help bleeding / flushing 1500 clutch

[hap2]

I've never bled a clutch (or brakes) before. Can I do it by myself? Do I really need to put the bike on its centerstand or can I just put something under the sidestand (easier for me) to make it more level?

Thank u

[Dusty Boots]

Easy enough to do it by yourself IF you have a set of speed bleeders installed!
Front brake and clutch is easy enough to do by yourself, but when you switch to doing the rear linked brake system, it's pretty hard to do by yourself unless you have speed bleeders, or a mighty vac.
Best to have it on the center stand, but can be done carefully on it's side stand with a piece of 1" x 2" under the side stand.
Just be careful you don't splash/drip and brake fluid on your bike's paint plastic!!!!!!!!!!

[hap2]

I don't think I have any speed bleeders installed.

I'm just gonna try what this guy does:

[hap2]

Oh ya..I'm just gonna bleed the clutch via gravity & that's all

I'm just wondring: Can I just use a pair of pliers or crescent wrench to loosen the clutch bleeding bolt (down by the alternator [or whatever that big round thing is as soon as I remove the left side cover] ) or do I HAVE to use an 8mm box or open end wrench?

And do I really need to put it on the centerstand or can I just putta block under the sidestand to make it a bit level?

[Stew]

I did it a few weeks ago on mine on the center stand just opening and closing the bleeder with a small wrench while working the lever. It's pretty easy to do it by yourself like that because the clutch lever is on the same side right there as the bleeder valve.

[hap2]

Can I just use a pair of pliers or crescent wrench to loosen the clutch bleeding bolt?

[dingdong]

There is a "how to" on here regarding bleeding the 1500 clutch.

Pliers are for cracking pecans and walnuts. There is nothing on a motorcycle that pliers should ever be used on. Only damage will occur. The head on a crescent is too big. You really should use a small box end or even an open end will do. If you can get the fluid reservoir on the handle bars level, with the bike on the side stand, there is no other reason not to. I haven't tried. Not level means brake fluid will spill when the cover is opened.

[hap2]

Thanx Tom. I found an both open & boxed end 8 mm. I got some transparent hose. 1/2" i d good enuf?

I'll make sure the bike is level before I try anything, but I just thot having it leaning a bit to the left would help to bleed it out to the left.

[kane67]

I used a 50ml syringe (could be bigger) to get air out easier.
When I rebuilt clutch slave, it had ”sticky air” trapped somewhere and using large syringe helped it to come out.

br, kane

[dingdong]

1\2 inch id hose is waaay to large. Not sure off the top of my head what size but check the bleed nipple. Needs to fit tight around it. Closer to 1/8 inch.

[hap2]

I'll try 1/8"..wish I knew what size it is in the picture Haynes manual

Or even in this video:

[hap2]

Sorry about posting the big video. All I really wanted to do was to post the url.

Anyway, does anyone know what diameter that clutch breather nipple is?

[dingdong]

I just measured the nipple. It is 1/4 inch or 6.35 mm appx. So you need about 1/8 to 3/16 in. id hose. Just not larger. It needs to fit tight.

[hap2]

Thanks alot I will get some better sized tubing tomorrow. About how much clutch fluid will there b in the line? The resevoir's empty.

[hap2]

dingdong: what size tubing would YOU get?

[Stew]

You might be over thinking this a bit, you just get small diameter tubing, shove it on and bleed away.

[hap2]

ya, ur probly right.

[Stew]

There was one thing that threw me for a loop when I flushed my clutch fluid that was a little different compared to bleeding a caliper. When bleeding a caliper you know how you hold pressure on the lever, crack open the bleeder, close it and repeat... well when doing the clutch you have to pump the clutch lever several times between opening the bleeder, it was kinda weird. After opening/closing the clutch bleeder if you just pull the clutch lever once it will feel like there's no resistance and you don't have a clutch anymore. Don't worry, pump it a few times and it'll build back up. Must just take a few lever pumps worth of fluid to get the slave cylinder back where it needs to be I guess.

[Eckhard]

I used a device that generates a vacuum with an air hose. Sucks the fluid right up. Put it on the nipple, crack the nipple, turn the air. Complete setups can be had on Ebay. Some look like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-1L-Air-Bra ... SwJq1ZaGAZ

[hap2]

I tried to bleed the clutch on the 1500.

This is what I did: (in order)

-loosened valve
-fluid started to come
-depressed lever about 20X.
(when I released lever. fluid seemed to come faster)
-then I removed reservoir cover & filled it up (reservoir was empty to start with)
-then I kept squeezing & releasing lever until reservoir was empty again
-then I filled it up again & tightened bolt
-STILL no tension. Whad I do wrong?

[ct1500]

Pull the lever to bar and release, pull the lever to bar again and hold it there then open bleeder screw and then close screw prior to the fluid stopping by itself. Repeat the above until all air is purged without allowing the master to run dry. You do not release lever with screw open as it will suck air back in which defeats the bleeding process.

[hap2]

o ok..thanx alot...Will try again tomorrow

[hap2]

Lemme get this right.

In order,
1 pull the clutch lever & release
2 pull the clutch lever & hold it pulled (with elastic bands or whatever)
3 open bleeder screw
4 wait for all fluid to drain out
5 close bleeder screw
6 then release lever & fill resevour

[DenverWinger]

Yup, You got it!

Repeat as needed.... When no more air bubbles you should be done.

[hap2]

Perfect..Thank ya much