Bleeding Brakes

Home Forums New to Karting Bleeding Brakes

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #43051
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Whats the best way to get the brakes to work? i need to bleed my brakes and not really sure how to on the kart

    #63029
    Rick Schmidt
    Participant

    What kind of kart / brakes do you have. Where in town are you? I’m working on kart stuff today, could help.

    Rick

    #63030
    Garrick Mitchell
    Participant

    To address one specific scenario… Do you have a reservoir on top of the master cylinder, as in the photo? If so, you’d bleed them similar to a car’s brakes, either by using a hand vacuum pump on the bleed port or by having a helper apply the brake pedal while you open/close the bleeder.

    [attachment=1:2ile4qk3]master cylinder.jpg[/attachment:2ile4qk3]

    • Take lid off of master cylinder
    • Attach vacuum pump OR piece of clear plastic tubing (with the other end in a jar) to bleeder (the “nipples” sticking out the top of the caliper in the photo below… You’ll have to do one at a time)
    • Apply vacuum at bleeder OR have someone depress the brake pedal
    • Crack bleeder slightly, watch fluid and maybe some bubbles come out of the caliper
    • IMPORTANT: Close bleeder tightly while you still have vacuum applied OR before your helper lets off the pedal at all (if not, you’ll suck air into the brake line)
    • Add clean brake fluid to the master-cylinder reservoir as needed to keep it close to full
    • Replace lid on master cylinder

    [attachment=0:2ile4qk3]caliper.jpg[/attachment:2ile4qk3]

    At this point you should have a nice, firm pedal. IF IN ANY DOUBT, GET SOMEONE TO SHOW YOU HOW TO DO IT!!! Nothing like pushing the Stop Pedal and finding there’s nothing there! 😯

    #63031
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    I am in Milliken and the kart is a Honda Shifter 125 and the chassis is KBG i think is whats it called and heres some pics and last time i got the brakes working i couldnt get them to lock up when driving and not sure what kind of brakes they are and no reservoir

    #63032
    Jeff Welch
    Participant

    Those look like SKM brakes to me, which makes sense as that’s what KGB chassis came with up until 2004 or so, when they switched to Wilwood. They’re not too hard to bleed.

    Having a gravity brake bleeder tool like this is very helpful with those since they don’t have an attached reservoir: http://shockwavekarting.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SK&Product_Code=BR-Bleeder&Category_Code=BR-Bleeder. Pretty sure we have them in stock, IMI probably does too.

    The procedure is pretty much how Garrick described. Don’t remember which screw on those is the actual bleed screw, but you should be able to figure it out fairly easily, as it’ll be the one that has fluid coming out of it when you crack it loose while pressing the brake pedal!

    1) attach gravity bleeder to master cylinder.
    2) fill cylinder with fluid if not full already; leave valve from gravity bleeder open
    3) pump brakes several times
    4) push and hold brake pedal
    5) crack bleeder screw, keep pushing brake pedal, then close bleeder screw
    6) release brake pedal
    7) repeat 3 through 6 until you only get fluid coming out of the bleed screw, no air

    Always start with the caliper furthest away from the master cylinder. On most karts, this means bleeding the right front before the left front. Looks like yours needs to have both halves of the rear caliper bled separately; bleed the one with the longer hose first, then the shorter one. As Garrick said, it’s helpful to have a second person, although if you have some armspan you probably can do it yourself. You can rig up a catch bottle for the bleed screws using some tubing and a water bottle if you want; this makes it easier to see the air bubbles and keeps things cleaner, but isn’t required.

    A KGB with a 125cc Honda shifter (built?) on it… its’ entirely possible that’s one of my old karts!

    #63033
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Thanks for the info and i will try it but will try to find someone to help me first and i got this kart from a guy in Ft Collins and really never drove it and it was built up a little from the guys up at bandimere and i have only taking it out to imi once last yr and would like to take it out again soon so i need to get this brake thing done and im new at it so it might take a little longer to get done.

    #63034
    Garrick Mitchell
    Participant

    @Franco wrote:

    i need to get this brake thing done and im new at it so it might take a little longer to get done.

    It’s a skill worth having, and it’s one you definitely want to take the time to get right!!! 8)

    The bleed screw is on top of the master cylinder. The other two bolts just mount the cylinders to the chassis. I’ve never owned this type of master cylinder, but from what I understand, if you use a gravity-type bleeder like Shockwave sells, you don’t even have to pump the pedal. The hydrostatic head of the elevated reservoir is enough to drive the fluid through the system when you open the bleeder on the caliper. You just have to make sure the reservoir on the gravity bleeder never runs dry. Sounds like a piece of cake, especially with front and rear brakes!

    #63035
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    How much do those bleeders cost at imi? and thanks for the info

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.