So.. I have a bleed kit but are there any decent tutorials or guides as to how to take it apart and reconstruct it/bleed once fitted?
Ta 🙂
If you just mean fitting it to a bike you don't need to take it apart really. You just need to break the hose- either using the connectamajig at the post end, or unscrewing the hose from the lever at the lever end. Usually it'll be the latter because you'll probably want to cut the hose to length anyway. (I don't like the connectamajig, maybe just because I'm old and grumpy)
Bleeding a reverb is actually really simple, easier than brakes. Epic's guides are usually good
http://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/resources/videos/rockshox-reverb-system-bleed-procedure/
You can often get away with just bleeding the lever end but I wouldn't recommend it personally, getting away with it today can still mean there's problems waiting for you later and ime a lot of reverb "failures" are because of bad bleeds.
Ok thanks!
I guess I need to empty all of the fluid out in entirely in order to route the hose.. I'm wondering whether the two little bottles in the bleed kit will be enough?
You don't need to empty anything. Just unscrew the lever, carefully route the hose where you need and reconnect the lever.
Yup. Though, with internal routing, some's likely to leak regardless of how careful you are. TBH the hardest part of internal routing with a lot of frames isn't going to be bleeding the reverb, it'll be getting the bloomin hose in the right place
(OK, I'm not sure how advisable this is, but I find a nail of the right size, and stick it in the hose, reduces leakage and makes fitting esaier, you can tie a string to it, grab it with a magnet, it's handy. Works well ime but I'm coming up short of actually recommending it as a plan...)
Didn't need to bleed it when I fitted my sons to his internally routed canyon. Unscrewed at the bottom of the post, routed cable through, connected back up, adjusted length of hose at the lever end after all was put together, just lost a few drops in that process which was easy to top up with the supplied kit. No hassle since.
So excuse my thickness but what stops the fluid coming out when I unscrew it at the lever?
I'll be using internal routing that allegedly has a tube all the way through so no fishing required!
It's sealed at the other end so it's like sticking your tongue on the end of a straw.
Personally I would always bleed it afterwards; as above, it's not always necessary but it's a worthwhile precaution and doesn't take long. The main thing is, just because it works fine when you reassemble, doesn't mean there's not an issue waiting to get you later- you can easily have air in the system but it's just not causing a problem... Then you turn the bike upside down or something and the air moves... Same as brakes, this.
Ah ok, hmmm I might have to give it a go then!
Cheers all