VeX
December 1st, 2008, 05:43 AM
Note before you go buck wild with this: I don't have an air-filter box so if you DO then you'll have to get creative to get the reservoir to fit... For those who have removed their air-filter box and want to clean up the exterior of the bike this is a relatively simple mod. So anywho here is how I relocated my rear brake reservoir (individual results may not be as AWESOME) .
Step 1: Open the brake reservoir to allow the fluid to drain easily. Note: There IS a little hold down you have to unscrew (you can barely see it flipped up above the mounting spot for the reservoir). Make sure to... Flip that up!
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Remove_Cap.jpg
Step 2: Drain the brake fluid. To do this the easiest and most efficient way I used a handheld vacuum pump...
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Vacuum_Pump.jpg
Open the bleeder valve and just pump away.
Step 3: Remove the brake reservoir. Use a rag so remnant brake fluid doesn't find it's way out. Then plug both the hose and reservoir so while you're working nothing gets in there!
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Remove_Reservoir.jpg
Step 4: With the sides opened up you can see a good spot to run the hose through. I was tempted to just go around the bottom of the mud flap, but there would be no support of the hose that and it runs near the rear shock. I opted for the shiny round spot on the mud flap!
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Drillspot.jpg
Step 5: Drill a pilot hole. In the never-ending usefulness of the Milwaukee offset screwdriver I used that to drill the pilot hole .
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Drill_Pilot_Hole.jpg
Step 6: Enlarge the hole to about 3/4". I was going to use a grommet, but there's a rubber sleeve around the hose and plastic isn't usually risky to run hoses and wires through, so I opted out of using a grommet.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Measuringhose.jpg
Notice you can see the grommet I was going to use before I figured it'd be silly
Step 7: Run the hose through and notice that the elbow on the master cylinder rotates (It's supposed to). I rotated mine down and ran the hose around and up through the mudflap.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Spin_hose.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Move_Hose_Through.jpg
Step 8: To make the bracket for the reservoir I opted to make a bracket and mount it to the battery box. I used a simple piece of flat aluminum (1" x 1/8" thick) and cut it about 3 inches down.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Flat_Stock_Aluminum.jpg
Afterwards I rounded the corners and filed it smooth.
Step 9: Remove the battery by first (with the seat removed obviously) lifting the upper plastic piece.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Remove_Battery.jpg
There's one relay hanging on this piece and one screw holding it down.
Step 10: Remove the battery I always point out when disconnecting batteries ALWAYS remove the negative end first. That way the frame is no longer (-) charged.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Remove_Battery_2.jpg
Step 11: The whole battery box has to come out. This is pretty easy to do. There's one more relay hanging on the box and two screws underneath the batteries pad:
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Air_Box_Removal_6.jpg
Step 12: I used two 10-32 beveled screws to hold the mount to the battery box. This way the screws can be countersunk into the battery box so the screw heads don't really rub against the battery inside the box.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Screws.jpg
Step 13: With the battery box out I drilled two offset holes through the aluminum bracket and into the battery box. INSIDE the battery box I beveled the screw holes so the screws countersink and the battery is none the wiser there's screws there.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Mount_Battery_Box.jpg
Note that I always throw blue loc-tite on threaded stuffs. A noble idea!
Step 14: I held the reservoir up to the bracket on the side that's 'hanging out' and drilled a hole to mount the reservoir to. I didn't get a picture of it (whoops), but it's not too crazy a concept . You can re-use the original screw that mounted the reservoir (I did) and put a 6mm x 1.0 pitch nut on the backside, or if you have a tap kit (the way I did it) just tap the hole and everything looks ++.
And finished up:
Step 15: Drop everything back in and hook everything back up. You need to shorten the hose to the reservoir. After you hook it back up it should look like this:
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Brake_Reservoir_Mounted.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Brake_Reservoir_Mounted_3.jpg
It's hard to see, but everything is nice and compact now.
