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Bleeding xtr 980 with the bleeding block in, brake feels rock solid. Then, with pads in (fairly worn btw) the lever goes to the bar. The pads are in contact with the disc but it doesn't feel as good as they should. Any ideas?
Probably not enough fluid in the reservoir to compensate for pad wear, maybe even sucked in some errant air due to this. Try bleeding with the pads in to see if it makes any difference(you'll need to purge excess fluid when you fit new pads).
Tried pumping the lever with the bleed cup attached with fluid in it and it still seems to be soft.
Must be some air in there somewhere, I guess I just need a full bleed.
Make sure there are no high spots in the hose, any humps will act as an air trap and prevent it returning to the master cylinder/reservoir/bleed cup.Tilting the bike over so it has un upward path to the lever can help too.
Reorientating the lever assembly, tapping the lines and calliper body and stroking the lever (allowing it to snap back to its original position) during the bleed will help to dislodge any trapped air bubbles.
Also if you use our Shimano bleed kit you could create a vacuum at the lever, this also helps to remove air bubbles from the reservoir.
http://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/products/bleed-kits/shimano/complete-kit/
Good luck.