NMD (New Motorcycle Day) has arrived!

[dna9656]

Picked up an '88 Venture today.

 

Met with the (now) POs 103 miles away with trailer on the Avalanche. Via E-Mail the guy tells me "all" it needs is the brakes adjusted, (adjusted? now I know he's no mechanic) the oil changed... OK I figure I can ride it home but this is NOT my first used bike purchase, so I took the trailer.

First he tells me it's using DOT 4 brake fluid, then gives me a quart of DOT 3/4 brake fluid. Can (do?) they use 3/4 fluid?

We go to start it, the engine is cold, so I choke it and hit the start button; it's dirty so you have to push it hard to get it to make contact (ok no biggie) I read the articles on overhauling the buttons and have done it a few times! He says the cruise control works but the after market radio never did work.

 

I notice the CPU, clock, gear indicator is blank, he says that's the reason I'm getting the bike $700.00 less than book. I have SEVERAL indicators from my parts bikes all 1985 and older.

 

The brake light doesn't work.

 

The clutch has no fluid in it so you can't use the clutch. I know there are articles here on the forum for cleaning switches and bleeding the brakes and clutch, I took off the false tank cover to see the fuses. The fuse holder is there and intact however it's missing the accessories fuse. I installed one and still no CPU etc. display. I checked the fuses for continuity and power on both sides, all that is good.

 

There is an after market wire with a fuse clip (for tubular fuses) on the end of it under the fuse box cover but it's not connected to a fuse.

 

I'm assuming the 40 amp in-line fuse is good because the head/tail light come on and it starts/runs.

 

There is another connector (after market) that the PPO (Prev, prev. owner) had installed to power his wife's electric riding clothes.

 

The brake light doesn't come on. Might this be a DOT 3/4 issue? the brake fluid (could the fluid have destroyed the rubber in the master/slave cylinder and this is why the clutch won't disengage? Has the fluid leaked out because it's DOT 3/4?. Filling/bleeding the clutch; I can follow the book and the articles on the forum for that.

 

There is a bleeder valve to the right of the ignition switch, is this for the brakes? It's not on any of my other bikes....

 

All help, responses, and hellos will be much appreciated!

 

Doug

It's good to be back!

Edited May 27, 2018 by dna9656
added more info

[JacobJJ]

Dot 3 or 4 won't be a problem and the mixture of the two won't affect anything seeing both are a poly-glycol base and the main difference between the two are their boiling points. If it hasn't been changed in a long while then the wicking of moisture would affect the compression of the oil.

[JacobJJ]

If you are having clutch sticking issues or a sloppy engagement of the clutch then check the slave cylinder. It's usually a culprit in these 1st gens. if your constantly adding oil to your clutch master cylinder and don't see any leaking around the handguard then most likely it's leaking into the engine. there are lots of posts in the tech section that will guide you in rebuilding the slave cylinder. took me about 35 min, getting the bugger out is kinda a pain. but definitely doable.

[JacobJJ]

Picked up an '88 Venture today.

 

I notice the CPU, clock, gear indicator is blank, he says that's the reason I'm getting the bike $700.00 less than book. I have SEVERAL indicators from my parts bikes all 1985 and older.

 

 

Your LCD screen runs through the main board behind the headlamp, never had to work on that on mine. Hopefully, someone knows more than i on that subject.

 

Here is a post on a acting up LCD screen. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?33328-Information-Display-Repair

[cowpuc]

That bleeder up by the ignition is so you can do this from the top:

[dna9656]

Dot 3 or 4 won't be a problem and the mixture of the two won't affect anything seeing both are a poly-glycol base and the main difference between the two are their boiling points. If it hasn't been changed in a long while then the wicking of moisture would affect the compression of the oil.

 

JacobJJ; It isn't THREE OR FOUR it's "3/4", apparently it can be mixed with either... but here's even more info; the bike was last registered in 16 but acc. to the PO it was last ridden 5 years ago. So I figure that any brake fluid is toast, but the clutch handle has no resistance in it when you pull the handle so not only is it prolly empty, it's full of air too. In any case the bottle of 3/4 he gave me is too old to use unless it was purchased VERY recently. I don't understand why we don't use hydraulic fluid instead of brake fluid, hyd. fluid or even transmission fluid seems to be a better application than some thing you have to change every 2 years. I am only wondering about this as applied to motorcycles, I just don't see brake fluid getting THAT hot on a bike, I mean the load is way less and application time is way shorter than would be with a 2000 lbs. (and greater) vehicle; but I use what the engineers specify.

 

I don't understand how any fluid from the clutch can get into the engine/trans case as the slave cylinder is outside of the case(es), is some portion of the cylinder capable of leaking into the case(s)?

Edited May 28, 2018 by dna9656

[7 lakes]

If there's no fluid in the clutch then the internals should be serviced, if there's air in there, there is going to be corrosion. From your overall description of the bikes condition I would plan on rebuilding the brake and clutch hydraulics. In my opinion the other choice is lots of tail chasing, bleeding, swearing, etc. Its so much easier to just go through them the right way once and move on.

