Shimano brake bleeding

[Mojoman]

I have seen cooking oil recommended on 4x4 forums for an 'if all else fails' situation with your brakes and being stuck somewhere.

[The Drongo]

cooking oil? blinde Bliksem!

 

 

I have seen cooking oil recommended on 4x4 forums for an 'if all else fails' situation with your brakes and being stuck somewhere.

 

Virgin Olive Oil is better. A bit thicker than Mineral oil, a bit thinner than cooking oil. Not anywhere near as messy/sticky.

 

Edit: And Shimano Mineral Oil can be affected by moisture in storage, over time.

Edited August 5, 2011 by The Drongo

[Cappi]

Hi, i need some advice/help.

 

I have a Scott Spark 920 2014 bike. it is fitted with SLX brakes. The problem is with the rear brakes. I have recently fitted new pads and did a bleed as per above. When pressing the lever it travels almost half way before biting. I also noticed that the pistons retract far back into the calipers. the levers feel fine. no spongy feeling. Did I:

1. not bleed them properly

2. my ghetto block too thick

3. ????

 

any help will be appreciated.

thanks

[BDF]

Hi, i need some advice/help.

 

I have a Scott Spark 920 2014 bike. it is fitted with SLX brakes. The problem is with the rear brakes. I have recently fitted new pads and did a bleed as per above. When pressing the lever it travels almost half way before biting. I also noticed that the pistons retract far back into the calipers. the levers feel fine. no spongy feeling. Did I:

1. not bleed them properly

2. my ghetto block too thick

3. ????

 

any help will be appreciated.

thanks

Did you bleed the calliper as well as the lever ends?

[BaGearA]

Hi, i need some advice/help.

 

I have a Scott Spark 920 2014 bike. it is fitted with SLX brakes. The problem is with the rear brakes. I have recently fitted new pads and did a bleed as per above. When pressing the lever it travels almost half way before biting. I also noticed that the pistons retract far back into the calipers. the levers feel fine. no spongy feeling. Did I:

1. not bleed them properly

2. my ghetto block too thick

3. ????

 

any help will be appreciated.

thanks

Also did you do a gravity bleed or from the bottom to the top?

[dirtypot]

Your block was probably too big.

With the top closed off, you can gently inject some extra fluid into the caliper - you'll see the pistons move in a bit as you're pushing in the fluid.  Then lock the bleed screw while you're holding the pressure in the syringe.

Problem solved.  Unless you let some air into the system on your first attempt...   

[Cappi]

Did you bleed the calliper as well as the lever ends?

bleed from bottom to top.... Should I do it the other way around too?

[Cappi]

Also did you do a gravity bleed or from the bottom to the top?

only bottom to top. think maybe I should try the gravity bleed..

[Cappi]

Your block was probably too big.

With the top closed off, you can gently inject some extra fluid into the caliper - you'll see the pistons move in a bit as you're pushing in the fluid.  Then lock the bleed screw while you're holding the pressure in the syringe.

Problem solved.  Unless you let some air into the system on your first attempt...   

think im going to try this. maybe make the block a wee little thinner. if this doesn't work will then re bleed.

 

thanks for all the response.

[BDF]

bleed from bottom to top.... Should I do it the other way around too?

I have found that bleeding from top and bottom gets all the ait out of the system better than top down or bottom up only. Not exactly what the manuals say but it works.

 

I don't have a bleed block at all so I leave the wheel in and put a clam in between the disks and the pads (which I do leave in for bleeding.) Once bleeding is complete I take out the pads and scrub them and the disks clean.

 

Bit of a "boer maak 'n plan" approach but so fat it works well.

[Martin PJ]

Hi, i need some advice/help.

 

I have a Scott Spark 920 2014 bike. it is fitted with SLX brakes. The problem is with the rear brakes. I have recently fitted new pads and did a bleed as per above. When pressing the lever it travels almost half way before biting. I also noticed that the pistons retract far back into the calipers. the levers feel fine. no spongy feeling. Did I:

1. not bleed them properly

2. my ghetto block too thick

3. ????

 

any help will be appreciated.

thanks

 

On my Formula One brakes you can solve this problem by pumping the levers two or three times with the wheel removed from the brake calliper. If you pump too much you can gently push the brake pads apart with a screw driver, insert old brake pads when you do this.

 

Also if pushing the brake pads apart is difficult, open the bleed screw at the bottom and let out a drop or two of oil.

[BDF]

On my Formula One brakes you can solve this problem by pumping the levers two or three times with the wheel removed from the brake calliper. If you pump too much you can gently push the brake pads apart with a screw driver, insert old brake pads when you do this.

 

Also if pushing the brake pads apart is difficult, open the bleed screw at the bottom and let out a drop or two of oil.

I also use this approach on Formula and Avid brakes. Works well.

[Martin PJ]

I also use this approach on Formula and Avid brakes. Works well.

 

I had my brakes bled by a very good bike mech, asked him why there was so much travel in the lever. He told me that is the way the brakes are. I told him - watch this. Did my brake pumping trick and voila, no travel. He said he never knew that. You can always learn a new trick.

 

I also use this trick on Avid brakes, never tried with Shimano.

[PhilipV]

only bottom to top. think maybe I should try the gravity bleed..

No! Shimano brakes should never be bled from. The level down. There is a deal that flips around and you're brakes will never be 100s again.

The Shimano bleed kit has only a syringe and a cup for this reason.

[BDF]

No! Shimano brakes should never be bled from. The level down. There is a deal that flips around and you're brakes will never be 100s again.

The Shimano bleed kit has only a syringe and a cup for this reason.

Tell more. I need to bleed some Shimano brakes this weekend...

Cup at the top and syringe at the bottom only, otherwise brakes get phooked?

[dev null]

Just bled brakes on 3 of our bikes.  All Shimano.  Each bike took only 30 minutes using the top to bottom approach.  Put 20 - 30ml syringe in master cylinder, fill with oil (I use Febi Bilstein 06162), put tube over nipple in bottle, open nipple with 7mm spanner, and let gravity do the work.  After closing the nipple a final time, I tap the master cylinder lightly and work the lever to let any bubbles in the master cylinder escape to the top.

 

All of the levers are solid, with no spongy feeling at all.

Edited May 10, 2016 by Moridin