[jonKranked]

IE the shop bleed kit. No one seems to currently have it in stock. Last I spoke with Von at Go Ride all the distros seem to be out of stock as well. Anyone know what the deal is? Is this bleed kit getting phased out with the introduction of the newer style (09) brake levers? Or have one you'd be willing to sell?

 

[sanjuro]

I've heard about this bleed kit, but I have never seen it because you don't really need it.

All I ever use is a small squeeze bottle, a catch bottle with the little hose that comes with caliper, and a 7mm open ended wrench (which you must have).

I have heard you can also use a syringe so you can force mineral oil from the caliper to the lever reservoir, but I have never needed to do it that way either.

In comparison, the Hope Bleed kit uses tire pressure to force oil, but I did it the Shimano way and it worked just fine.

 

[jonKranked]

have you ever bled with a syringe? Its not that I can't properly do the squeeze bottle method, but I've never messed up with a syringe. First time, every time. I don't have that consistency with the squeeze bottle, nor do I have the patience to bleed a brake 5 times. If I was sitting in a shop bleeding brakes all day long maybe it would be a different story.

 

[HAB]

have you ever bled with a syringe? Its not that I can't properly do the squeeze bottle method, but I've never messed up with a syringe. First time, every time. I don't have that consistency with the squeeze bottle, nor do I have the patience to bleed a brake 5 times. If I was sitting in a shop bleeding brakes all day long maybe it would be a different story.

I've always been fine with the squeeze bottle, forcing fluid up from the caliper end.

 

[Timekiller]

+1 for the syringe. I just open up my lever cover, put the syringe on the bleeder, open the bleeder to suck out old oil. Put in new oil, close bleeder, close lever cover. I can bleed them in less than 2 min. with no spills.

Thats on Shimano saint, XT levers.

 

[sanjuro]

have you ever bled with a syringe? Its not that I can't properly do the squeeze bottle method, but I've never messed up with a syringe. First time, every time. I don't have that consistency with the squeeze bottle, nor do I have the patience to bleed a brake 5 times. If I was sitting in a shop bleeding brakes all day long maybe it would be a different story.

With Shimano, I have thought about using the syringe with brand new brakes with no fluid. Then you can put the fluid into a dry reservoir faster than the gravity method.

However if you have to bleed out the old fluid and you want to avoid a mess, then you want to attach the catch bottle at the caliper.

And when I say squeeze bottle, I just drip in fluid into the lever reservoir and keep it full while I am bleeding. It takes less than 5 minutes, and I usually don't spill on either end.

The last time I bled a Shimano brake, I filled a cap from an aerosol can and dripped the fluid in that way.

EDIT: I saw the post about removing fluid with the syringe. Seems like a good idea although I think the drip method you use less fluid. I am sure both methods work fine.

 

[jonKranked]

With Shimano, I have thought about using the syringe with brand new brakes with no fluid. Then you can put the fluid into a dry reservoir faster than the gravity method.

This is definitely where its the most beneficial.

However if you have to bleed out the old fluid and you want to avoid a mess, then you want to attach the catch bottle at the caliper.

And when I say squeeze bottle, I just drip in fluid into the lever reservoir and keep it full while I am bleeding. It takes less than 5 minutes, and I usually don't spill on either end.

The last time I bled a Shimano brake, I filled a cap from an aerosol can and dripped the fluid in that way.

EDIT: I saw the post about removing fluid with the syringe. Seems like a good idea although I think the drip method you use less fluid. I am sure both methods work fine.

I've never heard of dripping fluid into the lever resi before... what does it accomplish?

 

[sanjuro]

I've never heard of dripping fluid into the lever resi before... what does it accomplish?

That is how Shimano tells you how to bleed their brakes! PDF Link

I feel a little foolish for reading the instructions and following them. Shimano was my second brake system after Hayes Mags (and I ain't using the Hayes method again), so I used their method to install the brakes and it works for me.

 

[jonKranked]

soooooooo shimano wants you to bleed the brake backwards? interesting.

I've always done the method at which you start at the caliper, and force the oil up through the system, which uses gravity to your advantage. it just seems too involved for what you really have to do. Every time i've used the syringe I can get the whole thing set up, bled, and broken down in 5 minutes. with minimal brake lever squeezing.



Meanwhile, back on topic... where's a TL-BT02???

 

[HAB]

I followed Shimano's directions once. It was a pain in the ass, and I'm never doing it like that again.

 

[sanjuro]

soooooooo shimano wants you to bleed the brake backwards? interesting.

I've always done the method at which you start at the caliper, and force the oil up through the system, which uses gravity to your advantage. it just seems too involved for what you really have to do. Every time i've used the syringe I can get the whole thing set up, bled, and broken down in 5 minutes. with minimal brake lever squeezing.



Meanwhile, back on topic... where's a TL-BT02???

Like I said, takes me less than 5 minutes to use gravity from the lever to the caliper, although I will try the syringe on the next dry system I work with.

 

[jonKranked]

when I used a syringe for a dry system it was great. Done right the very first try. Can't remember exactly how long it took me to do both brakes, but it was around 15-20 minutes, including setup and breakdown.

 

[davep]

Have none of you guys ever owned and done maintanance on a car????


You have a res cap, master cylinder, line and caliper just like any auto or moto brake system anywhere....NONE of them use any sort of goofy bottle/baggy/syringe to bleed brakes. I dont get it. Maybe for a closed system or something like avid or formula where the res is just a fluid bag hidden inside the lever body....

For a brake like shimano's where the res is upright and there is a propper res cap, bleeding is exacly like you would on a motorcycle or car.


with the res level to the ground.......
Put a piece of hose and a catch on the caliper (beer bottle works)
Fill the res
pull the lever
crack the bleed
close the bleed
release the lever
refill res

REPEAT...

The harder you pull the lever and the faster you crack the bleed, the faster you will force fluid through the system, flushing out all bubbles.

after about 5 or 10 pumps (good 30 sec), I like to do a few little tricks to remove every last micro-bubble.

Tap the caliper, then hose, then lever body with the handle of a screwdriver to knock any small bubbles loose and work them up to the res.

Squeeze and quickly release the lever a few times (squeeze, snap back) with the bleed closed. This knocks micro bubbles off the MC seal and housing walls and helps again to move all of the last tiny bubbles to the top.

You can repeat the tap/lever snap a couple of times until you see ZERO bubbles comming up.

Now You just need to top off the res and you are done.

I usually repeat the entire process twice and push enough fluid to fully flush the system. At home, after a few beers, with out a stand, tools on the floor, I can do this in less than 5 min start to finnish per wheel.

It takes me more time to get the stand out and set up a bench than the bleed takes.

Cake!!