Hey, recently bought Full XT Groupset from Merlin, come to fit it and realised you don’t get all the retail bits for shortening the brake hoses. I got some olives and inserts from CRC, but can’t get hold of the yellow block things for spacing the pistons and holding the outer when inserting the new insert. Any idea where I can buy some from, no joy at CRC or Merlin and can’t seem to find them anywhere online…

Not actually neccesary (I didn’t know what mine were for when I got my XTs!)You can space back the pistons with anything suitably thick. Fitting the hose barb isn’t much fun without the yellow blocks though, but it can be done.

(or alternatively, you can cut a block of wood in half, then clamp the 2 halves together and drill a hole throught the cut, to make your own)

You can space back the pistons with anything suitably thick

10mm allen key – or is it 8mm? – just try one and find out.

Fitting the hose barb isn’t much fun without the yellow blocks though, but it can be done.

I found it relatively easy: the trick is to place the barb pointing up on a stable, flat surface, hold the end of the hose firmly in your fingertips a bit like a pen or pencil, and then carefully push the hose down onto the barb.

Cool, thanks for the suggestions. I’ll give them a go this evening.

Failing that i’ve got lots of spare ones in the garage that i’d happily pop in the post for you?

The new piston spacing one is different to the older ones though so i think i’ve only got one (which i’m keeping!).

Pretty sure i’ve got several sets of the hose cutting spacers though.

Found fitting the barb impossible with the yellow blocks, without the use of a vice to hold everything in place. Although didn’t try the above suggestion out.

I have lost my yellow bleed block and use one of the yellow barb blocks instead.

I think I was on my 3rd set of Shimano brakes before I even knew there was a block for holding the hose.