hey guys, I'm after a guide on how to refill my front brake system as what I'm trying isn't working! 

What I'm doing now:
Fill master cylinder with both calliper nipples shut. 
Squeeze brake lever, open nipple (which has a hose run into a glad jar with fluid in).
No bubbles appear, so I close the nipple with the lever still squeezed.  


What's going on? It's as if the brake system isn't forcing the air out the system?! I removed everything when I changed my head bearings..

Note - the brake lever never stiffens up as if it's not generating pressure...

Help! (Without buying pumps etc preferably!)

Cheers

1. Open nipple
2. Squeeze lever
3. Close nipple
4. Release lever.

I think you've got 1 and 2 reversed. You can also open up both caliper nipples, fill the master cylinder and pump like hell. That frequently gets fluid into the system. When the fluid comes out of the calipers, close the nipples and pressurise the system. If it doesn't pressurise fully, repeat 1-4 as necessary.

I've assumed the front brakes 'used to work'. If you're uncertain about that or they were poor, it's just possible that the inner seal on the master cylinder is now toast or that the return port in the master cylinder is blocked. Either way, it will be overhaul time.

 Worked a treat, thanks Dai!
Yeah they worked great before, and now work again! Problem solved!

Nicely done, Dai!

Also, if you are near a Halfords, they have a brake bleeder, which is two tubes with a non-return valve (ball bearing and spring inside a metal housing) between them.  Around £10, but very handy for opening the nipple and pumping away.  I used to do the open-squeeze-close-release, but the brake bleeder stopped all that.