Bleeding brakes - HELP I've frigged them up!

mattham

Hi All

I have a bike with 2008 Deore LX brakes, I've had it since new and have never bled them, and someone else changed the pads previously for me.

So today I changed the pads, easy enough.

Then I used an Epic Bleed kit and followed the instructions - I think - but there is zero bite, the lever just goes back to the handlebar without doing anything.

The reservoir looks full when I take the cap off, I've let the air out several times at the nipple and am pretty sure there is no more every time I close it back up, and cant seem to get it to work still.

I've only got about 10ml of the 50ml fluid left and I dont know how to fix them!

Any hints on what I've done wrong and how to fix it would be mucho appreciated,

Thanks!
Matt

rickbst170

Did you bleed with wheel and caliper in place? If not, you need to start again with something between the listons to choc them.

When you've pumped fluid back and forth, squeeze leaver and put a rubber band round it to hold it back. Then pull the air out of the lever assembly and replace with fluid a few times. Then slowly release lever whist pumping a bit more fluid in. Now pump lever a bunch of times to displace any further bubbles.

That should do it.

mattham

Cheers rickbst170....I did indeed do it with the wheel and caliper in place etc. I've managed to recover some of the fluid from the bag it bled into so I'm going to give it another bash using the method you suggest!

rickbst170

YouTube is your friend here mate. Struggled with mine last week. Watch a vid,all makes sense.

rickbst170

ignore my bit about sucking and replacing lever fluid, my brakes done have an open reservoir. Maybe watch this

Shimano Brake Bleed: http://youtu.be/dFuwoEYvt_w

mattham

I was watching that as you posted actually! Thanks for the link, appreciated.

I've managed to basically get them back to where they were I think, so at least they are usable.....I'm going to get some more fluid because I think I know how to do it now.....

However, my new pads now squeal like a monkey and I cant seem to fix that!

Wish I'd never started now.....any advice for fixing squealing???????

mcnultycop

Bed them in.

The Rookie

A fluid change after 6 years isn't unreasonable, many call it 'bleeding' even if the intent is to change the fluid.

mattham

cyd190468 wrote:

The Rookie wrote:

A fluid change after 6 years isn't unreasonable, many call it 'bleeding' even if the intent is to change the fluid.

Just seems like there are lots of people who replace brake fluid on thier MTB more often than their car.

Exactly this, it seems a reasonable amount of time to justify it. I also can't really remember what they felt like when new but I did feel that they weren't stopping as well as I wanted them to with the final part of the lever travel feeling spongy and not really making much difference to the power.

So I reasoned that a bleed and new pads would make them perform as well as 6 year old 160mm rotors could possibly do. The levers now feel the same as they did previously, so perhaps this is just what they are like....

I've tried to bed the pads in properly, there is still some squeal at very low speeds when you bring the bike to a complete stop, but I seem to be getting there now.

The Rookie

I find the older Shimano's easier to bleed from the calliper back.
1/ level up lever
2/ Remove reservoir cap and empty of fluid
3/ Fill syringe and attach to the calliper bleed port
4/ Open port and fill until fresh fluid comes out at lever, empty lever of old fluid, fill reservoir
5/ Close calliper port and refit reservoir cap and re-orientate lever.

Comfortably less than a 5 minute job and 100% reliable in my experience, the only bleed 'kit' you need is 2 syringes a short length of hose, a screwdriver, a 7mm spanner and some fluid.