[MultiRider]

My rear brake (Hayes Nine Carbon) was very spongy, so I decided to bleed it. I've never messed with my brakes before, but have bled hydraulic brakes on cars and motorcycles and decided I could figure it out.

I turned the brake lever housing straight up and stared at it for a while to figure out how to put more fluid in. I finally decided I had to remove the plate on the housing. Surprise! The screw heads are Torx.

Well, I have a set of Torx screwdrivers, so that didn't really slow me down. I unscrewed both sides and removed the plate. I proceeded to bleed and get the air out while replenishing the reservoir. After a short while, I ended up with great action and was very satisfied. So I put the rubber thing back in and the plate back on.

Then I found the little plug that goes in the refill hole. I didn't know what that was when I got started. After I found it, I checked hayesbrakes.com and looked at the manual. It says "Do no remove the Torx screws or the plate covering the reservoir." Well, isn't that nice, except it is too late!

I can't seem to get the little plug to stay in the hole. I don't know of removing the plate affected it in some way, but the little plug just keeps falling out. This, of course, will result in air getting into the system.

Any thoughts on how to get the little plug to stay in the hole?

 

[MultiRider]

Upon further examination

My rear brake (Hayes Nine Carbon) was very spongy, so I decided to bleed it. I've never messed with my brakes before, but have bled hydraulic brakes on cars and motorcycles and decided I could figure it out.

I turned the brake lever housing straight up and stared at it for a while to figure out how to put more fluid in. I finally decided I had to remove the plate on the housing. Surprise! The screw heads are Torx.

Well, I have a set of Torx screwdrivers, so that didn't really slow me down. I unscrewed both sides and removed the plate. I proceeded to bleed and get the air out while replenishing the reservoir. After a short while, I ended up with great action and was very satisfied. So I put the rubber thing back in and the plate back on.

Then I found the little plug that goes in the refill hole. I didn't know what that was when I got started. After I found it, I checked hayesbrakes.com and looked at the manual. It says "Do no remove the Torx screws or the plate covering the reservoir." Well, isn't that nice, except it is too late!

I can't seem to get the little plug to stay in the hole. I don't know of removing the plate affected it in some way, but the little plug just keeps falling out. This, of course, will result in air getting into the system.

Any thoughts on how to get the little plug to stay in the hole?

Upon further examination, I've discovered that when I took it apart, the rubber thing came apart from the plate. The hole in the rubber thing where the plug goes is kind of an "T" shape - it goes up and has a washer-like lip all the way around it.

I need to get the top of the "T" back through the hole and exterior to the plate again so that when it is all sealed up, the rubber washer type thing is sticking through the steel plate so the plug can go in it and seal.

I'm sure hoping someone will say "Oh, yeah, I did that and here's how to get the rubber neck and washer thing back through the hole so the plug seals correctly."

 

[MultiRider]

Okay, well that was fun . . .

NOT!

After trying a phillips screwdriver and a metal punch and a few other things, I had a brainstorm - had to pull it through instead of push it through. I thought about using wire, but that might cut the rubber.

I found a rubber band, wrapped it around the neck of the stupid little fill hole thing, threaded the rubber band through the hole in the plate, and pulled and tugged and finessed a bit. The top of the "T" came through!

Frankly, I'm amazed. I would not advise trying this just for the fun of it. I feel fortunate that it worked.

Of course, then I poured in a bit more fluid, popped the top on, put one screw in, and proceeded to cross thread the second screw. ARGH!!! Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

I finally got the threads straightened out and it is all buttoned up. Brakes work AWESOME.

I think I will purchase the official Hayes bleed kit.

Perhaps my saga will help someone else who is tempted to disassemble the reservoir. Not a good idea!

 

[standard235]

Haha, all that trouble pushed you to get the "right tool for the job"?

 

[dogonfr]

On Hays brakes you fill the fluid from the caliper bleeder up into the master & out a tube to a catch container.