MORE BRAKING POWER in under 5 minutes (Shimano lever bleed) | Syd Fixes Bikes

[@sydfixesbikes]

If this video was helpful and saved you time and/or money, consider supporting the channel by hitting the "Thanks" button above to leave a tip.

[@saulfernandez8876]

where is the thanks button, for tip? Love the videos.

[@JamesBond-hy4kv]

Hit the like 👍 button 😂​@@saulfernandez8876

[@vincedejager]

Someone else has probably already commented on this but as a bike mechanic I've done many many bleeds and a little tip is when doing a lever bleed it also helps to tilt the lever both up and down 45 degrees while pumping it as bubbles will sometimes hide along the edges of the master cylinder. PS...you guys rock!! Cheers!!

[@sydfixesbikes]

Great tip!

[@1barnet1]

Dude an year later, different bike (Gravel) That solved an issue i tried to solve multiple times with an full bleed. Cheers.

[@LittleStar261]

I wondered where those bubbles were coming from. Thanks!

[@pkelly20091]

The lever wasn’t full with oil. The mineral oil entered the lever replacing air with oil. The replaced air exits as bubbles.

[@jornmulder]

i lifted up my front wheel, put it on a chair, for getting out the bubbles from rear brake line. also good tip. the air will go up better then. i just leave it for now a bit and sleep, tomorrow i am sure there is no air in it anymore.. flicking with finger can also help a bit. was also good tip.

[@veli-pekkaporrassalmi3135]

I love it how you guys didn't edit out all the small mistakes. Typically maintenance videos are about perfect execution of steps but in reality, we all make mistakes. We also learn from our mistakes and we can learn from other people's mistakes too. I think one of the greatest fear of new comers is "What if I make a mistake". This video shows that it's ok if you make a mistake, just learn from it and get it right the next time. Great content!

[@charliebrown4135]

100% agree

[@snowy10r]

These guides are brilliant, especially the format of filming the whole process and then adding a quick step by step at the end - perfect when sat in the garage with the phone at hand.

[@chiccorocker]

I've never thought about doing lever bleed only. Always did full bleed, but this makes a lot of sense and it's so much quicker. Thank you, this was really useful :D

[@sydfixesbikes]

We'll be posting a video about how to do a full bleed later this week so make sure you're subscribed!

[@charlesm.8807]

😍

[@LAMADREQUETEPARIO19]

¿Sabes que es lo que me gusta de ti? ¡Lo sencilla que eres como persona, y la inteligencia que le pones a ese amor por hacer las cosas que haces! Es eso, además del corazón de niña que tienes todavía, eres como una fuente cristalina...

[@edscoble]

I would like to subscribed but the lack of closed captioning sadly discouraged me from doing so.

[@PeteBemmer]

Hey guys, just wanted to say that your new channel is soooo helpful. I love the format. This vid especially, as in the past I'd just thought, "Brake bleed? No way. Down to the bike shop I go, that sounds too technical". They're really confidence inspiring vids, so thank you!! And it's also super useful to hear stuff in layman's terms too rather than all the technical jargon that often makes a job sound way more complicated than it actually is. Keep up the good work yous two!

[@williamfisher2780]

Thank you for this video. Got a new bike and after a few weeks the rear break started getting soft and pulled to the grip. After watching this video I ordered a break bleed kit off Amazon and used this method to bleed it and it worked perfectly. Thank for sharing.

[@karlcallus7977]

Fantastic! Thanks to you, I managed to do a lever bleed within minutes - and there were lots of bubbles coming up :) In the end, it still turned out that I needed to replace my pads, but now I feel confident enough to perform a full bleed if needed!

[@dandeangeli9860]

Hey Syd and Mackie. I have tried multiple times to make my hydraulic brakes to work, not succeeded yet, but your video is so upbeat and straightforward I am going to try again. I especially like the video format of going slowly and then repeating the steps in summary. Great job. I will support you with $

[@alphaartis4]

Excellent. I order a bleed kit a few months ago but was a little nervous to do it until I watched this and it went flawless.

[@courtneyoneill9075]

Thank you for saving me time trouble and money. I really like to know my bikes in and out and do as much as possible.....watching these tips helps me do it right the first time

[@bikeste]

So good. My 12 year old son, also my bike buddy and budding mechanic, is eating this up as well. You've got a great thing going. Thanks so much.

