Front Caliper - Weird bleed screw??

Putting a new Spiegler SS brake line kit on my '99 R1100R. No ABS. The right side front caliper has a weird fitting in the location where the bleed screw should be. It's black (alum?) is about an inch tall and is round with a ring milled near the top (like something could be clipped to it). I'm thinking it might be some kind of aftermarket bleeder screw that had some other component (a vacuum adapter?) that would clip to it for bleeding. ? The left side caliper has a normal bleeding nipple. Problem is that the thing on the right side is large enough to not allow a wrench or socket to get on the banjo bolt attaching the brake line. I thought, OK, I'll just take the bleeder thing right off, but it turns out that's not the easy either. It has a flattened portion at the base that accepts a 13mm wrench, but you can't actually get more than about 1/16th of a turn on it before the wrench hits the banjo bolt. I may need to clip the tips of vice grips to it to continue loosening it (?), but I'm sure that would mar it up. Anyone seen this? The BMW manual doesn't mention any weird fitting there in the bleeding instructions (which are pretty straightforward instructions).

Bleeding with this fitting on, and not having whatever is supposed to clip onto it would be annoying, as there is no nipple to put a length of hose on.... Maybe getting rid of this thing and trying to find a standard bleed fitting to put in the Brembo would be the way to go. (?)... Not sure if that'd be a standard part or not... but I guess I could pull the one off the other caliper and have it in hand when trying to find a replacement.

Anyone else have this experience?? Thoughts?

Try with a pict...

hmmm... when I view this post, there is not a pict but a link... but if I click, I can view it. (?)

Try with a pict...

 

 

 

hmmm... when I view this post, there is not a pict but a link... but if I click, I can view it. (?)

Afternoon BF204

That THING is a factory fill adapter. (used at the factory to backfill the brake system).

BMW put out a service bulletin on how to bleed with that fill device.

Factory fill/bleeding-- click here

 

Afternoon BF204

 

That THING is a factory fill adapter. (used at the factory to backfill the brake system).

 

BMW put out a service bulletin on how to bleed with that fill device.

 

Thanks for that... It helps. I still have to get the dang thing off, as it's in the way of the brake line attachment. Is there any reason to put it back on? I'm thinking a set of speed bleeders might be handy (?)... I have no experience with them... Are they good to have, or not recommended for some reason? Or if I have to track down a standard bleed nipple to screw into the fill adapter, maybe I should get rid of the fill adapter thing and just put the standard bleed screw into the caliper (?). That is assuming they are the same thread.

 

Afternoon BF204

 

That THING is a factory fill adapter. (used at the factory to backfill the brake system).

 

BMW put out a service bulletin on how to bleed with that fill device.

 

 

Thanks for that... It helps. I still have to get the dang thing off, as it's in the way of the brake line attachment. Is there any reason to put it back on? I'm thinking a set of speed bleeders might be handy (?)... I have no experience with them... Are they good to have, or not recommended for some reason? Or if I have to track down a standard bleed nipple to screw into the fill adapter, maybe I should get rid of the fill adapter thing and just put the standard bleed screw into the caliper (?). That is assuming they are the same thread.

Afternoon BF204

You can remove it IF you can get a bleeder nipple to work without it.

As far as speed bleeds go you are talking to the wrong person on that. I HATE them as I have seen them cause WAY more problems than they are worth.

A hose that fits the bleeder nipple tight & a plastic bottle with that hose going all the way to the bottom of the container works just as good without the down sides.

Some riders use them, I don't & have never found a reason to.

Your clutch bleed hose will have the same fill adapter.

Your clutch bleed hose will have the same fill adapter.

Afternoon Craig G

Different style adapter for the clutch hose but same principle of operation.

Thanks for that... It helps. I still have to get the dang thing off, as it's in the way of the brake line attachment. Is there any reason to put it back on? I'm thinking a set of speed bleeders might be handy (?)... I have no experience with them... Are they good to have, or not recommended for some reason? Or if I have to track down a standard bleed nipple to screw into the fill adapter, maybe I should get rid of the fill adapter thing and just put the standard bleed screw into the caliper (?). That is assuming they are the same thread.

Apply some heat to that fitting and it will unscrew from the caliper. If you unscrew the little grub screw in the center of the fitting you can fit either the standard bleed screw or the speed bleeder. If you remove the fitting, install the same bleeder or speed bleeder. I'm in the other camp regarding speed bleeders. I have them on my 1100RT and no problem with them at all. Bleeding the ABS-2 system is simple and easy - speedy? Really, so easy that I bleed the system at least once a year. Probably takes five or ten minutes. The only time that I had to put the standard bleeder back on was when I replaced the rubber hose at the rear with SS hose. I needed the standard bleeder so that I could backfill with brake fluid.

So I took the factory fill fitting off... scratched it up a bit b/c I needed to use small vice grips, but I think I'm gonna ditch it anyway. Yes, the hex screw on the top is the same size/thread as the hole in the caliper, so that means that it will accept a standard bleed screw, or a speed bleeder. Got the lines installed both front and rear, but will have to leave the bleeding for another day. The spiegler lines seem well made and fit well. The lines that were on it were old, and the brake fluid was almost Guiness colored. Definitely a job that needed doing.

snip.... I'm in the other camp regarding speed bleeders. I have them on my 1100RT and no problem with them at all. Bleeding the ABS-2 system is simple and easy - speedy? Really, so easy that I bleed the system at least once a year. Probably takes five or ten minutes. The only time that I had to put the standard bleeder back on was when I replaced the rubber hose at the rear with SS hose. I needed the standard bleeder so that I could backfill with brake fluid.

Thanks for mentioning about back filling the rear... probably wouldn't have thought to try that. No ABS on mine so I'm hoping the bleeding should be pretty straightforward... whether speedy bleeds or regular.

Oh... and my bike has cable activated clutch, so only one of those wee beastie things.

How very timely BF 204 - wondered what that fitting was when I recently carried out a successful servoectomy on my R1150RT. It was not mounted on the caliper, however, but on the upper pipework. I left it there wondering about it's purpose and wondered again when the same fitting arrived in a kit for SS braided lines. I now have two of 'em because it was inconvenient to use the new one in my installation and I then had enough fittings to replace the original!

Success... I got the brakes bled this evening... local BMW dealer said the nearest bleed screw is in Vancouver, so instead I bought a blister pack of assorted bleeding fittings from the local auto parts place. Was $14 for 8 or 10 assorted sizes. The package said it contained 2 10x1mm by 1" ones, and one of those fit in the caliper instead of the factory fill fitting. Bleeding went fine... I got tired of pumping the lever so switched to a vacuum pump bleeder... that worked better to get the lines mostly filled. Then finished by bleeding with the lever. Just came back from a test ride, all good.

I now have two of 'em because it was inconvenient to use the new one in my installation and I then had enough fittings to replace the original!

Glad it worked out for you. I've got one of those "things" in my parts tub now too.

Thanks for the input folks