 

Tim

[JacobJJ]

JacobJJ; It isn't THREE OR FOUR it's "3/4", apparently it can be mixed with either... but here's even more info; the bike was last registered in 16 but acc. to the PO it was last ridden 5 years ago. So I figure that any brake fluid is toast, but the clutch handle has no resistance in it when you pull the handle so not only is it prolly empty, it's full of air too. In any case the bottle of 3/4 he gave me is too old to use unless it was purchased VERY recently. I don't understand why we don't use hydraulic fluid instead of brake fluid, hyd. fluid or even transmission fluid seems to be a better application than some thing you have to change every 2 years. I am only wondering about this as applied to motorcycles, I just don't see brake fluid getting THAT hot on a bike, I mean the load is way less and application time is way shorter than would be with a 2000 albs. (and greater) vehicle; but I use what the engineers specify.

 

I don't understand how any fluid from the clutch can get into the engine/trans case as the slave cylinder is outside of the case(es), is some portion of the cylinder capable of leaking into the case(es)?

The slave cylinder is behind the middle gear housing. If the slave is leaking then the middle gear would retain the leaky break fluid.

 

The reason why you use brake fluid is that of the seals and gaskets inside your clutch master cylinder and slave bushings. If you used hydraulic fluid it would eat them away quickly and you would have a much bigger issue at hand.

 

Here is a link to inspect your slave cylinder and repair if needed. Also look to see if you're leaking out of the sight window on your master cylinder and check all the connections to see if you see any possible leaks.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?66302-Slave-Cylinder-Replacement

 

Hydraulic fluid is incredibly corrosive to most seals.

[dna9656]

If there's no fluid in the clutch then the internals should be serviced, if there's air in there, there is going to be corrosion. From your overall description of the bikes condition I would plan on rebuilding the brake and clutch hydraulics. In my opinion the other choice is lots of tail chasing, bleeding, swearing, etc. Its so much easier to just go through them the right way once and move on.

 

Tim

The new plan is to rebuild the calipers, slave and master cylinders. This will involve the bleeding process of course....

[dna9656]

The slave cylinder is behind the middle gear housing. If the slave is leaking then the middle gear would retain the leaky break fluid.

 

The reason why you use brake fluid is that of the seals and gaskets inside your clutch master cylinder and slave bushings. If you used hydraulic fluid it would eat them away quickly and you would have a much bigger issue at hand.

 

Here is a link to inspect your slave cylinder and repair if needed. Also look to see if you're leaking out of the sight window on your master cylinder and check all the connections to see if you see any possible leaks.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?66302-Slave-Cylinder-Replacement

 

Hydraulic fluid is incredibly corrosive to most seals.

Could not the seals and such be reformulated to allow for the use of hyd. fluid? If so we'd then be buying a lot less brake fluid and seal kits i would allow!

[dna9656]

I ordered the overhaul kits for 3 calipers (all calipers use the same seal kit, imagine that!) I also ordered the front brake and clutch master cylinder seal kits and the rear brake master cylinder kit seal kit. Thank Goodness for Partzilla.com, Boats.net, and Amazon!

Edited May 28, 2018 by dna9656

[7 lakes]

The new plan is to rebuild the calipers, slave and master cylinders. This will involve the bleeding process of course....

 

[cimmer]

One thing to think about also is replacing the rubber brake hoses with steel braided hoses. What I found on my 89 was that when I applied pressure to the brakes or clutch and had my hand around the rubber hose I could feel it expand in my hand. I ended up rebuilding all the brake and clutch components and added the steel braided hoses and the bike was able to stop a lot quicker then before. There are a couple places to get them as a kit for the bike.

 

Also you should download the service manual from the tech section as you will find that a lot of help in seeing how to work on these bikes.

 

Good luck and let us know if you have any questions.

 

Rick F.

[dna9656]

One thing to think about also is replacing the rubber brake hoses with steel braided hoses. What I found on my 89 was that when I applied pressure to the brakes or clutch and had my hand around the rubber hose I could feel it expand in my hand. I ended up rebuilding all the brake and clutch components and added the steel braided hoses and the bike was able to stop a lot quicker then before. There are a couple places to get them as a kit for the bike.

 

Also you should download the service manual from the tech section as you will find that a lot of help in seeing how to work on these bikes.

 

Good luck and let us know if you have any questions.

 

Rick F.

 

Rick,

Thanks for the input; this is my 6th Venture. I have 5 parts bikes and 2 Ventures I hope to drive; I have a '99 Road Star too.. The last one I purchased ran fine at the POs house, I drove it home and the next day (in the morning) I fully expected to ride it to work, it didn't start then and hasn't started since (2 years gone by), granted i lost interest, bought a new (to me) Avalanche and have been obsessing over it.... now it's back to the bikes...

 

So do you have a source for those sexy braided steel brake hoses?

