Hi
i changed the front brake lines & pads on my B1H but the lever is spongy and still has a lot of travel before the brakes bite. Have I just not bled the brakes properly or could it be something else?
Does the brake 'pump up' if so then yes you still have air in the system somewhere.
most likey either trapped in the master cylinder or 2nd choice would be the calipers
sounds like air to me
I usually have to bleed my lines a couple or few times to get all the air out
Foolproof way i've found is:
Strip and clean the calipers and make sure you can push all pistons back by hand.
Make sure the pads aren't contaminated or glazed
Bleed the brakes with a pressure bleeder (mittyvac or similar)
Put a one way bleed tube on the caliper nipple, pump the lever 5 times then crack open the bleed nipple, then lock it off (this seems to get rid of the last bit of sponginess)
If you still have sponginess then either swap out the lines or your mastercylinder is on it's way out..
If they were fine before then sounds like air
I use a one way bleed tube thingy and just pull plenty fluid through...
Final solution for my '10', same system, same problem, was strip, clean and re-assemble with red rubber grease
Had done if before with just fluid to lube but saw no gain, now the lever is like a micro-switch :azn:
If you have at all ridden the bike on salted roads, this road salt is what will be hiding behind the seals in the calipers.
If you are going to strip the system, take the time to remove the seals and scrape out the grooves before greasing them with Red Rubber grease as the others have said.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/v/t34.0-12/10013857_10152267525788704_489676382_n.jpg?oh=e2863c4b1fd2769a058d37963a348434&oe=533BAE09&__gda__=1396433622_d442057ae7e88799abfc7a446979ae62)
I also have put a small length of tubing on the end of a large animal syringe which I fill with brake fluid, attach to the bleed nipple on each caliper in turn and then alternate by pushing the bubbles either back up to the master cylinder, and then drawing them bacou out of the caliper into the syringe (syringe needs to be above the caliper though.