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Gave my brakes a first full bleed last night. How easy was it compared to my previous Avids!
I put new pads in advance did it with the wheel in as I couldn't find my bleed block - makes getting to the bleed nipple a bit more awkward with spokes in the way.
Front which I did first has a bit more play/travel in lever so might need to do it again, but back is better of the two.
Why when you wind the lever adjust in on the SLX brakes does it increase free travel?
What's the shelf life on mineral oil? Need some more to do my lads bike and a litre is £19 on Amazon or £9 for 0.1 litre.
I bleed them with the levers adjusted fully out.
Glad to hear it, just blown a seal on an Ultegra caliper and I hate doing brakes!
What’s the shelf life on mineral oil? Need some more to do my lads bike and a litre is £19 on Amazon or £9 for 0.1 litre.
Almost infinite - certainly a long, long time. Just keep the lid on tight when stored.
Thanks, will get that ordered.
Shimano have said that some of the seal issues that folk have seen is down to using non-shimano oil.
They are easy to bleed.
Personally I remove the caliper and pump the pads close and then bleed. Gives a nice solid lever.
The 1l bottle has an extra seal thing under the screw cap... used regularly I can't see it expiring before you get the value from it.
Well worth buying IMHO as regular full bleeds really get the muck out.. most of my SLX/XT brakes are 4-5 years old. I'm pretty convinced most of the problems people report are not using proper Shimano oil or not cleaning them out often enough so the muck builds up.
I'd also take the pads out before messing with a full bleed ... even if you use some 2p coins wrapped in a bit of old inner tube. It's easy for the shrine to pop off and squirt if you get distracted and ruin the pads. (I'm not saying I always do but .. )
I used Marshy's method yesterday and got a really nice bleed on my 5 year old XT's which have been a bit finicky in the past when using syringes
That's a really interesting way of doing it.
Good points about the syringe pushing crap back in if the bleed nipple isn't clean.
I used Marshy’s method yesterday
Aside from the benefits of letting a load of mineral oil run over and lubricate your piston edges, is this any different from doing the same but using a piece of tube over the bleed nipple? I think I'd rather use a bit on a bit of cotton bud to rub around the pistons.
Presumably better flow with removing the bleed nipple fully. Don't see why it wouldn't work the same if you left it on and used the tube - just slower.
I liked how he bedded the pads in - gonna give that a go too.
Took the bike for a proper ride last night - first one sine the bleed and new pads.....
S**t the bed - what a difference, so much more power, liking the Uberbike race-matrix pads better than the previous Shimano ones too.
My pet hate with shimano is the hose popping off the bleed nipple because of the weight of the syringe (or gravity changing or I looked at it the wrong way or I didn't look at it etc.)
Then it's a bloody nightmare to get back on again because of the lubricating oil that has now pissed everywhere.
Can't say my experiences with SRAM brakes have been much nicer though *sigh*
My new xt brakes have been delivered with a yellow widget in the lever.
Is an xt bleed any different to an slx?
That Marshy method looks simple. I hate the tubes falling off too so that looks like a winner.
I take it there is no need to bed the pads in once riding using his method, they should just be ready? Again, cray simple...
My pet hate with shimano is the hose popping off the bleed nipple because of the weight of the syringe (or gravity changing or I looked at it the wrong way or I didn’t look at it etc.)
Then it’s a bloody nightmare to get back on again because of the lubricating oil that has now pissed everywhere.
My epic bleep kit came with a little plastic retainer to hold the tube on the nipple. Seemed to work ok too as it didn't fall off.
hmmm, might have to check the bag again as mines an epic kit too. Perhaps there is something in there that I missed
Thanks for that link to Marshys method, a brake bleeds been on my mind for a while, just completed it as the link, easy to do & a great result. Ta.
@baldiebenty it's a little black stick with a hole in it to slide over the pipe.
I take it there is no need to bed the pads in once riding using his method, they should just be ready?
I just did his method with new front pads i fitted, they feel ok riding round outside the house, but they must still need to bed into the worn disc profile a bit. I think its another good tip to get ship shape quicker.