Edited May 28, 2018 by dna9656

[dna9656]

If there's no fluid in the clutch then the internals should be serviced, if there's air in there, there is going to be corrosion. From your overall description of the bikes condition I would plan on rebuilding the brake and clutch hydraulics. In my opinion the other choice is lots of tail chasing, bleeding, swearing, etc. Its so much easier to just go through them the right way once and move on.

 

Tim

 

Thanks Tim, I have plenty of other clutch/brake master cylinders in case there is pitting in the ones on the bike.

[7 lakes]

Thanks Tim, I have plenty of other clutch/brake master cylinders in case there is pitting in the ones on the bike.

 

Awesome. Sometimes I grind my teeth a little reading threads about bleeding, changing fluid, speculation about how "air gets in there" etc. when clearly the issue is that internal service is 2 or 3 decades overdue. Most guys don't seem to view hydraulic internals as wear parts with a maintenance schedule, but my factory manual for instance states that the caliper seals are to be replaced every two years. Nothing about leaks, damage or wear, just replace them every two years. Heck, I'm ridiculously picky about this stuff and don't do that.

 

Edit: I feel like I may need to duck when I say this, but I've been using chinese braided steel lines from ebay. I ordered some to test and they worked out just fine, quality is good and now I have them on three bikes. The only disadvantage I've found is that the angle of the ends is intended to be universal, if you need a straight end or an immediate sharp bend off the banjo then they may not work for you. But heck the price is really hard to beat.

 

Tim

Edited May 28, 2018 by 7 lakes

[dna9656]

Awesome. Sometimes I grind my teeth a little reading threads about bleeding, changing fluid, speculation about how "air gets in there" etc. when clearly the issue is that internal service is 2 or 3 decades overdue. Most guys don't seem to view hydraulic internals as wear parts with a maintenance schedule, but my factory manual for instance states that the caliper seals are to be replaced every two years. Nothing about leaks, damage or wear, just replace them every two years. Heck, I'm ridiculously picky about this stuff and don't do that.

 

Edit: I feel like I may need to duck when I say this, but I've been using chinese braided steel lines from ebay. I ordered some to test and they worked out just fine, quality is good and now I have them on three bikes. The only disadvantage I've found is that the angle of the ends is intended to be universal, if you need a straight end or an immediate sharp bend off the banjo then they may not work for you. But heck the price is really hard to beat.

 

Tim

I wouldn't know what to search for, are they sold by application or is it by spec. or what?

[XV1100SE]

For the braided lines check the classifieds or contact Earl (SkyDoc). He makes/sells them

[7 lakes]

I wouldn't know what to search for, are they sold by application or is it by spec. or what?

 

There are name brand kits listed on ebay with everything you need, you can search by your year make and model and find them.

 

I've been just buying them by length,not by make or model. Several ebay sellers offer a selection of pre-made lengths, all with the same angle banjo ends, and you pick the one that is the closest to your perfect length, leaning toward the longer side of course. Its up to you to determine the lengths you need. It's entirely possible that you may find the banjo angle isn't going to work for you, what I would recommend doing is ordering one short hose (12-15 bucks) that you can use to check to make sure the angle of the hose from the banjo is going to work, and you can factor it into the length of the hoses that you order. This is what I'll be doing shortly with mine, haven't been in there yet and I may find that the hoses I've been using won't work.

 

This is my DIY approach, you can save a lot of money doing this yourself or you can buy pre-selected kits which is much easier. I enjoy nothing more than being elbow deep in a bike, and long ago grew used to fitting this stuff by fit and not part number so my opinion has to be taken with a grain of salt. If you're not looking forward to the job then I'd recommend a kit.

 

Tim

[cimmer]

I know that Skydoc has some steel briaded lines listed in the classifieds and I ordered mine from Buckeye Performance, http://www.buckeyeperformance.com/index.html, before Skydoc had his available.

Buckeye has a kit that keeps the brakes linked as the factory designed it, and Skydoc delinks the left front and rear brake and has the front master cylinder operate both front calipers.

 

I also order my caliper rebuild kits from Brakecrafters, https://brakecraftersusa.myshopify.com/collections/1989-yamaha-xvz13-d-series-venture-royale

as they supply the o-ring that allows you to separates the calipers halves when you are cleaning and rebuilding your brakes.

 

Hope this helps you..

 

Rick F.

[dna9656]

I know that Skydoc has some steel briaded lines listed in the classifieds and I ordered mine from Buckeye Performance, http://www.buckeyeperformance.com/index.html, before Skydoc had his available.

Buckeye has a kit that keeps the brakes linked as the factory designed it, and Skydoc delinks the left front and rear brake and has the front master cylinder operate both front calipers.

 

I also order my caliper rebuild kits from Brakecrafters, https://brakecraftersusa.myshopify.com/collections/1989-yamaha-xvz13-d-series-venture-royale

as they supply the o-ring that allows you to separates the calipers halves when you are cleaning and rebuilding your brakes.

 

Hope this helps you..

 

Rick F.

 

All the overhaul kits have been ordered and will be or are on the way shortly, BUT I will visit the source/web site you gave and put in my favorites for future reference! Thanks for the source!