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I think I know the answer, however...
Second hand bike. Came with almost brand new M8000 XT levers.
Lever is now doing the 'stuck in' thing, brake binding on, lever not returning. The internet suggest this is a common problem.
Will Shimano warranty them on a secondhand bike..?
I queried this via email and was told warranty was original owner only - I was thinking about a 2nd hand ebike. (*note that this was not an attempted claim but an email query).
You can always try.
No
🙁
If you have a good relationship with your LBS they might be able to sort something through Madison but I'd presume that you'd still need a copy of the original receipt.
EIther a copy of the original receipt or a good relationship with whoever you bought it off (the original purchaser).
Matt, this happened to me recently. Levers were out of warranty. New levers were around £25 each.
Pretty much any shimano lever is compatible.
New lever and 1ltr of oil ordered. I've Zee lever as it seems not to have the hassle the new XT ones do.
A litre!!!!!
I bought a small bottle (250/300ml ish) 3 or 4 years ago and it's going to need replacing before the end of the decade...... (I've got about 8 fr/rr sets of Shimano i look after on a regular basis......)
Well it's £13 / ltr or £5 for 100ml.
We have 5 sets of Shimano brakes, one lot being the ones I'm fixing related to this thread, so they need a total refill.
New lever fitted. Fresh new oil throughout (old oil was black...)
Decided to flush the other lever and caliper, again oil was manky black in colour, the worst I've ever seen.
New oil in, did a little 'draw back' on top syringe, and got a little air out. Lever suddenly snaps back to bar with a visible black mess inside bleed tube. 😕
I've now a second jammed lever.
I've played with one of them, the piston within lever is totally jammed. Removing them and last dregs of oil show the black gunked up oil is 'gritty' between my fingers.
It seems the black coating /paint has worn inside away, filling oil with gunk and grit, seizing the levers.
These brakes are a year old, M8000 XT.
Junk.
I've bought another Zee lever. Last time I buy shimano brakes after last years faff with three sets of leaking deals on calipers.
What "top syringe?
I've had something similar on 3 shimano brakes in the last 2 years, 2 xt and one slx.
Starts with the lever needing a pump before fully biting and when you bleed the oil is black, then after a while the lever fails to return.
In fairness the warranty has been quick and hassle free each time but it's a recurring defect. Seems dirt can ingress past the master cylinder seal then scores the piston/cylinder to the point where the spring isnt sufficient to get it to return.
I bought them on second hand bike, so no warranty.
@scotroutes - I use a second syringe on top instead of the shimano cup thing, I just chuck a full syringe through from the top.
Maybe they're not designed to have fluid drawn through them in that direction with a syringe?
Seems sensible to use the cup and follow Shimano’s instructions ratger than do it opposite to their instructions?
It might not make any difference but I'd make sure I'd followed the manufacturers maintenance instructions before complaining about reliability especially since the lever failed at that point in the procedure.
sillyoldman - Member
Seems sensible to use the cup and follow Shimano’s instructions ratger than do it opposite to their instructions?
Very much this, and it's super easy to do
A fair point - although up until that point I had followed manufacturers to the letter.
A tiny pullback (which I have always done pre this generation) gets a last bubble out of the lever reservoir in my experience, with caliper bleed locked and top syringe emptied.
FWIW, many bleed kits use a syringe lower at the top, rather than the (over priced) shimano cup. It is merely a reservoir.
Not if you’re pulling back the plunger.
The cup works, is easy to use and is under a fiver. If it was north of £10 I’d see your point, but when it’s less than two takeaway coffees I find it hard to get upset about.
You can fix this, it's a pretty poor design that lets crap get into the back of the piston. This then roughs it up and causes it to jam in the bore. I dismantled my lever cleaned it all up and it was fine after that.
I used the spangly new cup. On spangly new levers. The spangly shimano bleed way.
The rear is OK, if spongy. It takes a couple of bleeds to get air out.
The front however has classic 'wandering bite point' going on, despite three bleeds.
Suggestions?
I think both brakes have air in still....
I think both brakes have air in still….
That would explain the wandering bite point. I had it on one brake I'd changed the hose on. After a better bleed it was perfect (no other changes) and has been for over a year now.
How do I do a better bleed - the video's online all vary, including some that use my dodgy 'pull back' technique....?
Genuine question, I thought I was OK at brake bleeds, especially Shimano, having had no real issues with Shimano for a good few years, apart from when they get 5 years old and just give up....
I just follow the Shimano instructions - though I uses to over-fill my old XT/XTRs to move the bite point out. Other than that the instructions just seem to work. Keeping the hose vertical, flicking it etc all help release any reluctant bubbles.
Hang the bike with the bars up.... even better if you can be bothered removing the front calliper.
Leave overnight, preferably giving a few taps or flicks on the cable the evening before...
I use a hook on the shed roof... seems to let the bubbles trapped in little curves in the hose make their way out to the lever end...