[@strategicthinker8899]

Unsurprisingly incoherent.

[@bikeste]

@@strategicthinker8899 ?

[@nathansperry1685]

I love the format of these videos. It's super helpful to someone who is trying to learn more advanced bike maintenance. Thanks guys!

[@ames477]

First time watching - great entertainment and information! I enjoy the correcting as we go and banter between you two. Also nice to have the cameraman acknowledged.

[@JamesBond-hy4kv]

Did this with my new SLX brakes with fluid already in them. Cut the hoses down and followed this guide. Done in 10. Thanks you two! 👍

[@coepuffs]

I’m loving all these tutorials! I just got into mtb and these are definitely the easiest to follow along with as I try to fix up my own bike

[@SeanRoland]

5-star review! Even though I was a wrench decades ago, it was before disc brakes -- and I've been a bit intimidated to jump in. But since I have a big ride planned with my boys tomorrow, I had to figure out how to get their brakes working again. And this was the PERFECT video. Mission accomplished and now we're ready to roll for the 3-bridges challenge!

[@DaveMcHale]

I'm not the first to say this but THANK YOU for this video!! I've had a kit in my garage for maybe 2 months now, but haven't had the courage to tackle the job for fear of messing up the whole brake system and being without my bike until the shop could fix it. As Syd said, this completely "demystified" the process and everything went smooth as silk. Got out tons of bubbles on both brakes, but no dark stuff... woohoo! Thank you thank you thank you. Can't wait for the full bleed vid!

[@MattPriceGuitar]

Thank you for this! I used this guide to fix a brake lever that went squishy. I've never had hydraulic brakes before and they seemed like black magic, this video totally demystified them for me.

[@KingofMe23]

My front brake went from a working state to not at all between rides. I wasn't sure that this would fix my issue but after a test ride, this seems to have resolved the issue. Thank you! Subbed!

[@clipexman]

Same heare, went from having to pump them to not touching the rotor in 2 days, tought for sure that my levers and/or calipers were dead, I followed this video and they feel brand new again. Thank you Syd.

[@jeffers63]

You pair totally rock! I have followed loads of your tips and this brake lever bleed was just the best ever! Now i can stop again :) Thanks very much indeed.

[@loza14]

Thanks for the video. Somehow I ordered a bleeding kit without a syringe and thought I’m not gonna be able to fix my brakes. I accidentally ended up at this video and realized that lever bleed would be enough for me. And it fully fixed my brakes in just a couple of minutes!

[@wonkylommiter6364]

You could do a gravity bleed (no syringe req.) if you don't have one, they do another vid about this, sometimes the fluid is really black and dirty so although a lever bleed makes the brake feel better, a full bleed might be worth a go if it hasn't been done for a long while. Regards.

[@mikecarter6758]

These are great! Really appreciate and enjoy the new channel. It will be very helpful as my son and I will overhaul our two bikes over the winter. The Shed is great too! Love all the parts on the shelves!!

[@resonanttotality8322]

I bought my first bike with hydraulic brakes and this was very helpful... Burping the levers. It's just like burping and bleeding my ranger's hydraulic clutch line... Thanks guys... Keep up the good work...

[@allanridesbikes5856]

Alright. I'll finally give this a try. I've been waffling on whether or not to bleed my own brakes, but I'll start with a lever bleed. Thanks as always.

[@Jeremy_ab_ca]

Here is a tip that helped me. When you pour the mineral oil, turn it so the jug is sideways. This way it will pour easier without the “gulps”. Its like pouring windshield washer fluid into a car. Thanks for the great content on this channel!

[@mattgies]

Yep, same with pouring a quart of oil into your engine.

[@stevenrutherford6665]

Bought a new bike online, great bike but the company shipped it with zip strips that caused multiple knicks in rear brake line. Im a rook so I had a local shop repair, dude got lazy or hurried or wtv and brake was still very spungy. Watched your vid and resolved issue in 10 min!! Thank you!!

