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I've spent far too many hours trying to get the bleed on this brake perfect and it still isn't. The issue is that it "pumps up" - by which I mean the first pull of the lever goes quite far towards the bar but immediate subsequent pulls of the lever go only a short distance. It's disconcerting when riding because I have to do a pre-pull to get it to pump up and then use it.
As I say, I've bled them many times. I've even done a complete drain and refill of the system along the way. I've looked up various tricks about how to bleed but the general method I've found most success with is a top to bottom gravity bleed using the shimano cup. I've done this with the caliper off the bike and in a down low position because my frame has external routing anyway.
So - what's the issue? Am I just incompetent at bleeding this specific brake? Am I missing a trick? Is it possible the lever or caliper are damaged? On the last point I haven't noticed any leaks but I also know that there is constantly air in the system which is causing the issue!
Thanks
knackered
Sounds similar to my rear XT
It’s a pain in the arse
Waiting on the shop to warranty it
I posted the same thing almost word for word years ago and people lined up to tell me I don't know how to bleed a brake. These days it's a well known and very common problem.
As far as I know if they don't work properly they never will. If you find out differently let me know.
Does anyone know if they've done anything or plan to do anything about it? Is it still happening to new brakes?
Might be a bad'un.
Are the pads low? If so try a new set. I had a worn set of pads on a deore brake that was doing the same. Bleeds and top up quick bleeds were not fixing it. But new pads (with some fluid let out of the master cylinder because I had been overfilling) did the trick.
Maybe the worn pads were not retracting properly due to their further out position ?
That seems pretty conclusive. Is it a bad caliper or a bad lever? Can I replace one of them? Or should I just bike the bullet and get both?
I've been through several sets of pads with this problem so it's not a pad issue.
That deore brake ^ the lever is leaking I have just discovered.
OP- replace the leaky part only. If there's no pad contamination then lever?
Or ditch the lot and get a magura.
I fixed mine by switching to Hope V4's but only because I got trade prices. They worked perfectly until I sold the DH bike.
Symptoms point either to a bad bleed, or towards a leaking lever which could show the same problem. A big lever strike which reduces with multiple pulls is indicative of a lot of air in the system.