple of different calipers found on the Hyd" brake systems being sold by us and several other companies. The most common one I have seen comes from the factory with a thin pad opposite the piston side of the caliper.
Here is a pic that shows the difference in pad thickness.
Replacement pads are only available in the same thickness as the thicker one shown in the pic.
If you tried to install two new thick replacement pads on these calipers you could not get the piston to re tracked enough to get the caliper over the rotor.
Thats where the shim in the kit comes in handy allowing you to install two thick longer lasting pads on these systems.
I recently found that the latest version of the Hyd System from the suppliers have pads that are the same thickness and you do not use the shim. With this system you can get the caliper over the rotor with two thick new pads.
We now also sell just the replacement pads for this application.

Mini Bike Hyd Brake Syst
 
Erok000

Erok000

Member
#16
#16
Thx Promod for that info.:thumbsup: I got small pads on my set. Swapping them with the stock pads was a quick fix.I will be ordering some bigger pads soon!
Turns out my clutch was all full of chain lube. A quick cleaning and everything is back to normal. I also gapped the E3 plug to .35, seems to be working just fine!:scooter::scooter:
 
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