Learn how to bleed your brakes

[divernick]

http://www.buildabikesa.com/product/brake-bleeding-course/

 

Guys who have attended my basic repair courses have asked for it, now available for booking.

 

Learn how to bleed your Shimano brakes, or any other brake using mineral oil hydraulic fluid.

 

Price will be R650, space limited to 4 people. Syringes, tubing and oil included in the price.

 

When should you bleed your brakes?

• When the lever starts to feel spongy
• If you shortened the hose and some air entered the system (or if you need to shorten the hose)
• If you pulled the brake lever without the wheel in place and one or both of the pistons popped out and leaked fluid.

[divernick]

First course sold out!

 

New dates TBC

[BaGearA]

Last one not completely correct you just reset the the pistons with a tyre level or or old butter knife..

[divernick]

Last one not completely correct you just reset the the pistons with a tyre level or or old butter knife..

If you pump the lever enough times the pistons will actually pop out of the caliper, leaking fluid all over the floor. It's happened to me

 

Then you have to bleed....

[divernick]

The course is still on for Saturday - still have places open.

 

http://www.buildabikesa.com/product/brake-bleeding-course/

[Eugene Brown]

Cool, looking forward to it! I need to shorten some XT brake hoses on my FatBike, and then use that as my class project to bleed the brakes. Do you have ferrules/fittings (that I can buy if necessary) or must I bring my own, as well as a brake hose cutter?

Thanks divernick

[divernick]

Cool, looking forward to it! I need to shorten some XT brake hoses on my FatBike, and then use that as my class project to bleed the brakes. Do you have ferrules/fittings (that I can buy if necessary) or must I bring my own, as well as a brake hose cutter?

Thanks divernick

Please bring olives and inserts if you want to shorten hoses. I may have somewhere, but not sure, so rather safe than sorry.

 

I use a stanley knife to cut hoses

[divernick]

So I got hold of one of the new EZ Bleed Kits available here: https://www.bikehub.co.za/classifieds/195633-bleed-kit-for-shimano-and-tektro/

 

I then read the brief instructions in the box and set about bleeding my SLX brakes.

 

Seriously - front and rear done in 20 min.

The included funnel, syringes and tubing make the process non-messy, super quick and really really easy.

 

Granted, I have been bleeding Shimano brakes for over 5 years, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the awesomeness of this kit.

 

For anyone attending the brake bleed course as advertised above, you get to use the kit for yourself. At R380 this is a must have addition to your tool box.

Edited September 30, 2016 by divernick

[David Marshall]

I am often asked to bleed brakes when the travel becomes excessive.  It is very seldom a bleed problem but more often due to worn pads, disc or the two together.  If the feel is not spongy or there is no give on the lever when the bleed block is in the calliper it is unlikely that the brake needs to be bled.

 

That said a good skill to learn.

[dev null]

Been bleeding our bike brakes now for the last 2 years. One of the best tech skills to get under your knee, and goes so fast also once you know what to do.

 

Just some advice: always have some old rags around when you bleed, and dress in old clothes. Stuff sometimes happens, and you get oil all over yourself and the floor. Once you get experienced you know when to anticipate this though.

[BaGearA]

Best tip I ever got when learning to bleed is tap every damn part of the system with a small allen key , the air trapped in the lever or caliper is so much more than whats in the hose