BLEEDING A HYDRAULIC CLUTCH THE EASY WAY: MR. KNOW-IT-ALL

A REAL BLEEDER
Dear Mr. Know-It-All,

I have a 2019 KTM 300 TPI. I have a sibling in the motorcycle industry but am afraid to ask him for assistance. He can be a real Richard. Here’s what happened: I punctured my line going to the clutch master cylinder. I bought a new one and tried bleeding it by filling, pumping and bleeding the vent at the master cylinder. I haven’t been able to get the proper feel back, like there’s air in the line. Can you give me the best way to do this? Also, which oil do I use? I’m pretty sure that it’s brake fluid. Anyways, thanks.

A dude full of angst in T.O.

Hello, “Angsty Dude,” you can pump and hump until the cows come home and you will never get all the air out of the system when replacing the entire brake line. It must be pushed from the slave cylinder up to the master cylinder. Although your clutch hydraulics are made by Brembo, Magura makes a syringe, hose and adapter kit (don’t use the included Magura Blood) that make it a simple task. Use DOT 4 brake fluid. My friend Jeff Slavens sent me a link to the tool and the proper technique required to get the job done. See https://slavensracing.com/shop/hydraulic-clutch-bleeder-kit-for-ktmhusaberg-by-magura/ or https://youtu.be/f_5z0d0hgae.

 

FYI: when replacing just the master cylinder, you can bleed it easily by removing the slave cylinder and pushing the piston in. This forces air bubbles up and out.