Changing brake fluid

[twinotter]

Hi

Second year with a 99 gs500e, love the bike,  and I have noticed the front brake resevoir down and the fluid fairly dark in color. I think I should just use the top up and pump out method and change the fluid in the line. I understand it is a simple technique. Attach a hose to the bleeder valve, submerse the other end in some brake fluid in a container, top up the reservoir, open the nut on the bleeder and begin pumping. Top up to keep air out of the system and pump till new fluid is visible in the attached hose. Is this right, and am i missing anything.
O.K., I will slowly test the brakes after.
If i am doing this, is it a big improvement to replace the lines with braided steel?
Thanks, ride safe

[ohgood]

you have the method right. put rags under your resivoir and caliper, or it will weep fluid all over your nice shiney tank and wheels. brake fluid eats everything.

stainless, well, you can if you want. 

[fred]

Stainless lines are cool, and not having to change them ever again is nice. They do give you a better brake feel since they don't expand under pressure like the rubber lines... I have them, I like them.

[DoD#i]

Well, you are missing one detail - the bleeder bolts are not all that perfect, so it's better to pump on the brake lever, open the bleed, close the bleed, release the brake lever. Even with a hose leading to a container of brake fluid, you can get air sucked back in around the threads of the bleeder. In fact, rather than waste good brake fluid on that end of the process, just do that and then the submerged end is less of an issue - by the time you start to care, the end will be submerged anyway. Best to pump the reservoir almost (BUT NOT QUITE) all the way down before topping up with fresh fluid, to minimize mixing between old and new fluid - takes less time to get all new fluid in that way. That is a point where a second person can be handy (not required, but handy.) If you do suck all the way down, then you have to get the air bubble out, which is more tedious and wastes more good brake fluid.

With DOT 4 fluid it's best to get a fresh can every year and bleed out all the old fluid from both brakes every year. The stuff attracts water, gets nasty, and rusts brake internals. Why DOT 5 is not more popular is beyond me - it's inert, doesn't strip paint like 3 & 4 do, and doesn't attract water like 3 & 4 do. Won't handle quite a high a brake temperature, but that's an engineering issue. I think the manufacturers keep using 3&4 because it means they get to sell a lot more replacement brake parts, mostly.

[fred]

Even with a hose leading to a container of brake fluid, you can get air sucked back in around the threads of the bleeder.

Teflon tape around the bleeder threads solves this problem. If you do that, you can use a vacuum pump to bleed your brakes super quickly and easily, like I do...

[twinotter]

Cheers
Thanks, for the tips. If it stops raining I will be changing fluid later.

[ineedanap]

With DOT 4 fluid it's best to get a fresh can every year and bleed out all the old fluid from both brakes every year. The stuff attracts water, gets nasty, and rusts brake internals. Why DOT 5 is not more popular is beyond me - it's inert, doesn't strip paint like 3 & 4 do, and doesn't attract water like 3 & 4 do. Won't handle quite a high a brake temperature, but that's an engineering issue. I think the manufacturers keep using 3&4 because it means they get to sell a lot more replacement brake parts, mostly.

They don't use dot 5 because it is slightly compressable.  You won't get as firm of a lever or as good of a feel for what is going on.  

here's a neat article

http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_brakefluid_1a.shtml

[twinotter]

Hi
Well weather was fine today and completed the brake fluids flush. All went well. Spilled very little from the bleeder hose atachment. And tested the brakes they felt better at the grip, smoother. Thanks for the tips.
cheers, ride safe.