Various people wrote:

>Subject: Bleeding Brakes & Clutch?
>This weekend I am changing my back brake pads and am planning on replacing
>the brake fluid while I am at it.  The Bentley manual gives amounts of fluid
>to drain out of each cylinder but it doesn't mention anything about the clutch

Brakes and clutch use same fluid out of master cylinder reservoir as the clutch
hose splits out of the
master cylinder reservoir about an inch beolw the top fill mark. As long as the
brake master res.
doesn't get drained too much you shouldn't have to worry about clutch bleeding.
  The clutch doesn't
heat up the fluid like the brakes to break it down.  But if you want to be
thorough, go ahead and drain and bleed the
cluthc system (not necessary though).

>Subject: Help! Brake trouble - 83.5 liquid-cooled Westy
>My brakes are behaving strangely.  When I press the pedal it goes down at
>least halfway before anything happens, and then the brakes seem weak.  But,
>if I pump the pedal once, it starts braking after about an inch of travel

I had the same problem.  But I also had sticking front calipers.  I decided to
rebuild everything.
When I took the front brake hoses off, I cut them open to look.  They were
filled with crud, swollen so only a pin-hole sized hole was passing brake fluid.
I think the hoses were ballooning out when I stepped on the brakes.  I quick
pump
added the extra pressure needed to stop.  The brake hoses are only $13 each.

eric h.
80 westy