Brake bleeding
1. Assemble the brake bleed tower with the correct adaptor to fit the master cylinder, and fill the tower chamber halfway with fluid.
2. Remove the bolt from the master cylinder and screw in the brake bleed tower (you may need to temporarily disconnect the threaded brake bar if it is in the way). Leave the brake bleed tower handle in the closed position.
3. Ensure plenty of paper towel, cloths, or a plastic tub is underneath the brake caliper before bleeding, as it can be messy.
4. Using an Allen key, remove the two small bleed bolts from one side only of the brake caliper. Turn the handle on the brake bleed tower to open, and allow gravity to push the fluid through the system until you see a consistent trickle of brake fluid. Replace the two bleed screws, but do not overtighten.
5. Repeat the process on the other side of the brake caliper.
6. It is good practice to double check whichever side you bled first — to do this, only remove the top bleed screw to check you still have a consistent trickle of fluid with no air in the system.
7. Turn the handle back to closed on the brake bleed tower and unscrew it.
Once bled, check the brakes work by spinning the rear wheels/axle and pulling the pedal all the way to stop the rotation. With the pedal fully pressed, ask someone else to try and turn the rear wheels — if they can't, the brake is working correctly.
How do I clear the very last bit of air from the master cylinder?
Remove the brake bleeding bolt from the top of the master cylinder. Using the brake bleed tower, turn the handle very gradually to open, to allow a small amount of fluid to drip into the open hole on the master cylinder and fill it up to the threads of where the bolt will fit. Then screw the original bolt back in and re-attach the brake bar.
How tight do the brake line joints need to be?
The brake line joints should be very tight. You will initially feel some resistance as you tighten them, as the o-ring is compressed, which provides the required seal and stops fluid leaking. Once this resistance stops and you can't turn it any further, it is sufficiently tight.
It is extremely important not to cross thread the fittings — begin threading them by hand first to ensure they are straight, then use the required tools to tighten.
My 14f secondary brake cable isn't long enough. What do I do?
Contact jake@espireeducation.co.uk with a supporting photo for advice.
We can't fit all four of the 14c spacers onto the threaded bar. What should we do?
Yes, this is ok. Sometimes the threaded rods can vary in length slightly, and the brake pedal position can also mean you don't need as many spacers if it is set for shorter drivers. Please ensure the nuts are securely fitted, and put the additional spacers somewhere safe in case you need them for future use.