How to Change your Brake Fluid on your Vintage Honda CB360 / CB450 / CB550 / CB750

One thing that a lot of people tend to skip over is some of the more specific yearly maintenance items you should be doing of your vintage Honda CB175, CB200, CB350, CB360, CB450, CB550 and CB750 Motorcycles. We all are great at changing our oil every 1,500 miles, setting the valves, adjusting the timing and even properly winterizing when those days roll around. The two big yearly maintenance items that you should be doing and maybe are not is changing your fork oil and flushing your old brake fluid for fresh fluid. In this video we're going to talk about the do's and don'ts of swapping your old hydraulic brake fluid( we recommend DOT 3 Synthetic Fluid) on that Cafe Racer, Scrambler or Restored Motorcycle. While this may be a quick and easy swap there are some tricks to making this an even faster process so you can get back on the road with safe and reliable brakes.
We also did a video on how to change your fork oil without taking your whole front end apart right here: • Honda CB360 Fork Oil C...
Replacement Parts:
Honda Disk Brake Bleeder Screw: www.common-mot...
Replacement Honda Disk Brake Pads for CB360 / CB450 / CB550: www.common-mot...
Replacement CB450 K3-K4 Honda Disk Brake Pads: www.common-mot...
Honda CB360 / CB450 / CB500 / CB550 Master Cylinder Cover and Diaphragm: www.common-mot...

[@DrBoss302]

Even though I have a 1974 CB360 with drum brakes, this video was worth the watch for hints on successful brake fluid changing. Great photography, concise narration with the intermittent chuckle from the high tech brake fluid collector. Keep up the videos Brenden. They are extremely informative and helpful.

[@Bryan-eg6ej]

Thanks for making these videos, as I've never done this on a bike. Searching for great content like this is how I originally discovered Common Motor.

[@Common-motor]

Thanks for your support!

[@douglascary9280]

Hey guys! Just want to say thank you for your videos. I have a '76 360T bought for $300. Watch the tune up, carb rebuild, and now the the brake fluid. ALL very helpful! I'm rebuilding my carbs right now, watching, stopping rewinding, (old school term) watching again very very helpful!!! THANK YOU AGAIN! By the way got parts from you for the carb rebuild Thank you!!

[@davidbarck5063]

Thanks for the excellent tutorial

[@keepitrunning]

I use a syringe to draw brake fluid down the line, much easier than all that pumping and cracking open bleed nipples. I would also take out the bleed nipple and put a smear of copper grease on the thread, copper grease being my anti seize compound of choice in our rather corrosive atmosphere here.

[@luckylucy6532]

You guys are the coolest

[@Khoudi_91]

Great production! I am looking into buying a 350 in the next day or so so this channel and your shop is going to be so extremely useful. Glad I found this channel. 👍👍

[@Common-motor]

That’s awesome! Definitely reach out to our website support too if you have any questions and when you get it up and going send us a photo for our gallery, we love seeing everyone’s rides!

[@TheGoatMumbler]

I'm sure you've applied for a patent on the high performance bleed bottle design. :)

[@jimflammer9370]

Great video.

[@George-ie1si]

Great informative video and love the music. Love the tank on the shelf same color as mine.

[@robertdivizio3489]

Keep these coming. Your little touches, like using an 8mm socket to initially loosen the bleeder screw is indicative of someone who has experience and thinks when working on these great bikes. By the way, my bleeder jar is better than yours. I use an empty Bonne Mama preserves jar from France!

[@psmeat]

‘76 CB360T. I’ve rebuilt the master cylinder, new banjo washers and bolts, all new lines (all from CMC). I can’t get fluid to go into the line past the reservoir. Using techniques shown in this video. Any suggestions?

[@Common-motor]

Reach out to our tech support phone line and we can always help you out there.

[@rayworx]

You probably have a bubble of air stuck in your master cylinder. You need to bleed the master cylinder FIRST. Its easy to do.... remove the banjo bolt
from the master cylinder. Secure the hose so it doesn't leak fluid. Make sure the master cylinder has fluid. With latex gloves on press your finger or thumb
on the end of the master cylinder hole. (where you removed the banjo bolt) Gently pull the lever to discharge fluid. You will normally see a bubble
come past your finger/thumb and the end of the master cylinder. That's the air bubble that's causing your problem. Repeat till you have a solid stream
of fluid when you pull the lever. Reassemble the hose and banjo bolt. Be sure NOT to pull the lever till you re-bleed the system.
Good Luck

[@pelikan909]

Where do you get these clear tubings from?

[@jeffrygagnon5506]

Same deal here, Pelikan. I tried the standard, 3/16 i.d. aquarium tubing for the front brake caliper bleeder on my '91 CB750 Nighthawk. A real bitch to get the tubing on, but still always let some air in when I let out front brake lever I was pumping. I think the plastic hose ws splitting? just enuf to let the air in. Maybe?
Did you ever solve the problem? The aquarium tibing I used was pretty old. Too brittle? No enuf stretch left? Ever find an in-between size that went on snug enuf to seal out all the pressure?

[@johnolepaulsen6101]

Great video but skip the background music please. It is old fasion and just disturbing thank you

[@ethancharles7918]

I liked it