[Revolutionary]

Hey Fellas,
So we went to go riding this afternoon, and I'm on the way down our hill...and VOILA, no brakes, or very little....
So I took it home, looked at it & sure enough, brake fluid all over the driver's side rear tire.

Initially, it looked like the brake line must have a break in it somewhere, so I went to remove it, but at the splitter; it's TIGHT, and I mean strip it tight, easy.

So I looked at the line, pretty hard, and I couldn't find anywhere where it looked like there was a crack or tear, I put it back on, and added some fluid. Brakes started working again, but not consistently, much air in the lines.

I downloaded the manual from here, looked for "Brakes" & I couldn't find the procedure for purging the lines....I'm assuming (uh-oh) that you loosen each line at the brake, add fluid, and pump the pedal, right? BUT....you have to put the caps back on the master cylinder, don't you, otherwise it'll pump straight back up out of there? Or am I wrong? 

Help me out here....
Thanks in advance-
Chris

[NMKawierider]

Well, we need to find where the fluid came from and fix it. May be the caliper  so look at the pads to see if they are wet. Then bleeding brakes are the same with all master/slave systems. Always start with the wheel closest to the master cylinder and work out. Manually(without a power bleeder) you will have someone in the cab while someone else is on the bleeder on each slave cylinder or caliper. The person working the bleeder will full the master cylinder and yes, put the cap on but just enough so the return won't spray out. Then at the bleeder, that person will will say "down" and the person in the cab will press the peddle down and hold it. The bleeder will open the bleeder and let the air out and fluid, then shut it. Only after shutting it the bleeder will say "UP" and the person in the cab will let the peddle up all the way and await for another "Down" command. After every three cycles check the fluid level and refill as necessary. Do this until NO more air bubbles are in the fluid that comes out. Then move to the next wheel and do the same. When done top off the master to the upper lines. Remember, you must shut the bleeder before letting peddle up otherwise you suck air back in.  The bleeder will be a fitting on the upper side of the caliper that looks like a gutted grease fitting..kinda. They are made that way so you can put a clear tubing on the end and into a bottle to capture it.

[Revolutionary]

That was awesome.
I've been around; owned & involved with machinery a lot of my life, real varied stuff, excavators, dozers, rollers, semis & and I can name on one hand the amount of people that could decently tell you how to do something like this, the rest of them just flat out blow it. Bleeding brakes is one of the only things I haven't done on a car; so this was perfect.
 
 Yer' a Master, NMK, Accolades. That post is going to be read by a lot of people past me who are going to appreciate it.   

[gwingo12]

Yer' a Master, NMK, Accolades. That post is going to be read by a lot of people past me who are going to appreciate it.

Agreed!

[Bobbed06]

Hey Fellas,
So we went to go riding this afternoon, and I'm on the way down our hill...and VOILA, no brakes, or very little....
So I took it home, looked at it & sure enough, brake fluid all over the driver's side rear tire.

Initially, it looked like the brake line must have a break in it somewhere, so I went to remove it, but at the splitter; it's TIGHT, and I mean strip it tight, easy.

So I looked at the line, pretty hard, and I couldn't find anywhere where it looked like there was a crack or tear, I put it back on, and added some fluid. Brakes started working again, but not consistently, much air in the lines.

I downloaded the manual from here, looked for "Brakes" & I couldn't find the procedure for purging the lines....I'm assuming (uh-oh) that you loosen each line at the brake, add fluid, and pump the pedal, right? BUT....you have to put the caps back on the master cylinder, don't you, otherwise it'll pump straight back up out of there? Or am I wrong? 

Help me out here....
Thanks in advance-
Chris

A Mity Vac bleeder is the way to go here on a system.

Where did the fluid leak occur? Dont forget to post up the actual CAUSE of this leak, the method you chose to repair it so that others may benefit.

[Revolutionary]

Where did the fluid leak occur? Dont forget to post up the actual CAUSE of this leak, the method you chose to repair it so that others may benefit.
Gee thanks, Bob, for the advice.

 I bled the brakes per Dr. NMK's instructions (spot on as usual) and afterwards, tested them by driving & found no leaks at all in the system. The brakes work FAR better than they did initially, there was air in the system; no question; before I ever had the leak. Had a blurp of air come out of 2 of the 4 lines, front right, rear left; (driver side). The other machine had what I think was a little air in (3) of 4 brakes, they work immensely better now, too.

I believe that the CAUSE of the leak was the bolt that holds the brake line onto the caliper, it has a hole in it on the side & is hollow, it was easy to remove, so I checked the other ones on that machine, & then on the other one we own; and they were all tight. I think that it was a single loose bolt, is all.

The repair method; was to tighten the bolt & bleed the brakes, I DO think that it's a good idea to check the bolts that hold the line onto the rear wheels especially; and to bleed the brakes on any of these now, if they're new; and maybe if they're not new. The brakes on the other one that didn't have a brake problem were just softer than they are now; they still worked, but nothing like they do now; they grab pretty good, actually. 

[NMKawierider]

I might bleed mine and see. Mine are solid..no mush but never been very good...almost a 2-footed job to stop it from a pretty good clip. Drove my friend's RZR and hit his brakes like mine..almost put me over the wheel!...lol   Wish mine were like that.

[Revolutionary]

Ours felt like brakes, I mean; they'd stop you, but at the same time I don't think I ever stomped on them; most of the time the machine just slows itself down coming into corners etc. Now, though; they're solid, I like it a lot better than before.

[Bobbed06]

That bolt you mentioned is referred to as a "Banjo Bolt"

Thanks for posting up your fix, and the results from the fix. Doing this on every problem a owner encounters will greatly assist any owners in performing their own fixes rather than relying on a warranty to cover something easily done at home. If everyone keeps this up, the knowledge will allow for a much more enjoyable owner experience.

Who is gonna be the first to try the sintered upgraded brake pads to see if these CF Motos can stop like a Polaris?

[Jason]

Ya know, I wish I would've tried this when I still had mine.  My brakes were never bad per se, but they never grabbed nearly as well as what I thought they should've.

...coulda, shoulda, woulda

[Revolutionary]

  "My brakes were never bad per se, but they never grabbed nearly as well as what I thought they should've".
That, there, precisely.

[Derfer22]

Who is gonna be the first to try the sintered upgraded brake pads to see if these CF Motos can stop like a Polaris?
[/quote]

I just ordered sintered pads for mine (should receive them the 30th but we'll see) I'll post after I get them on.

[Bobbed06]

Who is gonna be the first to try the sintered upgraded brake pads to see if these CF Motos can stop like a Polaris?

I just ordered sintered pads for mine (should receive them the 30th but we'll see) I'll post after I get them on.
[/quote]

Good deal, are you gonna go ahead and flush the system with new fluid as well?