Clutch Slave Bleeder Hole - can it be fixed?

[VeeAte]

Hey all,

Ran into minor problem but is a real pita. Bike had old clutch fluid. Bleeder on slave was corroded on top. It turned as hard as a lug nut when it released and bottom of bleeder was corroded as well. Got a slave rebuild kit a while back just incase, but thought I would change out the nasty fluid to see if improvement as it clunks if cold when shift into 1st. Put a replacement stainless steel bleeder, noticed the had a flattened base but didn’t think it would be a problem, but found that it weeped overnight around the threads after being fully tightened. Got an oem bleeder to try out and decided to look at the seat before installing the 2nd time. It appears the old corroded bleeder caused some pitting on the seat area which is the likely cause. Put the new oem bleeder in anyway and bled the system again and fluid is now obviously crystal clear, yeah! but weeping is down to a tiny blotch if sits overnight or if after cycling clutch. Yes much better, but not acceptable Is this something that the seat can be addressed in any manner on the bike or am I looking at removal to fix or is it a replacement now? Glad I found this out before putting the seal kit in because I would have rebuild it to only leak at the bleeder with install/remove. Any suggestions to fix is much appreciated fellow enthusiasts

 

[MaxMidnight]

Try wrapping some PTFE tape around the thread and up on to the bottom of the hex.

 

[VeeAte]

Try wrapping some PTFE tape around the thread and up on to the bottom of the hex.

Hey thanks for the idea, I thought about it but I’m thinking the fluid will pass in through the drain passage if the threads were sealed.. but please keep the suggestions coming through. I just got this one (‘03) last year and no one seemed to have changed any hydraulic in over a decade, so everything went well but this. Where this bleeder was really corroded at the top, it looks like it maybe seeped before and the cap held it until the rust eventually sealed it. Maybe time will solve this, the old one was pretty much blocked inside lol

Do you know if there are small copper washers, ptfe seals or anything else that could be used on the seating area where the bleeder would seal? Otherwise the right solution would be to remove and machine it or replace it, but only if no other options.

All the best

 

[Fire-medic]

The leakage is most-likely from the threads, so MM's idea of teflon tape on the threads should do it, a couple wraps should do it.

Doing a reverse-bleed on any of the three hydraulics is more-successful if you wrap the bleeder valve with teflon tape before you push the brake fluid into the bleeder, to work its way up to the master cyl in question. If you still want to do the old-fashioned way, 'sucking,' the teflon tape will still help pull the brake fluid down.

 

[VeeAte]

Thanks guys for convincing me on at least trying the Teflon tape, I’m willing to give that a try because it might be just enough to seal it. I checked it this morning and it did not seep overnight. The leak is so minor that it will only leave a small tip of a marker blotch on paper towel say within a minute from applying the clutch, like the Teflon around the treads just might do it. The only other thing I was thinking where the slave cyl is aluminum is maybe to try to seat the screw when engine is hot and not at room temperature as this might reform the seat, but realizing not to over due to avoid stripping the threads.

So plan ahead will be to Teflon and if not successful, then try seating the screw hot, and lastly remove the cyl only if necessary.

Thanks again because it could save me grief of the removal if it works. I’ll post an update when I get back to it later in the week.

Cheers

 

[gentsvmax]

Thanks guys for convincing me on at least trying the Teflon tape, I’m willing to give that a try because it might be just enough to seal it. I checked it this morning and it did not seep overnight. The leak is so minor that it will only leave a small tip of a marker blotch on paper towel say within a minute from applying the clutch, like the Teflon around the treads just might do it. The only other thing I was thinking where the slave cyl is aluminum is maybe to try to seat the screw when engine is hot and not at room temperature as this might reform the seat, but realizing not to over due to avoid stripping the threads.

So plan ahead will be to Teflon and if not successful, then try seating the screw hot, and lastly remove the cyl only if necessary.

Thanks again because it could save me grief of the removal if it works. I’ll post an update when I get back to it later in the week.

Cheers

Okay, here's what I have done and it worked. BUT I could not duplicate the procedure another time, same problem. Too much pitting.
One of my Tokico caliper's had the weep, I used a #3 drill, spinning fast, with a steady hand to just take the rust and pits off the valve seat.
I also chucked the bleeder in the same drill and cleaned up the tip with a mill file, careful not to change the angle.