[@mrbarbwire]

Thank you so much for your lever bleed video. I own a Sur Ron X. It has 4 piston calipers(unknown brand) without bleed nipples. And with all the videos referring to Sur Rons, there are none explaining bleeding the brakes. This video helped. Thank you.

[@kennethcolbert2921]

I have learn a lot from the two of you on bleeding my brakes I just started using hydraulic brakes. And I had no problem installing them thanks to the two of you here.

[@slowlearner984]

This was a much better vid than GMBN. Syd is down to earth and explains things well. Thanks, Syd!

[@kimroelants6420]

I barely ever comment on youtube vids but this one has been so helpful that I feel I have to. I just followed this video to do a lever bleed on newly installed Shimano GRX STI brake/shifters (road-type hydraulic brakes) after shortening the lines and it worked as brilliantly as on mtb brakes. The only difference is that for road brakes you need a little adapter thingy to screw the bleeding funnel into place. Thanks for all your vids - insightful, concise, entertaining and very well made. This one and the one on how to set up tubeless tires with a floor pump are my current favorites. They both meant breakthroughs in my bike-building project! greetings from Belgium!

[@kvegasdirtrider1420]

Did my first lever bleed today !! Thanks for this !

[@jimratzlaff3112]

Just did a lever bleed on my wife's bike. Front brake was squishy. I followed your instructions and got a lot of air out of it. Lever feels great now. Also followed your burn-in instruction video for a new rotor on the front after a crash. Also a success. Thanks for the help!

[@Pattwon]

Thank you for a great video which guided me flawlessly as in get it right the first time fixing my rear brake fluid problem. Comprehensive!

[@talkingebikes]

Just used this to do a lever bleed. Bloody awesome. Braking power is much improved.

[@joelhillsman5912]

Tried this for the first time and it worked great! Thanks for useful content as always !!

[@thattombell]

Massive thanks to you both for the gravity brake bleed video...dug me out of a hole and gained serious points with my nephew :-)

[@setransou]

Yes, everyone with Shimano brakes should have a funnel and mineral oil. It’s crazy cheap and compact and the lever bleed process is a cake walk.

[@Atxcmtb]

I think these are great tutorials! I also really like the idea of the more in-depth part along with a quick recap at the end!

[@IBCMTB]

Tip! If you're just doing a lever bleed, maybe best to pull pads and put a bleed block in so you don't overbleed the system. The last lever bleed I did was with worn pads & wheel in, meaning the pistons were already extended a bit. When I later replaced the pads & needed to push the pistons back in, it actually over-pressurized the system & I had fluid blow out the relief valve of the lever (as it had nowhere else to go). In hindsight, an alternative solution to this would be connecting the funnel before pushing the pistons back in, giving the excess fluid a place to go.

[@Sandriell]

If you put a bleed block in then you are fully compressing the pistons making the total volume smaller, then once you put the wheel back in and the pistons readjust to the much thinner rotor you are increasing the volume and will be back to the same problem of not enough oil to fill the volume. You actually solved your own issue in the second part of your statement though. When you change to brand new pads, screw in the cup with oil, remove the old pads, compress the pistons, install the new pads, install your wheel, then finish the lever bleed.

[@Elhabash]

@@Sandriell The brakes and reservoir volume are designed to be filled with the bleed blocks in place and can accommodate worn pads. If you overfill the brakes, on the other hand, you might not be able to change brake pads on the trail! That might not be a problem on a short ride, but if you spend a day in the mountains it is a no-go.

[@leepowelldev]

Completely agree with this - this video basically shows how to overfill the system, which is why the lever feel better afterwards. The air coming out is a result of the pistons advancing and the additional space being taken up by fluid in the master cylinder. IME if you're getting to the point of the lever being back at the bars then either the pistons are sticky and not advancing correctly, or you have wear on your pads or rotor.

[@peterpage9017]

@@leepowelldev that's the whole point. To bleed the brakes to account for the wear of the pads and rotors

[@peterpage9017]

Yup you did the right thing. It's like on a car when you top up the brake fluid when the brake pads and rotor wears down, creating more travel in the system. But when you push the calipers back you take fluid out of the system so it doesn't over flow.

[@DaninVA]

Great video. Simple and to the point! You just got another subscriber.

