Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • Guide brake bleeding issues (about to loose my s**t)
  • bgascoyne
    Free Member

    Trying to bleed my guide RS’s. Everything is fine until I get to the part in this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqdp7a7FXe8) 4:09min, where you need to pull in and release the lever the 10 times. Mine will not budge one bit, its just solid as rock. Then when I remove the lever syringe fluid pours out likes crazy, not just a few drops like my juicy’s used to, it oozes like crazy and I loose heaps of fluid. Try the brake with the wheel back in and the lever basically comes to the bars. I don’t get it – are there any tricks to these brakes. Its the first time I am bleeding these news ones. Its a nightmare and my toys are about to be thrown out of the cot!!

    nick1962
    Free Member

    Be prepared for

    MTFU
    Take it to your LBS
    Should have brought Shimano

    I can offer no constructive advice

    argoose
    Free Member

    I haven’t bleed guide brakes, but my XO trails are as you say solid on the 10 compression and snap back. That is if I keep pressure on the lever syringe. If I don’t keep pressure on, the lever doesn’t really snap back. But don’t get a lot of fluid lose when replacing bleed port screw and lever is fine after wheel is back on.
    Might be teaching you too suck eggs, but is the bleed port at the highest point and your using a good bleed brake block in the caliper. A non rigid block will push back pistons when the syringe is removed.
    Failing that I can only think there is still air in the system.
    Last time I had that, I removed the whole brake from the bike and hung the lever off a nail with the caliper dangling, left overnight and any air will migrate to lever. Attach to old set of handlebars and bleed like that.

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    scaled
    Free Member

    You have unclipped both the hoses, yes?

    deadkenny
    Free Member

    nick1962 – Member 
    Should have brought Shimano

    Should have just not bled them. Guides (and XO Trail) are excellent and really shouldn’t need bleeding much if at all. Best left alone. In fact a lot of older Avids were better left alone and many brake issues are something else but people jump straight into bleeding. Except Juicy, they were just shit, bleed or no bleed.

    goog
    Free Member

    Is it on both or just the one? One of mine did the same as what you’ve described. Turned out to be a leaky reservoir cap bladder

    jsync
    Full Member

    I assume it isn’t the newer bleeding edge version?

    Poopscoop
    Full Member

    Got the feeling the op is probably battling away with the Guides as we speak! I do feel his pain!

    Someone did about not bleeding them,I agree but sometimes you have to.

    After feeding hose through frame or pushing a piston right out of the caliper…. not that I’ve ever done that. Ahem. 😉

    joebristol
    Full Member

    I bled my old Sram Guide RS just the once and never needed doing again. I think I followed a video guide from pink bike – unless there was an epic bleed solutions one.

    So I can’t comment on the Sram instructions but I found the guides not too bad to bleed. Certainly easier than magura hydraulic rim brakes anyway.

    I lost a little bit of fluid out the lever when taking the top syringe off – but not enough to be an issue. Ended up with a nice firm lever feel after the bleed – better ham when the brakes were new.

    I’ve now got the bleeding edge caliper guide R’s. Both are very powerful but the front brake doesn’t feel quite as firm so need to do a bleed. Not felt the excitement yet with doing that so living with a slightly mushy front brake until I do!

    bgascoyne
    Free Member

    Thanks for the advice guys. I “think” I may have it sussed now. The lever still doesnt snap back like in the vid but it does feel better now. They are such a ball ache to get right. Had to bleed them as last weekend when I left it on its side for a few mins the lever would go in but not return at all for about 5 mins, then it would be fine (this happened a few times). However after doing a google I see that could be down to the piston swelling in hot weather. Wait and see until I try it out properly tomorrow. Nothing is a 5 min job with bikes!At least the pike lower service was easy and calmed me down 🙂

    Poopscoop
    Full Member

    OP, in putting of servicing my RCT3 Pikes as I haven’t serviced them before. Not too bad to do?

    Back to the Guides, I bled my rear (non bleeding edge) 4 or 5 times before I got them close to ok. Brake fluid everywhere and popped a piston out at one point. Doh! Did my head in!

    Damned good once you have them working though.

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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