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TECHNICAL MOTOBRICK WRENCHING In Remembrance of Inge K. => The Motobrick Workshop => Topic started by: mnb on March 05, 2012, 08:41:46 PM

Title: Where did my brake fluid go?
Post by: mnb on March 05, 2012, 08:41:46 PM

Until last Saturday, I hadn't ridden the K11 since Christmas day.  It was fine then.  So I fire it up and off I go and at the first stop I realize the foot brake pedal goes all the way down no problem.  I've never felt that much travel in a foot brake.  All the way down, I can feel a very slight braking occurring, but not much.

I examine the bike and follow the lines, etc and find no sign of fluid leakage.  I opened the reservoir and it's empty.  Nothing in it.

Somehow it seems utterly foolish to fill it back up and expect it to be fine (bleeding issues aside).  But I must admit, this new development seems most odd...   :hmm:

I'm looking for suggestions on what to look at, possible causes (the cap was on tight), general recommendations, good jokes, free beer... whatever.  :)

Title: Re: Where did my brake fluid go?
Post by: johnny on March 05, 2012, 08:48:34 PM

one day up north of kernville my pedal went all the way down... i rode down the 190 with no rear brakes...

no sign of leakage... gotts some dot 4 and filled it up... did a little bleed... it was yeeeehaaaaa from there on...

i was in the motobrake vortex... cause it happened to adopter motobricker too...

j o

sent from johnnys droid using tapatalk v3beta

Title: Re: Where did my brake fluid go?
Post by: frankenduck on March 05, 2012, 08:52:38 PM

Hey, mnb, how's it going?

Pull the rubber boot back on the master cylinder.  I'll bet you find some "crystalized" crud (old brake fluid) in there.  It messes up the seals and lets brake fluid leak.  Most of the time you can pull the master cylinder apart, clean things up, reassemble and you'll be fine:

Click here: http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,343.0.html (http://www.motobrick.com/index.php/topic,343.0.html)

Title: Re: Where did my brake fluid go?
Post by: mnb on March 05, 2012, 10:09:51 PM

There was no mark on the floor where the bike was parked for 2 months.   There is a little white crystal cruft around a ring on the master cylinder, though.


Thing is... it has less than 2500 miles since the last service which should have checked all that and flushed the fluid.  But then that was at CalMoto and they seem to screw up EVERYTHING these days.    :nono

Thanks for the tips, I'll check into that.   :2thumbup:

Title: Re: Where did my brake fluid go?
Post by: frankenduck on March 05, 2012, 10:14:11 PM

when brake fluid is leaking slowly it dries up and crystalizes instead of dripping....