Brake Cable shortening

johnp801

Is there any benefit in shortening the hose on a rear brake before putting the lever and caliper on the bike....I'm about to fit Clarks M3 breaks to my bike and I know I'll have to cut off around 15 inches of hose from the rear brake and hope to be able to do it without bleeding. If I do it before I put it on the bike, I'll have the use of a vice to aid fitting the barb. Would I be making this more difficult for myself?

On a similar note, having any of you found suitable bleed kits for the Clarks M3 brake? I believe the caliper bleed nipple is an M6 thread as opposed to the M5 of the lever bleed nipple and those on Shimano, Tektro, etc

billycool

JohnP801 wrote:

Is there any benefit in shortening the hose on a rear brake before putting the lever and caliper on the bike....I'm about to fit Clarks M3 breaks to my bike and I know I'll have to cut off around 15 inches of hose from the rear brake and hope to be able to do it without bleeding. If I do it before I put it on the bike, I'll have the use of a vice to aid fitting the barb. Would I be making this more difficult for myself?

On a similar note, having any of you found suitable bleed kits for the Clarks M3 brake? I believe the caliper bleed nipple is an M6 thread as opposed to the M5 of the lever bleed nipple and those on Shimano, Tektro, etc

I've shortened a hose on Shimano brakes whilst on the bike and had no issues.

If you buy a bleed kit like this, you'll have the little yellow blocks to clamp the hose in. No need for a vice.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clarks-Univers ... B01I1GNOOS

You should also have everything you need to bleed it as there are various different threaded hoses in the kit (I can't say for sure that they will fit the M3 though).

I assume that you'll need to buy a spare barb? With Shimano you need a spare olive as well.

Do you have good hose cutters as well?

johnp801

I have proper cable cutting pliers, I'm waiting for the little hose clamps to arrive, (I take it you mean to fix them in locking pliers, instead of a vice?). The brake kit comes with spare olives and barbs, I believe. I have bleed kits, the Avid Pro one and also a shimano/tectro compatible one but I am led to understand that the Clarks Caliper bleed port is an M6 thread so non of mine will fit it and I cant find anywhere selling a suitable kit for the M3....I have contacted Clarks but yet to receive a reply. Ideally, I'd like to find just an M6 bleed nipple that could be used in the Clarks M3 caliper, (assuming it is the same as on the M2 brake). It is very difficult to find any servicing details on the M3 so I'm getting my info from what is said for the M2 brake.
There is no chance of me spending 18 quid on a universal kit....I'd get the LBS to do the job before I did that.......does it even contain that little Shimano cup/cone??

billycool

It's got the hose clamps in it

According to the Amazon reviews, it works on M2's.

No - you don't get the bleed funnel either.

Sounds like you've got it all covered though.

This is from a review of the M3's on CRC:

"I contacted epic brakes and ordered the updated bleeding attachment for clarks M3 brakes."

https://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/