bleeder nipple leaking at the base of the front caliper

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OneTwo

Well-known member
Hey GTAMoto,

I just installed some Galfer braided lines and new OEM bleeders on the front calipers, there is a very small fluid build up at the base of the right caliper bleeder. Left no leaks.

I have not tried to remedy the problem as I just spent a good time bleeding the brakes and don't want to deal with that again at the moment. But i know i should do something about it.

I can either use some teflon tape or I heard guys using grease?


ANY suggestions? Or is my caliper focked?

Thanks for your input!
 
Do not use grease it will cause the seals to swell and lock your caliper on, t tape is a bad idea as well remove the bleeder clean it and the seat and try again.

Sent from my LG-C660R using Tapatalk 2
 
The threads are not what seals the bleeder nipples, at the bottom of the bleeder there is tapered cone that seals inside the bottom of the threaded hole in the caliper with a matching taper....So tape or grease will not solve the real problem if its actually leaking...

And are you sure its even leaking? There is always some left over fluid that remains in the nipple unless you have a vacuum bleeder to suck it out...Some fluid remaining after bleeding doesnt always mean its actually leaking..
 
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JohnnyP636 said:
The threads are not what seals the bleeder nipples, at the bottom of the bleeder there is tapered cone that seals inside the bottom of the threaded hole in the caliper with a matching taper....

And are you sure its even leaking? There is always some left over fluid that remains in the nipple unless you have a vacuum bleeder to suck it out...Some fluid remaining after bleeding doesnt always mean its actually leaking..
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Yah, I'm aware that the bleeder seals at the bottom, but the manual said to use tape if it's leaking....

Yah, i'm sure it's leaking. the left is bone dry. the right after i wipe it dry comes back to show signs of brake fluid at the base. even more noticable after a ride.

I cleanded the bleeder hole prior to installing the new bleeder. maybe something is still sitting there....

thanks for the input.
 
OneTwo said:
Yah, I'm aware that the bleeder seals at the bottom, but the manual said to use tape if it's leaking....

Yah, i'm sure it's leaking. the left is bone dry. the right after i wipe it dry comes back to show signs of brake fluid at the base. even more noticable after a ride.

I cleanded the bleeder hole prior to installing the new bleeder. maybe something is still sitting there....

thanks for the input.
Click to expand...

If you are aware it seals at the bottom then you should also understand the simply sealing the threads will not seal the leak. If it leaks at the threads it will also leak through the centre of the nipple...So again it all comes down to sealing at the taper, that is what is important...The rubber cap may hide the leaking,but air will enter the system through a leak and your brake performance will suffer...

Sealing the threads can help with bleeding as it can prevent air from entering through them, but it wont stop a leak

Its possible that at some point the nipple was overtightened and has damaged the taper in the caliper, because the nipple is steel and the caliper is aluminum the caliper will get damaged much easier before the steel bleeder. Or it could even just be some debris stuck between the taper
 
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JohnnyP636 said:
If you are aware it seals at the bottom then you should also understand the simply sealing the threads will not seal the leak. If it leaks at the threads it will also leak through the centre of the nipple...So again it all comes down to sealing at the taper, that is what is important...The rubber cap may hide the leaking,but air will enter the system through a leak and your brake performance will suffer...

Sealing the threads can help with bleeding as it can prevent air from entering through them, but it wont stop a leak

Its possible that at some point the nipple was overtightened and has damaged the taper in the caliper, because the nipple is steel and the caliper is aluminum the caliper will get damaged much easier before the steel bleeder. Or it could even just be some debris stuck between the taper
Click to expand...


I hope it's not damaged. I should have taken more time cleaning it before installing a new bleeder.

I guess i'll have to check it out again, clean it and re-bleed the system, which is a pain in the arse since I have a axial master cylinder without a bleeder nipple, which makes bleeding the master cylinder a pain in the ***. Well more of a messy job since i bleed it at the banjo as well. I want to get a double banjo with a bleeder, but the one I have doesn't seem to be long enought!

anyway, thanks for the feedback!

ride safe!
 
OneTwo said:
I hope it's not damaged. I should have taken more time cleaning it before installing a new bleeder.

I guess i'll have to check it out again, clean it and re-bleed the system, which is a pain in the arse since I have a axial master cylinder without a bleeder nipple, which makes bleeding the master cylinder a pain in the ***. Well more of a messy job since i bleed it at the banjo as well. I want to get a double banjo with a bleeder, but the one I have doesn't seem to be long enought!

anyway, thanks for the feedback!

ride safe!
Click to expand...

As long as you keep the reservoir full while the bleeder is out and you don't touch the lever there's no need to bleed the brakes again. Air won't enter the system just because the bleeder is open or removed - fluid runs out.

Google gravity bleeding for more information.
 
sircastic said:
As long as you keep the reservoir full while the bleeder is out and you don't touch the lever there's no need to bleed the brakes again. Air won't enter the system just because the bleeder is open or removed - fluid runs out.

Google gravity bleeding for more information.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the advice!
I need to sort out this leaking bleeder!

Ride safe!
 
Mr.Azim said:
LOL.... nipple :)
Click to expand...

nipple discharge lol

UPDATE:

So it turns out it was not leaking to begin with, must have been an accumulation of fluid in the bleeder cavity. But what threw me off is that I kept wiping it off, and it would come back. That is why I thought it was leaking. Especially since the left side was dry like the desert.

I wrapped the bleeder nipple and area with a folded paper towel in a way that it did not come off easily, took it for a ride, and just left it there while parked in my garage. When I peeled off the paper towel, it was all bone dry! Just to make sure, I jumped on the bike, took it for a quick boot while hammering the brakes. Came back, parked, still no fluid buildup at the base of the bleeder. Checked back again this morning, still dry! The paper towel must have absorbed all the remaining fluid just sitting around in the cavity area of the nipple.

I guess nothing is/was damaged, and it's all good.

I was on ebay looking for a new caliper, but, I don’t think I’ll need that anymore.

If anything changes, I’ll report back. But for now, it seems to be fine.

Thanks for your inputs on the matter!

Ride safe!
 
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