Ill obviously bring the bleed kit but aint got all the tools, also i will bring the cake etc….?

oh and help me shorten the hose while im at it?

what make

shimano slx

Have you got the spare olive/hose insert for shortening the hose? think you should get one spare set with the brake. As for tools, all you need for bleeding is a posidrive screwdriver for the reservoir cap, a 7mm spanner for the brake caliper nipple and some narrow plastic hose for bleeding.

you should have got the plastic blocks (hose clamps) with the brake, and you just need a spanner to undo the hose to caliper fittings.

ive got whatever came in the box so that yellow block and some other bits and bobs, think u get a spare olive i think/hope.

you should have a small brass circle (olive) and a small brass ‘spike with a flat on one end’ (hose insert).

It goes something like this. Unscrew the fitting (threaded aluminium collar with spanner flats that holds the hose to the caliper) from the caliper, cut the hose to the desired length with a stanley knife , push the screw on collar onto the shortened hose (remember to have the threaded end facing the caliper ;-)) then push the olive onto the hose, then grip the hose with the yellow block and drive the hose insert into the fresh cut end of the hose until the flat of the insert butts up against the end of the hose. connect the hose to the caliper and tighten up the threaded collar to the caliper. Then bleed

cheers andy but……….. then bleed????? title of post???

That’ll learn yer for not buying me Juicy 3’s 😉

ah yes, first thing is to remove the pads and fit the yelow plastic block that you got with the brakes. If you get fluid on thepads they usually have to be replaced.

adjust the angle of the brake lever on the handlebars so the reservoir at the lever is dead level. Remove the master cyliner cap (two cross head screws). You can lift off the plastic cap and the rubber diaphragm below it. Put them somewhere safe with the two screws.

put the plastic tubing onto the bleed nipple at the caliper, with a suitable receptacle on the other end of the tubing to hold the expelled fluid. Make sure that the master cylinder is full to the brim with fluid (the SLX brake lever has a large but quite shallow master cylinder so make sure you don’t let it get too low whilst bleeding or you can get air into the hose).

Use the 7mm spanner to open the bleed nipple about 1/2 a turn and while the nipple is open pull the brake lever about 2/3s of the way to the bars. Before you let go of the brake lever close the bleed nipple with the 7mm spanner. If you let go of the lever whilest the nipple is open you will just suck air back into the caliper.

It is now just a repetative process of opening the nipple with the spanner, then pulling the lever, then closing the nipple with the spanner and then releasing the brake lever. Ever 4 to 5 pulls of the lever check the level of brake fluid in the brake lever reservoir. You don’t want to get the level in the reservoir much below half full. Once the level in the reservoir is about half full, addsome more fluid to fill the reservoir on the brake lever.

while you are pulling the brake lever you should be looking at the clear plastic hose attached to the bleed nipple. You should see air bubbles coming out of the bleed nipple. After 4 to 8 pumps of the lever with no air bubbles coming out of the caliper you should have a fully bled system. Close the bleed nipple for the last time, use a piece of kitchen roll around the bleed nipple to absorb any spare fluid as you remove the plastic tube from the bleed nipple. You should not get any mineral oil on the pads/rotor as it will adversely affect the pads.

once you have removed the hose from the bleed nipple, and wipes up and fluid that leaked onto the caliper, fill the master cyliner to just below full. Place the rubber diaphragm onto the master cylinder, one end first, and roller the rest of the diaphragm onto the master cylinder to expel any air from underneath the diaphragm. Replace the plastic top cap and fit the two screws. Check that the lever feels firm when pulled. If it feels spongy then you may have air in the system. If you still have air in the system after the first bleed, you may have to take the caliper off its mounts and rotate it to get any trapped air bubbles out of the caliper.

The internet should really be your friend:-

Shimano service instructions for bleeding

From the Shimano website, on SLX brakes, beats second hand info, typing a page, it comes with pictures and the instructions usually come with the brakes !

what Andy said – I did it for the first time a few months ago, it’s one of those things that’s slightly daunting the first time you do it, and once it’s done you get a sense of manly satisfaction.

it’s really not too hard. thats why shimano brakes are ace 🙂

The instructions for hose shortening aren’t so easy to find:-

Shimano hose shortening – lever end Shows older style brakes.

Shimano hose shortening – comprehensive Doesn’t actually list SLX, but it’s all there.

And as people have empahasised you will need a new olive and barbed insert.

And as Jimbo says it’s pretty straight forward – more so if get the correct instructions first !

cheers guys, and jamferg lol mate sorry about that still