MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Bought the proper Shimano bleed kit, tried it tonight all was going well until I stuck the wheels back in - pulled the levers and bugger all happened. Just pulled to the bars! Anyone use the kit 'backwards' i.e. push it from the top rather then the caliper as in the instructions?
I've got them on 2 bikes, I've tried it both ways (ooh-er-missis), I've had mixed success both ways, sometimes you strike lucky first time, sometimes it takes a few attampts and sometimes you end up not entirely happy with the result you finally accept. I think I read somewhere (or was told) that it's easier (more chance of success) doing it from the caliper up, but my experience is that it's hit and miss either way, just keep trying until it works.
The last one I did a few days ago (caliper up) for the first few pumps of the lever was slack to the bars, then it hardened up and seems ok now, tho I've not actually been out in anger on it yet.
By the way
Halfords mineral oil = 1000ml @ £9.49 (enough to bugger about with your brakes forever)
My LBS - Magura mineral oil = 250ml @ £12.50
If you've got the proper Shimano bleed kit you can only succeed by pushing fluid from the caliper end, however what you need to do is make sure you have about a cm of mineral oil in the bottle with the tube submerged....then when you have started to push in fluid with the seringe is to draw back on the seringe, this will pull out air in the caliper, keep pushing/ drawing back till no air bubbles appear, then continue to push fluid all the way to the lever/bottle....hope this helps.
Cheers for the comments chaps. I'll have another attempt later on. The Hope kit wasn't this much trouble on the wife's brakes!!
I made my own kit from a large syringe and some rubber pipe. Works a treat.
Having followed the tips, the brake is only a little better. Shed loads of air came out of the caliper mind!
Do XT (M765) brakes just have a lot of pull in the levers? The wife's Hope are more like on/ off..