'Bleeding' Avid Elixir 3 brakes

[Mojoman]

Did some work on my bike the other day and had it upside down resting on the bars and sadlle. Whey I had finished and turned the bike over the rear brake decided it was as good a time as any to act as though it needed bleeding. Its done this before but by morning the lever feels firm and right so its never been an issue.

 

Not this morning! So I googled around, saw the Avid bleed kits are stupidly expensive and went to my local co-op. I bought some drip line ends (10 in a packet) R4, 2 syringes costing R2 each and went home. I already had some tubing and brake fluid. So my cost was R8!!

 

I made up the syrings as shown below and followed the instructions by Pink Bike below.

 

...And stuffed it up the first time! Took a little more care the second time, read those instructions again and it worked! My tip is to remember to keep the syringes upright all the time, I used some tape to sort that problem out. All in all it took about an hour.

 

I think its an absolute joke that Avid can charge what they do for those bleed kits. Granted there is some fancy stuff in their but surely a cost of R150 or so would be more realistic?

 

Edited August 16, 2013 by Mojoman

[Dorpie]

Bingo and most Brakes need a similar attachment as to what you have use.

i was fortunate enough to have a good relationship with my LBS and they opened up a Bleed kit that had multiple attachments and let me try the one i needed, with some looking around at the local hardware and at Westpack in Randpark ridge I manages to pick up the rest of the kit (hoses, Syringe & clear sauce bottles) and BOBs your uncle i now have a solid bleed kit.

 

Always check with you Brake user manual to make sure you bleed properly! Most Brakes have one online

[Meezo]

https://www.bikehub.co.za/index.php?/topic/127707-DIY-Bike-Tools

 

Nice work

[brad890]

And the thread on those fittings fit the brakes nicely? no oil or air leaks when you push the oil into the brakes?

[V12man]

Did some work on my bike the other day and had it upside down resting on the bars and sadlle. Whey I had finished and turned the bike over the rear brake decided it was as good a time as any to act as though it needed bleeding. Its done this before but by morning the lever feels firm and right so its never been an issue.

 

Not this morning! So I googled around, saw the Avid bleed kits are stupidly expensive and went to my local co-op. I bought some drip line ends (10 in a packet) R4, 2 syringes costing R2 each and went home. I already had some tubing and brake fluid. So my cost was R8!!

 

I made up the syrings as shown below and followed the instructions by Pink Bike below.

 

...And stuffed it up the first time! Took a little more care the second time, read those instructions again and it worked! My tip is to remember to keep the syringes upright all the time, I used some tape to sort that problem out. All in all it took about an hour.

 

I think its an absolute joke that Avid can charge what they do for those bleed kits. Granted there is some fancy stuff in their but surely a cost of R150 or so would be more realistic?

 

 

Are those tubes brown is is the brake fluid brown? if it is that discoloured (and it is) then please REPLACE all the fluid - it is for sure badly contaminated - and contamination is BAD - especially if it is water.

[Mojoman]

Its the tubing that is brown!