To refill the brakes, use DOT4 brake fluid, fill up the reservoir and let it sit for a minute or two (to clear the bubbles) and flush the brakes (open the bleeder, attach a section of hose and pump the brakes or use a vacuum pump until brake fluid starts coming out of the attached hose). Usually you have to do this more than once as little bubbles settle :P
Step 1: Open the brake reservoir to allow the fluid to drain easily. Note: There IS a little hold down you have to unscrew (you can barely see it flipped up above the mounting spot for the reservoir). Make sure to... Flip that up!
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Remove_Cap.jpg
Step 2: Drain the brake fluid. To do this the easiest and most efficient way I used a handheld vacuum pump...
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Vacuum_Pump.jpg
Open the bleeder valve and just pump away.
Step 3: Remove the brake reservoir. Use a rag so remnant brake fluid doesn't find it's way out. Then plug both the hose and reservoir so while you're working nothing gets in there!
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Remove_Reservoir.jpg
Step 4: With the sides opened up you can see a good spot to run the hose through. I was tempted to just go around the bottom of the mud flap, but there would be no support of the hose that and it runs near the rear shock. I opted for the shiny round spot on the mud flap!
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Drillspot.jpg
Step 5: Drill a pilot hole. In the never-ending usefulness of the Milwaukee offset screwdriver I used that to drill the pilot hole .
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Drill_Pilot_Hole.jpg
Step 6: Enlarge the hole to about 3/4". I was going to use a grommet, but there's a rubber sleeve around the hose and plastic isn't usually risky to run hoses and wires through, so I opted out of using a grommet.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Measuringhose.jpg
Notice you can see the grommet I was going to use before I figured it'd be silly
Step 7: Run the hose through and notice that the elbow on the master cylinder rotates (It's supposed to). I rotated mine down and ran the hose around and up through the mudflap.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Spin_hose.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Move_Hose_Through.jpg
Step 8: To make the bracket for the reservoir I opted to make a bracket and mount it to the battery box. I used a simple piece of flat aluminum (1" x 1/8" thick) and cut it about 3 inches down.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Flat_Stock_Aluminum.jpg
Afterwards I rounded the corners and filed it smooth.
Step 9: Remove the battery by first (with the seat removed obviously) lifting the upper plastic piece.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Remove_Battery.jpg
There's one relay hanging on this piece and one screw holding it down.
Step 10: Remove the battery I always point out when disconnecting batteries ALWAYS remove the negative end first. That way the frame is no longer (-) charged.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Remove_Battery_2.jpg
Step 11: The whole battery box has to come out. This is pretty easy to do. There's one more relay hanging on the box and two screws underneath the batteries pad:
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Air_Box_Removal_6.jpg
Step 12: I used two 10-32 beveled screws to hold the mount to the battery box. This way the screws can be countersunk into the battery box so the screw heads don't really rub against the battery inside the box.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Screws.jpg
Step 13: With the battery box out I drilled two offset holes through the aluminum bracket and into the battery box. INSIDE the battery box I beveled the screw holes so the screws countersink and the battery is none the wiser there's screws there.
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Mount_Battery_Box.jpg
Note that I always throw blue loc-tite on threaded stuffs. A noble idea!
Step 14: I held the reservoir up to the bracket on the side that's 'hanging out' and drilled a hole to mount the reservoir to. I didn't get a picture of it (whoops), but it's not too crazy a concept . You can re-use the original screw that mounted the reservoir (I did) and put a 6mm x 1.0 pitch nut on the backside, or if you have a tap kit (the way I did it) just tap the hole and everything looks ++.
And finished up:
Step 15: Drop everything back in and hook everything back up. You need to shorten the hose to the reservoir. After you hook it back up it should look like this:
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Brake_Reservoir_Mounted.jpg
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll294/VeX86BirD/Moving%20Rear%20Brake%20Reservoir/Brake_Reservoir_Mounted_3.jpg
It's hard to see, but everything is nice and compact now.
To refill the brakes, use DOT4 brake fluid, fill up the reservoir and let it sit for a minute or two (to clear the bubbles) and flush the brakes (open the bleeder, attach a section of hose and pump the brakes or use a vacuum pump until brake fluid starts coming out of the attached hose). Usually you have to do this more than once as little bubbles settle :P