How to : bleed the rear brake on S4R / S2R (the easiest way)IntroductionEver since I purchased S4R, I’ve been searching the easy way to bleed the rear brake.
(And, apparently, I’m not the only one. If you do the google search “ Ducati rear brake bleeding”, you will find a lot of people asking about how to bleed the rear brake on those bikes with bleeding nipple pointing downward.)
Anyhow, I’ve tried MitiVac, I’ve tried EZE bleeders.
And finally, I came to the conclusion, that is , if you want to avoid all the frustration and the mess of the brake fluid all over, there’s only one way to go.
Which is ...
Remove the rear wheel, then unbolt the caliper mounting bolts and turn the caliper upside down (more like, “right way up”), then, bleed the conventional way.
You can do this without removing the wheel, but it is (a lot) easier if you remove the wheel.
Also,
a) It is a lot less prone to scratch the rim with the wheel removed.
b) You really can’t fit the torque wrench to tighten the caliper mounting bolts without removing the wheel.
If you’re put off by the idea of “removing rear wheel”, think again.
With the proper tools, it is neither difficult nor time consuming.
The only catch is you have to spend some money (for the tools you’d use only occasionally), but they can be purchased without costing an arm and a leg.
If you enjoy wrenching on your own bike, or if you live 2 hours from the nearest Ducati dealer, here’s how you can do without the helper.
Bleeding, how to ...First, you put your bike up on the swing-arm stand (the stand should be on the left hand side of the bike).
Then, remove the rear wheel, by taking off the clip first, then, undo the wheel nut second.
Now, ...
If you don’t have 41mm and 46mm socket already, you have to buy one.
I got mine from moto mfg.
It’s about $40.
http://www.motomfg.com/STEEL_Ducati_41mm_46mm_wheel_nut_socket_p/wh-5.htmNOTE : You will need a short extension in order to use this socket. The one in the video is from Harbor Freight.
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-1-2-half-inch-drive-impact-wobble-socket-extension-set-67066.html$10 for 3-piece set. (And they are chrome-molly, better than the Craftsman / Husky impact socket stuff which are chrome-vanadium. IF you care for such things, when purchasing, make sure they are “Pittsburgh PRO” line, ‘cause “Pittsburgh” brand line is chrome-vanadium.)
The cordless impact wrench in that video is $180 at sears. ( I bought mine when it was on sale, at $153.)
If you think you can live with corded, the cheapest option is Harbor Freight. ($50)
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-heavy-duty-electric-impact-wrench-68099.htmlI strongly recommend buying an electric impact wrench if your living situation doesn’t allow you to run compressor + air impact wrench.
Yes, you can use beaker bar with cheater pipe, with a helper sitting on the bike and holding the rear brake.
But, for 50 bucks, your rear wheel removal becomes much easier,safer and stress free, and one-man job.
You will use this set-up for replacing chain and sprockets project, removing clutch drum nut (for clutch basket maintenance) And, when you need to change the tire, you can just bring the wheel to the shop for mount and balance.
Not only that, You can also use it for rotating your car tires, doing brake and suspension work on your car.
What do you think ?
Ok, so you removed the wheel. Now, you undo the caliper mounting bolts. Look at the photo, those are the ones you need to undo. You can do this without removing the wheel, but you probably have to have compact head ratchet. The one in the photo is Matco compact head ratchet + Snap-On socket. Small enough to fit into tight spot but you can apply quite a bit of torque.
(You don’t have to buy the truck brand tools. As long as the ratchet head (with hex bit socket attached) is thin enough to fit in between the sprocket and the brake caliper, and the ratchet handle is short enough to swing without hitting the rim, you can do it. I DON’T recommend using “L-shaped” allen key. Rounding off these bolt can be a major pain in the *&^. )
Next, find some flat object to place in between the brake pads. I found this cheapo stamped metal wire cutter/stripper that I no longer use in the garage, which was perfect for the task.
Then, open the cap of the reservoir, remove the cap and diaphragm. Be careful with the fluid spill. I cover the surrounding area with aluminum foil.
Use syringe to suck the old fluid out from the reservoir.
Hang the caliper with bungee.
Pour fresh brake fluid into reservoir. Attach the clear hose to the bleeder on the brake caliper.
Now, you are ready to do the bleeding.
(Never mind the one way valve on the hose. You don’t need it. I just had this hose with the valve attached laying around.)
Pump the brake lever by hand, as many times as you would like, then, STEP ON the brake pedal with your RIGHT FOOT, and hold the pedal down, to keep the pressure.
Grab the caliper body with your left hand, and turn the wrench to crack open the bleeder with your right hand.
No, it’s not as acrobatic as it sounds. Don’t laugh, really. It’s not that difficult to do.
Repeat this until you are satisfied.
When you are satisfied, put the caliper back in position and correct the air gap in the reservoir.
Follow the torque settings on the manual.
BTW, the manual says apply “ Grease B “ on the thread of caliper mounting bolts and rear wheel nuts.
Grease B is molybdenum disulfide grease, any CV joint grease will do fine. I use this one.
Use torque wrench with appropriate torque range.
The rear wheel nut has a safety clip. After tightening the nut to the specified torque, if the hole on the nut does not match one of the holes on the wheel shaft, turn the nut slowly CW ( to the direction to tighten), NEVER TURN the nut to CCW ( the direction to loosen the nut) in order to align the holes.
Be careful which way to put a clip on. Put the clip on with the bent end facing toward the wheel.
Double check everything, make sure you have a working brake before going for a test ride.
