A mate has a set of Juicy’s and accidentally pulled the level with the wheel out thus popping a cylinder. He’s asked if I can bleed them but I dobn’t have a kit which I understand makes it easier. It it possibly to bleed these normally just by filled the reservoir and bleeding through the nipple ie just like Hopes?

Hmm. I’d not fancy trying it without the syringes. Avids have teeny tiny bleed ports that you screw the bleed syringes into. You’re not going to be able to get all the air out of the system without something screwed properly into the ports, and I suspect you need to use syringes to push the fluid through properly.

You can find cheaper kits than the official Avid ones on eBay, but I’ve not used those myself.

Ah right, that makes sense then. Looked on ebay and can see kits from about £8. Just getting him to rung around some LBS’ to see what they charge for bleeding.

You need a kit to do the job really. The cheap kits on ebay will do the job fine. I’ve gotyhe proper avid kit, but there’s no real benefit over the cheap kits which have the lock off widgets.

EBay item 190627683530 will be perfect

Really easy with the kit and very handy to have for future use.

From experience.. DONT buy the cheap alternative kits. didnt fit bleed ports properly and cheap syringes just suck air through the inadequate seals.
After wasting money on 2 kits i got the real Avid ones. and TBH if you use it once, you can get quite a chunk of your money back selling it again on ebay. They seem to keep there value.

Cheers guys. At that price my mate can afford to turn it down. Any preference to brake fluid? Can I just use some dot 4 or 5.1

I never bother bleeding Juicy’s with 2 syringes, but you will need the Avid bleed port fittings and Avid hose locks for sure! and some fresh DOT fluid (try Rock Oil 5.1 its cheap and good quality)

bled 100s of Juicys using this method:

fill a syringe full, de-gass and attach to the caliper with the hose lock shut (stops fluid running backwards when doing the below step)

for the MC (brake lever) loosen the handlebar clamp and turn the lever so its vertical (bleed port at 90 degrees to ground) then run a long hose into a catch bottle (old coke bottle) like with Hayes, but using the Avid bleed fitting on the lever end and with the hose lock 1/2 way along the hose, locked off at first

release both hose locks and whilst holding the syringe vertical (to stop any air going into the system) push the full syringe of DOT into the catch bottle, can always lock off lower tube and refill the lower syringe with another load of DOT if not 100% sure

once pushed through, lock off the caliper end using hose lock, you can remove the syringe without DOT leaking backwards, reinstall the caliper bleed port and wipe the little dribble of DOT with Iso alcohol or similar.

then turn the MC round on the bars so its horizontal and carefully remove the hose / fitting, and add a couple of drops to the bleed port (so it floods over) before refitting the bleed port. wipe off with Iso alcohol or similar.

never failed, and saves so much time compared to the “official” method

this will not work for Elixirs with pad contact adjusters though, only for Juicy and basic Elixir with only reach adjustment (ports sit at different height)