QuestionBill, I have just bought and am reconditioning an 83 Honda Shadow 750. I have always wanted to do this. The bike was not running at all when I bought it. It now starts and runs. However, I cannot seem to get any pressure to the clutch. I have replaced the master cylinder and filled and bled the hydraulic system twice. No luck, and the OEM manual I bought is no help. Any suggestions. Thank you so much for your help!
Jeremy Rigney
AnswerJeremy, getting pressure back into the brake and clutch systems on these old bikes always seems to be difficult.
You didn't say how you bled the system. If you have just been using the bleeder nut at the slave cylinder, then there is still air in the lines. Usually when you are sure that there is fluid in the lines, you have to bleed the system from the top and work downwards. Crack the fitting at the master cylinder (with plenty of rags wrapped around that area!) and bleed the air from that location. Be sure that the little tiny bleed port in the floor of the master cylinder is clear and clean. It is the one closest to the master cylinder outlet end.
DO NOT pump the lever all the way back to the handlebars when you are trying to get the air out. Overtraveling the piston assy will actually block the inlet port. Put a about a 1" spacer around the end of the grip or tape something on it, temporarily, to stop the lever from moving too far. Mity Vac systems are good for sucking the fluid through the system, in some cases. Some people use a syringe to inject fluid backwards up the fitting to push out the air bubbles. If there are any other junctions between the master cylinder and the slave cylinder, bleed them, too.
If you pump the system a lot, air will build up in the line. Take a bungy cord and wrap it around the lever, against the block on the grip and let it sit overnight.
Bill Silver
