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I put some XT brakes on one of my bikes maybe three years ago, it's been ridden a handful of times and not for 18 months. It's been stored in quite a hot place, but not an oven.
Got the bike down at the weekend to check it over with the intention of riding it again. Both brakes go back to the bars. I've had the pads out today, both covered in fluid, the back of the pads still wet.
Is it worth trying to bleed these and see if they hold fluid, or are they junk?
Frustratingly I have a couple of other bikes I could ride but they're behind so much junk that these have to be fixed!
If the brakes haven't been used for a long time then it's likely the seals have dried up and cracked. The seals are not available as a replacement part.
If they are leaking from the piston seal then im afraid its scrap.
I have replaced the inner o-ring seal with a replacement from ebay.
Not great news, but what I expected. Probably should check the three sets of Saint brakes that are up there too...
Do earlier/later calipers work OK with the levers I have, or do I need to find exact replacements or replace the whole thing?
So annoying, they've been ridden maybe 30 miles a most!
Pretty much any Shimano caliper will work. Though being xt they probably have banjo fittings on the caliper so your looking at slx or above.
Yeah, they're banjo'd. Good to know I have a bit of freedom, I'll have a scoot round eBay.
I'd exercise extreme caution with any eBay SH calipers. Given the frequency that these fail I'd be tempted to buy new so you get the warranty (and brand new set of pads as well that come with brand new calipers). If the bike is aggressive you could also fit one of the new four pot front calipers for a bit more power.