You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Tomorrow I'll finally get round to fitting a new Shimano Deore BR-M615 Caliper to replace the older (Only 5 months old) one that failed and started leaking mineral oil all over numerous sets of pads and discs.
The one thing I'm worried about is the bleeding. I find it a big hard job from past experiences. Is a full bleed required ? From bottom to top, then from top to bottom ?
Full bleed required, the caliper won't have any fluid in it. Take your time, do it slow..... or return the 5 month old brake under warranty?
This new caliper is a warranty replacement.
Yeah - frankly, if this is a warranty thing they should sort it out if it's an LBS. If it's on the internet then yes, full bleed.
The bike is from Wheelies Direct as an Insurance replacement. They are based about a 3-4 hour drive from me.
The Deore Calipers have already failed before and the ones in at the moment are replacements from Chain Reaction. (front one is Okay but the rear has failed)
grannyjone - Member
The bike is from Wheelies Direct as an Insurance replacement. They are based about a 3-4 hour drive from me.
For the hassle, put all the bits in a jiffy bag and post them with a note asking it to be fixed.
Learn to bleed. It's easy.
Epicbleedsolutions website has really good and clear instructions. Worth a go, it's not hard.
For all that given all the hassle the OP has had with these brakes just getting them done properly and fitted so there is no comeback if they fail again and hopefully no issues from the start would be sensible.
Putting a new caliper in the post is not the level of warranty support I would accept.
Taking aside what the shop should have done for a moment - yes it needs bleeding.
If you have the Shimano or epic kit, bleed from bottom up. If not, bleed from top down. Hang the brake so the hose is straight and no air gets trapped.
Neither is difficult. Just take your time.
LBS fixes and original vendor picks up the bill?
Doesn't seem unreasonable IMO.
Take it to a shop a get a proper bike mechanic to sort it out for you.
Unfortunately based on your previous posts if you do it then I fully expect a thread in a couple of days time about how the brake has exploded covering you in a tsunami of oil and now all your bearings are ruined too.
For the hassle, put all the bits in a jiffy bag and post them with a note asking it to be fixed.
I'd suggest this as well if it wasn't for the fact that the OP mentioned the bike came from Wheelies. He might be waiting a long time to get the bits back. 😆
The one thing I'm worried about is the bleeding. I find it a big hard job from past experiences.
Take it to a bike shop and get them to do it.
I don't understand how you just got the caliper - I had a 615 warranty replacement recently - I sent in the whole brake, lever hose and caliper, and got a whole new bled one back.....
I've just done it myself today. Bedded the new pads in and went on a 9 km test ride. Seemed to work alright. I really hope the howling doesn't return. Much Bigger rides planned for tomorrow and Thursday.
What I did was clean the disc with IPA and Disc Brake Cleaner, and boil the disc in boiling hot water for half an hour, then clean again with IPA.
Fitted new caliper, bled it, cleaned caliper with IPA, fitted new pads.
Now it feels alright and I can only hope the howling doesn't return.
I can't keep riding to a mech every time I need a bleed... It's £10-£15 a time. Deore calipers fail a lot from my experience. I've had 2x rear ones fail and 1x front fail in the two years I've been using them.
Got myself a complete set of shimano's from bike discount ,when i unpacked the levers were wrong sided for my liking so changed over calipers without the need to bleed .
After a week needed bleeding so got myself an irrigation syringe from work used that to do pressure bleed ,by putting syringe in top ,open bleed nipple,tube to jar to catch fluid ,plunge syringe then lock off nipple and PRESTO no air left in system.
Basically same as pressure bleeding car brakes with a compressor full of fluid .
What I did was clean the disc with IPA and Disc Brake Cleaner, and boil the disc in boiling hot water for half an hour, then clean again with IPA.
The disc rotor equivalent of nuking from orbit!
Was the caliper bought on its own or together with a lever?
I can't keep riding to a mech every time I need a bleed... It's £10-£15 a time.
I completely agree but it also gets much easier the 2nd/3rd time....
I can't remember if the Deore can be bled in place ??? But with SLX or XT it's really easy and once you practiced it really only takes 15 mins.. and mini-bleeds <5 min (just air from levers)
Deore calipers fail a lot from my experience. I've had 2x rear ones fail and 1x front fail in the two years I've been using them.
Shimano are usually better than that ??? (Even Deore)
I doubt you needed a FULL bleed (which means changing ALL the fluid) ...
rather if you just pumped enough through the caliper it would be OK... and then a bit of a mini-bleed after riding and the remaining air bubbles have been displaced...
Unlike DOT fluid mineral oil isn't hygroscopic so it really only needs replacing when it's dirty...
Was the caliper bought on its own or together with a lever?
I bought the caliper on its own, because in this case, the lever seems to be working OK
I doubt you needed a FULL bleed (which means changing ALL the fluid) ...
rather if you just pumped enough through the caliper it would be OK... and then a bit of a mini-bleed after riding and the remaining air bubbles have been displaced...
I just bled it from top to bottom (i.e. put mineral oil in the funnel then let it come out through the bleed nipple on the caliper at the bottom) then did the easy mini bleed after this. Didn't bother bleeding with the syringe from bottom to top as from past experiences this is normally when I start to get it wrong and introduce air bubbles for some reason. Anyway it seems to have done the job anyway.