THE OUTSIDE OF THE BRAKE LINES, CALIPER, AND LEVER WITH THE DETERGENT AND
HOT WATER SOLUTION, RINSE WITH CLEAN WATER, AND ALLOW TO AIR DRY, AND WASH
YOUR HANDS! IF THE ROTORS ARE CONTAMINATED WITH BRAKE FLUID, CLEAN THEM
WITH THE DETERNGENT AND HOT WATER SOLUTION, RINSE WITH CLEAN WATER, AND
ALLOW TO AIR DRY. IF THE PADS ARE CONTAMINATED, DISCARD THEM AND USE NEW
PADS.
Whenever the system is opened up, the line should be bled out. If there is air in the system, the lever
will feel soft and braking power will be reduced. When properly bled and adjusted you should be able
to feel, through the lever, the pads solidly hitting the rotor. The brake should not feel spongy or
squishy.
The brake bleeding kit (part # QBDS/ included with the brake system) includes 4 oz. CODA disc
brake fluid, 2 - 10" lengths of tubing, 20cc syringe, and 4 compression ferrules and line inserts.
1. Remove the wheels and brake pads from the bike if you haven't already done so.
2. Thread the pad clearance adjuster on the left side of the caliper all the way out counter-clockwise.
Also make sure that the brake lever is fully extended and that the 2mm lever reach adjusting screw is
not compressing the brake lever piston. Insert the vinyl handle of a T-handle hex wrench into the slot
in the caliper and using a 5mm hex wrench, screw in the right side pad adjuster so that the vinyl han-
dle is held between the pistons. Make sure that the vinyl handle sits against the flat faces of the pis-
tons and not against the pins in the center of the pistons.
3. Remove the rubber bleed screw covers from the caliper and master cylinder. If they are missing,
make sure that the hole in the bleed screw is clean and free from mud or other contamination. Use a
1.5mm hex wrench or similar to remove dirt. Failure to clean out the bleed screw before bleeding will
result in contamination of the fluid which will dramatically reduce the life of the internal seals.
4. Loosen the brake lever clamping bolt and turn the lever on the handlebar so that the bleed screw is
oriented vertically up. Attach one hose to the master cylinder bleed screw and put the other end of
the hose into a clean dry bottle.
Note: It may be easiest to hang the receptacle bottle on the handlebar with wire, a rubber band, or an
old spoke. Be sure that both the fluid and the container stay clean. Do not re-use fluid which has
been contaminated.
5. Attach the second hose to the syringe and fill the syringe with fluid. Invert the syringe and squeeze
the syringe until all air is evacuated from the syringe and hose. Attach the hose from the syringe to
the caliper bleed screw.
6. Use a 7mm wrench to open the master cylinder bleed screw 1/2 turn. Then use a 5mm hex wrench
to hold the piston side pad adjuster in place and use the 7mm wrench to open the caliper bleed screw
1/2 turn. Begin squeezing the syringe. Continue squeezing until the bleed screws are closed in step
#10.
Note: if the syringe runs out of fluid, simply close the bleed screw on the caliper. Detach the hose
from the bleed screw, refill the syringe, and start again.
7. While squeezing the syringe, begin tapping the caliper with the plastic handle of a screwdriver (the
shock from the tapping will help to dislodge air pockets within the caliper). During this step, you may
start seeing air bubbles moving through the upper length of hose and into the receptacle bottle.
8. Start tapping on the brake line, slowly moving up the line towards the brake lever, all the while
squeezing the syringe.
9. Tap the master cylinder on the brake lever, and then slowly pull and release the brake lever several
times to evacuate any air from the piston in the master cylinder, while continuing to push fluid through
the system.
9.
