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[Dead_Reckoning]

How often do you change your Brake Fluid?
All I see in the Service Schedule is "I"nspect.

I wasn't privy to previous owner's Maint records and no idea when it was changed.
It now has 26K on it.I wasn't having any braking issues

I have been chasing an intermittent Cruise for awhile.
last week I
1.Changed Brake Fluid both Front and Rear, cleaned barrels, as suggested in another thread.
2. Flushed with new fluid until it looked like new coming out bleeders.
PS: Those guns for draining and bleeding are great.

:0) - Cruise works fine now

[SneakyPete]

Brake fluid and hydraulic clutch fluid (same) should be changed when the fluid darkens to something other than the light purple of fresh fluid.  With a vacuum bleeder like the one from Griot's garage, it is so easy to do, no reason not to do it as yearly maintenance IMHO.

[grc]

Harley's maintenance schedules used to call for fluid changes every two years.  Did they eliminate that recently?


Jerry


btw, the correct way to determine when it's time to change the fluid is by measuring the boiling point.  Changes in color don't necessarily mean anything, the real issue is the fact that the fluid attracts moisture over time and that moisture depresses the boiling point.  Having your fluid boil in the calipers on that long hard downhill run is not good.  Of course, it's much easier to just change it on a regular schedule versus draining some and checking the boiling point.

[Twolanerider]

Dennis, I don't remember the short sweep of years that Harley went to DOT5 fluid from the factory.  But your 03 might have caught that.  If so be careful in both bleeding and handling the fluid.  It is a royal pain in the ass to work with.

Its benefits are that it's not hygroscopic like DOT3, 4 or 5.1, it's got a high boiling point and that it won't (so quickly) eat paint if it's spilled.  But I'll gladly put up with the service intervals and the need to keep it off paint to avoid having to work with it.

If yours is DOT5 and you do change the fluids be careful.  Don't shake the bottle.  Don't even pour out of it too abruptly.  DOT5 fluid will entrain air bubbles within the fluid.  If that happens you can't bleed it out.  Just have to let the stuff set until the bubbles percolate on their own out of the fluid.  If the bottle is moved too vigorously and you're concerned you can heat the fluid.  But it's still a pain.  This is why DOT5 can't be used on a vehicle with ABS.  The agitation from the ABS pump causes the same problem.

In practice I have almost never cleanly bled DOT5 without having the stuff fight me at least a little.  On hot rods or bikes.  It's such a nuisance I won't use it.  

If you've got DOT5 you've also got the option of flushing the system and using something else.  In practicve I've never had a problem sucking the reservoirs and calipers dry than pushing plenty of the new fluid through.  Even long term after changes I've never had an issue doing this.  Know beforehand, however, that there are myriad warnings about doing precisely that.  Everything from not doing it at all (without rebuilding cylinders and calipers) to using any of several different flushing solutions.

[Dead_Reckoning]

Dennis, I don't remember the short sweep of years that Harley went to DOT5 fluid from the factory.  But your 03 might have caught that.  If so be careful in both bleeding and handling the fluid.  It is a royal pain in the ass to work with.

Its benefits are that it's not hygroscopic like DOT3, 4 or 5.1, it's got a high boiling point and that it won't (so quickly) eat paint if it's spilled.  But I'll gladly put up with the service intervals and the need to keep it off paint to avoid having to work with it.

If yours is DOT5 and you do change the fluids be careful.  Don't shake the bottle.  Don't even pour out of it too abruptly.  DOT5 fluid will entrain air bubbles within the fluid.  If that happens you can't bleed it out.  Just have to let the stuff set until the bubbles percolate on their own out of the fluid.  If the bottle is moved too vigorously and you're concerned you can heat the fluid.  But it's still a pain.  This is why DOT5 can't be used on a vehicle with ABS.  The agitation from the ABS pump causes the same problem.

In practice I have almost never cleanly bled DOT5 without having the stuff fight me at least a little.  On hot rods or bikes.  It's such a nuisance I won't use it.  

If you've got DOT5 you've also got the option of flushing the system and using something else.  In practicve I've never had a problem sucking the reservoirs and calipers dry than pushing plenty of the new fluid through.  Even long term after changes I've never had an issue doing this.  Know beforehand, however, that there are myriad warnings about doing precisely that.  Everything from not doing it at all (without rebuilding cylinders and calipers) to using any of several different flushing solutions.

Thanks Don
My manual said DOT5, so that is what I used.
Luckily I didn't shake either bottle and I poured it soo slowly I thought it was liquid gold.
When I finished, both front and rear were as hard as before I started.

