Shimano SLX brake bleed
Francd1
Posts: 10
Hi, After many years cycling I figured it was really time that I learnt how to service my own bike. I started with a brake bleed and, after a few attempts I got the process working pretty well, i flushed all the fluid through, got rid of all the air bubbles and was getting a lear flow of oil out. With the bleed block in place the brakes levers are nice and firm and only require minimal depression to engage.
I replaced the pads at the same time as doing the bleed.
I've put the wheels in and the rear wheel is ok but with the bleed block out the brake feels a little spongier and needs to be depressed more to engage. The front wheel is just censored , spongy as hell and not braking at all.
I think I can explain the front wheel a little, the pads may have got contaminated so I will try replacing, however, can anyone suggest how I can firm the brakes up. I am pretty confident that there is no air in the system.
I replaced the pads at the same time as doing the bleed.
I've put the wheels in and the rear wheel is ok but with the bleed block out the brake feels a little spongier and needs to be depressed more to engage. The front wheel is just censored , spongy as hell and not braking at all.
I think I can explain the front wheel a little, the pads may have got contaminated so I will try replacing, however, can anyone suggest how I can firm the brakes up. I am pretty confident that there is no air in the system.
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VOODOO CANZO
Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
I have pumped the lever several times but it hasn't done any good. I'll try re bleeding but, as i say, when the bleed block is in the brakes feel perfect, when I put the pads in and the wheel they don't feel as firm and need to be pulled further back. When I first noticed the problem I rebled the system and nothing but clear fluid came out, no air at all, I've tapped the line and the calipers and I don't think there is any air in the system
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
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Parktools
The block is wider than pads and disc so it will take a while for the pads to settle out.
The brake firmed up nicely but once the wheels are back on it just doesn't feel as firm as I would like. As I say, the front brake pads just don't seem to be stopping the rotor at all but that could be due to contamination.
It may sound strange but my brakes have needed doing for a while and I have forgotten how firm the levers should be, maybe I'm expecting too much.
When you say reset the pads, what do you mean? I have reset the pistons.
There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda
London Calling on Facebook
Parktools
Thanks for the help guys, normally I'd just take the bike to the shop but I feel I really should be able to do this stuff myself and now I've invested in the tools and work stand I'm bloody determined to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0oUejw5Edc
francd1
was there anything wrong with your brakes before you fixed them?
In which case, there's no syringe used.
There's a "hopper" kind of thing which keeps the lever (master cylinder) full during the bleed process.
Mmacavity, the brakes where spongy, more so than they are now. The front brake had air in it when first bled but fluid was clear, the rear brake had bits in the oil and air.
I dropped it into a local shop today for their advice, he said the levers weren't too bad but I could probably get them a bit firmer. I hadn't quite aligned the front caliper correctly but that actually didn't seem to make too much of a difference.
He suggested a couple of options, rebleed again or store the bike vertically overnight with some rubber bands around the levers pulling them but not too tightly. He said it could force any remaining air into the levers but it wasn't the most ideal way of sorting the problem.
Thanks for the links Mmacavity, I'll see if there's anything in them that might help.
The problem is exacerbated slightly as I've changed the pads so they need to be broken in so at the moment I have next to no stopping power, hopefully they'll bed in fairly quickly.
VOODOO CANZO
Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=83173
If so, I don't think you're meant to remove the reservoir cap, only the "plug" just below (or just above in the CRC picture) the lever pivot. There's then a hopper-like thing that screws into it to bleed it.
I believe the fluid should be pretty much right up to the top of that hole, so if you're removing the silver bit with "SLX" written on it, then replacing, you're almost certainly going to have air in the system.
The older one you use a syringe only, later style the funnel and ideally a syringe prior to the syphoning as I recall.
But, like the Beginner said, there's more than one style. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm seeing at least one image of every SLX brake ever made!!
Oh, and this is there on your link too!!
Which I'm 100% certain is not what you have!!
Having watched a couple of tutorials including this one http://www.pinkbike.com/video/170853/ and having spoken to my local bike store I'm happy with the process. The video tutorial is exactly the process i followed, just doesn't seem to be working quite as well as I'd hoped.
So now time to try the Shimano recommended brake bleed method.
(Or mechanical sympathy, as some would call it)
I find if it isn't wound out then the levers can feel spongy as they do not adjust properly. If you wind the reach adjustment all the way out, do the bleed, pump the lever a few times it will firm up and then you can wind the adjustment back in again.