pappy35
Member
In my quest to find the perfect ergonomics on my RT I just installed a set of Illium Works Barbacks which necessitated the installation of a slightly longer front brake line. I've bled the brakes before and have a GS-911. While I was at it I installed Speed Bleeders all around. This work got me wondering about how the ABS actuator works and what the GS-911 procedure actually does.
1) iABS and the GS-911:
The brake fluid runs from the master cylinder through the ABS actuator to a splitter that appears to be inside the lower fork brace and from there to each caliper. When I run the GS-911 ABS 'bleed' function, the system activates and the brake lever slowly bottoms out, I hold for two seconds, release and repeat. What does this actually do? With the brake handle movement, it would seem to me that the brake fluid in the master has to go somewhere but there's no return line so where does the fluid I'm pumping go? I feel like there's something important happening here that I'd like to try to understand better.
2) Bleeding the master cylinder:
The front brakes have always felt a bit spongy (especially as compared to the rear). I can stop just fine. There's no fade. Really nothing about the brakes worry me but the slight sponginess doesn't seem right. There is no bleeder on the front reservoir, how does one check to make sure there's no air trapped up top?
3) Speed Bleeders weeping:
I installed the speed bleeders which come with thread sealant applied (I also bought a bottle for future use). Per the GS-911 procedure, one bleeds, closes, then rebleeds the system after the test. I noticed that during the post-testing bleed they were weeping a very small amount of fluid around the threads. Is this normal? Surely I don't have to apply thread sealant at each use as that would reduce their usefulness.
1) iABS and the GS-911:
The brake fluid runs from the master cylinder through the ABS actuator to a splitter that appears to be inside the lower fork brace and from there to each caliper. When I run the GS-911 ABS 'bleed' function, the system activates and the brake lever slowly bottoms out, I hold for two seconds, release and repeat. What does this actually do? With the brake handle movement, it would seem to me that the brake fluid in the master has to go somewhere but there's no return line so where does the fluid I'm pumping go? I feel like there's something important happening here that I'd like to try to understand better.
2) Bleeding the master cylinder:
The front brakes have always felt a bit spongy (especially as compared to the rear). I can stop just fine. There's no fade. Really nothing about the brakes worry me but the slight sponginess doesn't seem right. There is no bleeder on the front reservoir, how does one check to make sure there's no air trapped up top?
3) Speed Bleeders weeping:
I installed the speed bleeders which come with thread sealant applied (I also bought a bottle for future use). Per the GS-911 procedure, one bleeds, closes, then rebleeds the system after the test. I noticed that during the post-testing bleed they were weeping a very small amount of fluid around the threads. Is this normal? Surely I don't have to apply thread sealant at each use as that would reduce their usefulness.