Ridden it 500 miles now, since change, and no issues.

DR

[Twolanerider]

Thanks Don
My manual said DOT5, so that is what I used.
Luckily I didn't shake either bottle and I poured it soo slowly I thought it was liquid gold.
When I finished, both front and rear were as hard as before I started.

Ridden it 500 miles now, since change, and no issues.

DR

Well done!  The change interval could be longer on a bike with DOT5 than with other fluids since isn't nearly so hygroscopic.  You don't get the moisture accumulation in the fluid that settles in low spots and eats lines or cylinder or calper parts from the inside out.  For peace of mind it's still worth pushing new fluid through every few years though.  I do mine every third spring if there's not been a caliper change or some other service in the interim.

[Dead_Reckoning]

Well done!  The change interval could be longer on a bike with DOT5 than with other fluids since isn't nearly so hygroscopic.  You don't get the moisture accumulation in the fluid that settles in low spots and eats lines or cylinder or calper parts from the inside out.  For peace of mind it's still worth pushing new fluid through every few years though.  I do mine every third spring if there's not been a caliper change or some other service in the interim.

Thanks Don
  - Something else to add to my Scheduled Maintenance.
Sooner than later I should have a full History since I aquired this SERK.

I know the more I have checked off, the more comfortable I feel riding.


DR

[djkak]

Dennis, I don't remember the short sweep of years that Harley went to DOT5 fluid from the factory.  But your 03 might have caught that.....

As I remember it, H-D began running DOT-5 in ’79 0r ’80. There was a safety recall on the disc brakes back then that included DOT-5 fluid use on machines produced back to 1974.

[porthole]

With a vacuum bleeder like the one from Griot's garage, it is so easy to do, no reason not to do it as yearly maintenance IMHO.

Pete, which one are you using?

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/reverse+brake+bleeder+kit.do?sortby=ourPicks

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/one-person+brake+bleeder.do?sortby=ourPicks

[SneakyPete]

Pete, which one are you using?

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/one-person+brake+bleeder.do?sortby=ourPicks

This one

[Skillet]

Good info. Thanks

[porthole]

Looks good enough to try, reasonable too. Not available till next month though.

[SneakyPete]

Looks good enough to try, reasonable too. Not available till next month though.

Must be popular!  It works well.

[porthole]

Just ordered one.

[dayne66]

I do mine every spring. I have been doing it the hard way though. That bleeding tool looks to make things easy...and with the recommendations on here I'm getting one.

As a side note.....a friend in the SoCal Porche club once told me that to participate in any of their events your brake fluid had to be fresh..... with-in 30 days. I ride hard...and brake hard...so, once a year certainly isn't overkill.

[Twolanerider]

As I remember it, H-D began running DOT-5 in ’79 0r ’80. There was a safety recall on the disc brakes back then that included DOT-5 fluid use on machines produced back to 1974.

I didn't remember what year DOT5 use ceased though.  Wasn't sure if Dennis's 03 would have it or not.  Looks like use ended with 04.  Just checked the part numbers for the chrome master cylinder caps and a new part part number startded in 05 with that cap no longer saying "DOT5 use" in its script.

[Twolanerider]

This one

Be careful with those one person air operated bleeder tools.  If the air pressure to the gun is too high or if its internal regulation is too high fluid can be splashed from the master cylinder's reservoir.  Worse is that it'll do it up high at the handlebars while your squatted down at the wheel.  They can also empty a master cylinder reservoir very quickly.

I've got a few different "one man" bleeding tools.  Especially on vehicles with small reservoirs always have less drama and more success with a nice slow manual tool.  Your mileage may vary. 

[Pete7539]

Be careful with those one person air operated bleeder tools.  If the air pressure to the gun is too high or if its internal regulation is too high fluid can be splashed from the master cylinder's reservoir.  Worse is that it'll do it up high at the handlebars while your squatted down at the wheel.  They can also empty a master cylinder reservoir very quickly.

I've got a few different "one man" bleeding tools.  Especially on vehicles with small reservoirs always have less drama and more success with a nice slow manual tool.  Your mileage may vary.  

Do you think this would be better for our application? Looks to be same as griots reverse bleeder, but less $

http://www.autoanything.com/brakes/74A5485A0A0.aspx?kc=ffproduct

Lastly, can this be done with ABS and without a DT or whatever its called?

[Twolanerider]

Do you think this would be better for our application? Looks to be same as griots reverse bleeder, but less $

http://www.autoanything.com/brakes/74A5485A0A0.aspx?kc=ffproduct

Lastly, can this be done with ABS and without a DT or whatever its called?

