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.....brake lever.
Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brakes.
was stored horizontally for a bit.
Absolutely nothing at the lever.
Just flaps about.
Opened reservoir, was low, topped it up.
Still nothing. Read that if you wedge it front wheel up, bubbles rise to reservoir.
Did that for a few days. Looked in reservoir, still the same level.
Loosened bleed nipple (don't have bleed kit), but don't I need some pressure at the lever to be able to bleed it?
Anyway, wobbled it about for a bit and sort of nothing changed.
Any suggestions please?
Thanks
Bleed it fully. There will be instructions somewhere on the web for your brakes. There is air trapped somehwere in your system and won't just bubble out on its own.
Last chance before having to bleed it. With bike in normal stood on floor position, pull lever to bars and secure in that position overnight. Next day flick the hose a few times and slowly release the lever, you might have got some pressure back. If not it needs bleeding.
If its the back brake yes put bike in front wheel up position, good luck
Any suggestions please?
Buy a bleed kit. Bleed them.
Hmmm, been a while since i was on here, can't remember how to quote a reply.
It sounds like i need a bleed kit 🙂
OK, i am going in.
It is the back wheel, yes.
Thanks for the instant responses.
Have a look on Epic Bleed solutions for a compatible bleed kit. Decent quality & should be cheaper than manufacturer original version.
Assuming they do one for your brakes.
Actually, another question.
Should I be looking out for anything with bleed kits?
I need two.
This one is mineral oil brakes and it is my sons and will be selling it, so cheap kit is ideal.
Might as well get another one while i am at it for my bike which is dot 4.
Don't want to contaminate the two right?
So, this one, is there any benefit to getting a 'better' kit?
lol, thanks stumpy01, you preempted my next question.
Total Bleed Solutions (ripoff of Epic) for £12.99 on Ebay.
Bought the Sram kit, did the job.
Bonus questions:
So, it seems like when I undo the bleed nipple on the caliper, it should have brake fluid coming out of it?
Mine doesn't.
When I remove it completely still nothing comes out.
Pump brake lever with the reservoir lid off and nothing happens.
Is this something else? Or just more 'you need to bleed the system'?
I haven't managed to find my brakes bleed instructions yet.
I want to make sure the kit is compatible. It is an older brake.
All the ones i have found seem to have a bit at the reservoir end to screw something into.
I don't think mine does.
https://imgur.com/QEKsiWN
All it seems that I can do is open the reservoir to the open air.
I guess I just remove the reservoir lid and push fluid in from the caliper with the syringe?
I can't find a model number on the lever.
Nor on the calipers. Just Tektro Auriga.
Am I being thick?
As you can tell, I have never bled Hydraulic brakes before 🙂
HAve a look on Amazon, lots of specific kits such as
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CYCOBYCO-TEKTRO-TRP-Hydraulic-Bicycle-Bleeding/dp/B09STNQQKB/ref=sr_1_5
also generic kits.
Also, try this quick method rather than a full bleed.
https://epicbleedsolutions.com/blogs/guides/5-minute-shimano-mini-bleed
Worked for me last week on a Tekro brake that had lost fluid after the cable had been ripped out of the lever in a crash.
All the instructions seem to involve screwing something into the lever end.
I don't think I have anything there to screw anything into. Not that I can see.
Do I just squeeze it in from the bottom and catch the mess?
What am I missing here?
5-minute-shimano-mini-bleed
The OP has Tektro brakes, with no bleed port on the leve.
OP it seems that you have a near empty system.
I think you need this video:
FWIW - they look like 12-15yr old brakes, you may be better spending out on a new set.
I am actually looking to sell this bike.
Thought i would make it happy before I sold it.
(plus I might be forced into giving it a final run out 🙂 )
Thanks for the video, but that one also has a port at the lever end.
The brakes still work(ed) great.
I think these levers must be different to the calipers.
At least my bike (as opposed to this being my son's) have avid elixirs.
Plenty of info on those.
Wish I was floppy.
Well, I have found an exploded diag of the lever.
https://www.upgradebikes.co.uk/Catalogue/Disc-Brake-Spares/Tektro-Auriga-all-models/Tektro-Pre-2011-Auriga-Spares
Ah HAH.
So, yes, I do need to just force it through from the caliper end and suck out the excess.
(this vid is different caliper, but the reservoir is the same layout)
So, I just need a syringe with the right fitting at the caliper end to force it through.
Now to work out what fitting that is.
Shame to buy a full kit as I already have the mineral oil.
Oh, plus another one to suck out the rest.
Found some tube that fits the bleed nipple.
Just need a couple of syringes that fits that.
Looks to need a 5mm syringe.
Wish I was floppy.
I’ve got to admit when I saw this thread I thought it was an update from a fine upstanding member of the STW community 😉
🙂
Hmmmm.
Still stuck.
Put pipe and syringe on, removed reservoir lid.
Pushed and pulled on syringe.
No movement of the fluid.
Looks like there is a blockage.
So, it must be at the lever end or the caliper end.
I don't know anything about these, but I can't imagine it will be caliper end.
So, lever end?
Is there a way to free this up?
Is something stuck internally perhaps?
Have you checked something as simple as brake cable isn't folded over or pinched, causing a blockage?
Did you put some fluid in syringe and push in from caliper end?
Thanks.
Yes, checked there were no kinks.
(checked again before i replied here 🙂 )
Fluid in syringe.
Removed fluid from reservoir.
Undid nipple at calliper end half a turn, tried pushing fluid through.
Going nowhere.
Tried undoing nipple a couple of turns and then another couple of turns.
Still no fluid movement.
When I blew through the removed nipple, I got air flow.
A theory...based on a Shimano brake lever that died on me.
If things dried out at lever end, is there a piston stuck in? The lever can move, but perhaps a seal is holding in the piston?
Sort of where I was going.
But more accurate thinking.
There was a dribble in the top I think (don't hold me to that), but dry at the bottom end, so is a very good thought.
Inside the reservoir is a clip:
https://imgur.com/PNflaDh
Under the clip is a hole and what looks like a tiny bearing.
Not sure where the clip was meant to sit. It fits into a groove and could cover either.
The hole and the 'bearing' are both on the raised bit in the reservoir.
https://imgur.com/HGex2zs
The dip is a hole at the end closest to the 'e' of deore.
The 'bearing doesn't seem to want to move.
OK, had a bit of a fiddle.
You are right. Something is stuck.
When I loosen off the pipe from the lever, I can squeeze fluid up from the rear and make it drip out faster.
So we know it is ok until the lever.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/clarks-m2-hydraulic-disc-brake/rp-prod135586
£20
The bleed kit you bought will probably work on them as well
Actually I’d have done same as you tried to resurrect it😂
Crikey, is that all they are?
(I only spent £3 on syringes 🙂 I would need to buy a kit for that on top I suppose as that probably needs the 'thing' at the lever end.)
It has become a bit of a thing though now.
Know what I mean?
I will give it a little more thought I think, then give in 🙂
Right, next plan (in a few days).
I wanted to remove hydraulic pipe from the lever, but it keeps boinging back.
I will remove lever from bars, remove pipe and have a poke about, see if i can release from that end.
^ buy those Clarks. Life is too short
Yeah, well, seeing as I had to remove it anyway, I thought I would have a little poke with a wire.
Didn't work.
Still blocked.
Cheers for all the input.