brake – new olive required

I have a leaky Shimano SLX rear brake currently with Shimano, for warranty. I removed the rear caliper by undoing the 8mm nut and pulling out the brake tube with the barb and olive on the end. When I come to refitting the new caliper I know the correct answer is to put a new barb and olive in and tighten to around 4-5N. Has anyone just reinserted the old connection and tightened back up? Would the olive have bent to the seal shape and nipping back up the old one not form the seal again?

p.s – Just a question. I have ordered a new barb and olive as they are peanuts, just interested to know if folk to this and if it works long term?

Yes, in Spain the guide did exactly that quickly to alter to our non Euro lefty rear brake style. I did not die over the next three days.

However if it’s your bike and they cost peanuts, do it properly.

Thanks will be using a new olive, just interested in if others have reused and survived… the count is at one currently.

Yes I had a frame with internal brake routing so had to feed the hose through then reconnect to the caliper. Didn’t replace the gubbins and all worked ok for years.

I have successfully reused a barb/olive when swapping bits over (as a temporary fix that became permanent) but as you say, you should really change them just to be sure.

It’s a one sided survey as only the survivors are capable of replying!

If it was tightened sensibly the first time then it’ll probably seal fine. If it was honked up mega tight and the olive is squished then I’d replace it.

I don’t bother replacing the barb unless shortening the hose. I just crush the olive with pliers so it cracks and comes off then fit a new one. Never had any issues but it’s not hard to fit a new barb just to be sure.

I just do a quick visual inspection and (usually) reuse. Some have been on and off half a dozen times. If they look scabby, they get replaced.

Blimey no way do I fit new olives unless there’s a problem.

I’ve swapped brakes from Euro to Brit braking (and sometimes back again) literally hundreds of times. I needed a new olive twice.

Re used olives in the past with no issues

Interesting, didn’t expect so many reuse. Makes sense if fitted flush the first time as tightening up the 8mm bolt should nip it up perfectly.

Yep, reused olives on many bikes.

I’ve no idea what the most number of reuses I’ve done is but it’s going to be at least 3 or 4, with no issues.

The limiting factor isn’t really the olive, as long as you can slightly compress it each time to make the seal it’ll work fine, these aren’t high pressure systems. So that means the limiting factor on reuse is really the thread on the lever. The failure mode isn’t really “olive leaks because it’s reused”, it’s either “olive leaks because it’s not tight enough” or “lever body cracks because you had to try and compress an already squished olive”. (which gets more likely depending on how much of a gorilla you are of course, because the more overtightened it was the first time, teh more squished the olive is and the more pressure it needs to squish it more)

Yip reused a good number at least twice. In fact I now have a backlog of olives

Yep – re-use where possible. Olives don’t grow on trees you know.

Olives don’t grow on trees you know.

I have an olive tree. Never seen an olive on it.

Makes you think…