master Cylinder rebuild

Trying to get my first motorcycle ever roadworthy at the age of 58. Xj650!
I rebuilt the master and the calipers, but now that i got fluid in it I can't get any pressure. It pushes a little bit of fluid but the lever comes right to the handlebar and feels like no brakes.
I even took the cylinder apart again thinking I put it together wrong. I do t think so but I'm still not positive I did it right.
Can anyone tell me what direction the two rubber things that are on the piston are suppose to face? Small end away from brake hose? Both face same direction? Is there a good diagram anyplace online?
Thanks a lot in advance
Scott

 

Did you bleed the brakes? I.e. get ALL of the air out of the system?

 

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... build.html

Flared side of the seal faces fluid

 

Thanks Adrian. This means I did everything right. I guess the cylinder itself must have some gouges or deep scratches that the pressure is leaking past. Oh well. Time to find another cylinder. Thanks for the help.

 

Before doing that, the XJ's are known to be a bugger to bleed the brakes. Fitz has even commented on it being difficult at times.

 

Don't give-up on saving your Master Cylinder.

Dismantle the MC.
Shoot it clean with BrakeKleen Spray.
Examine the Bore.
Peer into the Bore and reflect light around the Bore surface as you evaluate its condition.
It not likely to be deeply gouged.
Pitting and Surface-crud Build-up is most common.

Crud can be torched to dust and removed quite easily.
"Minor" Pitting can be "Honed" away.
Use a Dowel and 400, 600, 800 Wet-O-Dry Finishing Paper.
Duct Tape a 4-Inch Wide strip of Finishing Paper to a Wooden Dowel that you will chuck into your Drill.
Wrap the Finishing Paper on the end to be inserted within the Bore Counter Clockwise at the end of the Dowel.
(Build up the Diameter of the Roll with 4-Inch Wide strips of Brown Paper Bag to save Finishing Paper. When the Roll gets large enough to fit VERY TIGHTLY into the MC Bore ... Tape-on the Finishing Paper.)

WET the Finishing Paper with WD-40.
Squeeze the Rolled-up "Hone" into the Bore.
Gradually, slowly ... rotate the HONE Material --> CLOCKWISE.

As the Finishing Paper begins to rotate, ... push the Dowel into the Bore slowly and steadly.
Move the Tool down and back several times.

3X with 400
3X with 600
Examine.
If the pitting is gone.
2X with 800.
If there is still pitting within the Seal Travel Area ...
Repeat 3X - 400 / 600

The Finishing Paper will "Load-up" with Alloy.
You have to put fresh finishing paper on the Tool as needed.

 

Yeah, it took me a while to figure out the bleeding thing too. In the end, I probably ran 8 oz through it. And silly me, I didn't have the screw in the brake lever set where it should of been, so I wasn't braking fully. Maybe you can pick up a few tips in my old post here: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=42910.html

 

An empty master cylinder is always a pain to bleed. Having a mighty-vac is a huge help. What I do is crack the banjo bolt on the MC and pump the lever until I get fluid. Tighten the banjo back up and hook up the mighty-vac open the bleeder, and pump up the vacuum. while I maintain vacuum I slowly move the brake lever, all the while watching the level of fluid in the reservoir. After 10 or 15 minutes of this you should have all the air out of one side and some pressure at the lever. Then repeat on the other caliper for a minute or two and you're golden.