I have been trying time and time again to bleed my hayes sole disc brakes and have failed every time. I live in Oxenhope so if anyone is local and can lend a hand one evening to show me what to do then I would be VERY greatful. I can also give you about £15 as a thankyou, (if they work :lol:)

Cheers for looking

Isn't it hayes that can only be bled on All Hallows Eve? you may have missed your window?

I was having a problem with mine but if you follow the instructions from the website to the letter it works well. What problem are you having?

follow the instructions on the hayes web site

it might take a couple of goes but should work in the end

the problem im having is that I can get the pads to close slightly but it's not even enough to stop the wheel when the bike is on a stand.
😥

Have you adjusted the pads using the allen key adjustment on the side of the housing. I think its a 5mm, if my memory serves right. That might be the problem, rather than the bleeding itself, that the pad position is just too far back?

ill have a look at the pad position

nope, changing the pad position hasnt worked

👿

I'm not sure what else to suggest – I'm pretty mechanically inept and only really know stuff I've done/dealt with myself…
How does the lever feel when you pull it? Is it pulling right back to the handlebar easily, or does it actually feel firm, like it *should* be working but just not moving the pads very far?

its pulling back to the handlebars

😈

Two other possible things to check, does the adjuster on the outside of the caliper actually move anything or are it's locating splines just slipping?, and what was the reason for the bleed in the first place, would it be that the lever started coming back to the bars following an accident? If so, then you've probably chopped a piece out of the primary seal in the master cylinder, I used to see it happen a lot a couple of years back.

just fancied learning how to bleed brakes and because i only had one bike and one set of brakes, well io started on my front brake and it didn't work, (no mechanical reasons why) apart from seing if i could get the brake to becom a bit more powerful.

I had problems bleeding Hayes Nines, which are very similar, I found that you have to follow the instructions word for word.

To make things easier use a 500ml coke type bottle with a small hole poked in the top, through which you pass the plastic tube to catch the brake fluid. This can be attached to the bars using an old spoke/gardening wire hooked around the the neck. This helps keep things clean.

It helps if the bike is held level in a stand with the handlebars stable, I use an old coat hanger (wire type) to hold the bars straight.

Currently it sounds like you've still got air in the master cylinder which would give the problem you described.