Getting ready to sell my faithful 500i. Not to worry, it's being replaced with a 650 TRV LE, and I need the $$$ for the down payment.

The 500i has air in the brake lines, have to pump it once to get pressure up. Time to bleed. Any special requirements for brake fluid, or will DOT3 be sufficient? Anything else I should know about bleeding the brakes? Running a tube from one of the slave cylinders into a partially filled bottle the best way to do this?

 

Not positive but I would double check the DOT-3, I believe what you need is DOT-4.

 

What Year model is your 500i How many hours and how many miles does it have on it and what does it look like , just curious my manual that came with my 2006 Arctic Cat 400 FIS Auto 4x4 state's the correct brake fluid is DOT 4 Brake Fluid ; it also states to change the fluid every 2 years and replace the brake lines every 4 years ! And to answer your question about the best way to bleed the brake cyclinders , is to use a clean bottle or cantainer with just enough fluid to cover the bottom enough to cover the line so when you release the lever won't suck any air back in the brake line and mastercyclinder; and use a peice of clear plastic or rubber hose like a weed eater or small chain saw fuel line the right size to fit snuggly to the bleeder valve ! Then open one bleeder valve at a time and attach one end of the fuel line over the bleeder nipple and the other end submerged in the cantainer , start with the cyclinder closeest to the mastercyclinder and start pumping the brake lever very slowly untill just clean fluid and no air bubbles are in the line ; at the same time watch your fluid level in the mastercyclinder and make sure it doesn't get to low or you will get more air in the line ! I pump them about three times then refill the mastercyclinder , and then tighten bledder valve then remove the hose and go to the next front cyclinder and repeat procejure ; Then start on the rear cyclinder and if it's like my 2006 400 it will have a seperate rear master cyclinder for the rear brake under the seat ! You want have to pump the hand brake lever to bleed the rear cyclinder because it only aplly's the rear brake machanicaly ! you will use the foot brake pedal to bleed the rear cyclinder ; if it's like mine you just use the foot brake pedal for bleeding the rear one ; you'll know for sure if it has the hydrolic master cyclinder for the rear brake when you remove the seat you will see a small round plastic master cyclinder near the rear wheel ! There is only one disc brake on the back , it's on the right rear wheel , and you bleed this one the same way except you pump the foot pedal to bleed this last rear wheel cyclinder ; then the job should be finished with the job ! have a good day and good luck with those brake's ! You will get more money if you sell it yourself , the dealer's won't give you as much as on trade in value ; as you can get for it from someone who's looking for a good used quad ; and can't afford a new one ! ...............................

 

Why are you putting the 'fuel' line over the bleeder valve?... lol...

 

hey buck does your 03' 400 have the seperate master cyclinder for the rear disc brake like the 06' 400's like mine ?

 

My rear is mechanical, and I took it off, I broke the brake housing twice, so all I have is the hydrolic on the rear.

 

Maybe that is why my brakes are mushy, I have not hooked my 'fuel' line to them.. lol..

 

I have a 9 foot clear hose ($1.60 at hardware store) and just put one end on the bleeder valve and the other end in the brake reservour and just keep cycling the fluid. If the bowl gets a little low (which it will) I just add some.
Guess I will have to put a 'T' connector in there and hook my 'fuel' line in there to get the correct mix of brake fluid and gas... hehehe...

 

Well buck BORG WARNER changed a two man job into a one man job , they started this in the early to mid 80's , and it made the job of bleeding the brake's go alot faster in the as well ; I remember helping my dad bleeding the brakes on his old GMC truck ! He would place a concrete block's in front and back of the one of the front wheel's , then he would crawl under the back right rear wheel ; then he would yell at me to pump up the brake pedtal and hold it untill he opened the bleed valve. And the petal would go to the floor , and i would yell it's on the floor ; and he would yell hold what you've got ! Then he would close the bleed valve and we would start yelling again , just getting out from under the truck long enough to refill the master cyclinder ; we did this 2 or 3 time's on each wheel ! He would alway's start with the right rear wheel , then the left rear wheel ; then the right front wheel and then the left front wheel and the job would be done ! I bought a 67' ford longbed pick up from my mom's eldest brother in 1990 and the brakes were shot completely gone , all four wheel cyclinder's were shot ; and the brake shoe's and brake drum's had to be to be machined as i also had to go to a junk yard to get all new keeper spring;s ; and i mean the work's ! I had to go to the oldest part's store in town to get the wheel cyclinder's , and new brake shoe's ! Everyone was gone and i thought i was going to have to wait till the week end for one of my brother's could help me bleed the brake's ; but when i opened the BORG WARNER wheel cyclinder box there was an instruction sheet showing how to bleed the brake's with no help needed ! The one man brake job , this was the first time i had even thought a one man brake job was possible ! But here it was printed out on an instruction sheet , that came out of that BORG WARNER wheel cyclinder Box ! This is where this fuel line on the bleeder valve and the clear container filled with just enough new clean brake fluid started , this may be new to you buck but John0 know's about this one man brake job already !

 

The process is not new to me - I was poking some fun at your terminology of 'fuel' line is all... lol.. Just thought you had made a slight error using 'fuel'..