Hand operated so you could control how more directly control a nice slow vacuum.  I've got a hand operated pneumatic tool.  Don't get me wrong it can do a good job.  But I won't use in an application with a small reservoir like the bikes.  It'll splash the fluid and quickly suck it dry.  Not a bad tool.  Just, at least in my clumsy hands, not the best tool for bike use.

I end up using the fluid transfer tool at the following link nearly all the time.  

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/multi+fluid+extractor.do?sortby=ourPicks

Can create as much or as little vacuum as you like.  Can do it easily while standing up and being able to watch the reservoirs.  Can leave it unattended while continually topping off the reservoirs as it slowly sucks down (until you need to give it another pump or two).

Can also use the same tool for other needs like power steering pumps or sucking the oil out of the crankcase in the lawnmower or whatever other transfer needs might come up.  Whatever one gets comfortable with will likely work ok though.  Just need to get comfortable with it and, as always, be careful.

As for ABS, I've bled brakes on three ABS bikes and several ABS autos without issue.  But it depends on where the air is.  If it's within the ABS pump or closely associated plumbing you'd need to following the DT recommendations.

[SneakyPete]

Just FYI, the Griot's one man bleeder draws down the reservoir slowly, so no concern sucking the reservoir dry unless you just walk away and forget about it.

[djkak]

I didn't remember what year DOT5 use ceased though.  Wasn't sure if Dennis's 03 would have it or not.  Looks like use ended with 04.  Just checked the part numbers for the chrome master cylinder caps and a new part part number startded in 05 with that cap no longer saying "DOT5 use" in its script.

  Yup, the touring machines began using DOT-4 in 2005, the other machines followed sometime later. ABS was offered on select ’05 Police machines, so there was most likely some desire by H-D for production commonization in this area.

[Pete7539]

Hand operated so you could control how more directly control a nice slow vacuum.  I've got a hand operated pneumatic tool.  Don't get me wrong it can do a good job.  But I won't use in an application with a small reservoir like the bikes.  It'll splash the fluid and quickly suck it dry.  Not a bad tool.  Just, at least in my clumsy hands, not the best tool for bike use.

I end up using the fluid transfer tool at the following link nearly all the time.  

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/multi+fluid+extractor.do?sortby=ourPicks

Can create as much or as little vacuum as you like.  Can do it easily while standing up and being able to watch the reservoirs.  Can leave it unattended while continually topping off the reservoirs as it slowly sucks down (until you need to give it another pump or two).

Can also use the same tool for other needs like power steering pumps or sucking the oil out of the crankcase in the lawnmower or whatever other transfer needs might come up.  Whatever one gets comfortable with will likely work ok though.  Just need to get comfortable with it and, as always, be careful.

As for ABS, I've bled brakes on three ABS bikes and several ABS autos without issue.  But it depends on where the air is.  If it's within the ABS pump or closely associated plumbing you'd need to following the DT recommendations.

Thanks! I was also looking at an oil transfer, but that one does it all 

[Twolanerider]

Yup, the touring machines began using DOT-4 in 2005, the other machines followed sometime later. ABS was offered on select ’05 Police machines, so there was most likely some desire by H-D for production commonization in this area.

I remember those police bikes.  That was the kit that ate an entire saddlebag.  Earliest one I ever saw was an 06 so learned something again that they'd started the year before.

[Twolanerider]

Thanks! I was also looking at an oil transfer, but that one does it all 

Once in awhile you stumble on a tool that just handy to have around.  For more than you ever considered at time of purchase.   Three different size line kits with it.  Add some rubber nipples and you can adjust to a lot more.  Some tools just work.  That one just sucks; but in a good way.  It's own reservoir is large enough it's convenient to use.  I stick that thing's hoses in all kinds of places I'd not thought of before.  Used it just last night to suck the reservior on a power steering pump dry to put in some fresh fluid.  Nice for places like that with no normal drain plug.

[Pete7539]

Used it just last night to suck the reservior on a power steering pump dry to put in some fresh fluid.

The old lady will be happy with that, I recently added power steering fluid to my 3 series, then read the cap after I checked the level and it said ATF only. Yadayadayada...we no longer have a turkey baster.

[spydglide]

The old lady will be happy with that, I recently added power steering fluid to my 3 series, then read the cap after I checked the level and it said ATF only. Yadayadayada...we no longer have a turkey baster.

uh oh......thought I was the only one that did things like that.     har.  spyder