[@grallochervideos]

One small tip. When filling the funnel, if you pour the big bottle with the opening at the top, it won’t glug

[@mrm3703]

Thank you for making it look so simple, some other videos on the subject are either too long or don't do a good visual on the bleeding as it's done.

[@hardmtnbiker]

Great tip, I was about to do a full bleed and this helped me a avoid that longer process. Thanks

[@vhold42]

Thank you so much for this video! It immensely helped me. My rear brake was near totally useless and I couldn't get any time from a bike shop to look at it because of them being booked up for weeks in advance. I use my bike everyday so this was a total life saver, totally fixed my problem. Thanks again!

[@cebruthius]

My two personal tricks: I always use pieces of masking tape to mark alignment. The syringe that's part of the bleed kit can be used to draw the fluid from the big container without having to pour from it and potentially spilling.

[@adamsilversmith]

Great channel, could be the best channel I have found for helping us learn how to work on our bikes. Thanks!

[@JimmyBeanz13]

Looks like Gaerne SG10's on the shelf(MX boots). Those were my favorite back in my riding days. New to this Mountain Bike stuff and your channel has answered all my questions!!! Thanks!!!

[@dj80550]

Found this channel this week! Keep it up and enjoy the tons of information and great videos. Have a 22 Marin rift zone and can't wait to get some wrench time!

[@lazylearner967]

I'm gonna attempt to do this for the first time this weekend. Great vid!

[@mrupholsteryman]

My new to me bike has some Hayes Prime Pro hydraulic brakes...and the front went real squishy today....gonna try doing this...thanks! I subscribed! I'M just one guy with a bunch of broken bikes with very minimal time to ride....but definitely want to....thanks again! 😇🙏💪

[@patrikmoller3643]

Thanks for great advice, I'll try this on my bike next maintenance 😃 A bit of advice for you, when pouring from a container like the one with the brake fluid, tilt it 90 degrees to get it closer to the funnel and minimize the risk of spilling

[@chocolate_squiggle]

This was awesome, thanks. I've happily changed brakes and bled everything on my car and motorbike but pretty new to bicycling (as an adult anyway). Bike brakes are so much smaller and more integrated than on vehicles, I was a bit confused but I feel much happier understanding the fill / bleed point and how easy it is. Great video.

[@samfisher930]

I enjoy watching your video A true bike mechanic 👩‍🔧

[@gepardtilly]

I followed your advice and managed to make my brakes solid and sharp again! Saved me a 2months waiting for appointment. Thank you! When I removed the nut, there was no oil visible at all in the lever. And then I had to keep on pumping and rubbing the cable for like 20 times, bubbles coming out like crazy, until finally it became solid. I wonder where all that oil goes? I haven't seen any leaks either on the cable nor on the caliper... I had cut and installed the cable myself for the front brake, 2350mm custom length (cargo bike). The rear brake was still original factory sealed (watching a couple of KZbin videos). Shimano Zee. I couldn't see any oil in neither of the brake levers after taking out the nut.

[@sydfixesbikes]

You should definitely check your brake pads! Low oil is often a sign that the pads have worn out!

[@tl2913]

Well done Syd... I can see you getting more confident in every episode!

[@livedadyt10]

Just what I need to do. Waiting for my cup and oil to arrive. Thank you.

[@davidmcconnon2800]

thanks guys this is just what I needed to find out. Time to get bleeding! :D

[@JuJu13406]

Thank you for these videos!!❤️ I feel like with your videos I do get a real understanding of the maintenance procedures. With oder tutorials I feel like I watch someone do maintenance without me learning anything. PS: I‘m sorry if my grammar is a litttle bit off. I‘m from germany and my english isn‘t the best 😬

[@alexanderlampert7097]

Hi and thanks for that video. I have a question. Isn't the “missing” oil in the brake lever reservoir attribute to the fact that pistons are in “operational” position? So, filling up this reservoir should result into too much oil in the system, right? I prefer a slightly longer version of the quick bleed that includes pushing the pistons back and using a bleed block before starting the process you described. 🤙

[@markxexar9386]

This worked a treat. Especially helpful were the deliberate mistakes. I would almost certainly have lost the o ring!

[@TRUTHBMXracing]

Try using a pencil instead of a paint marker. Easy to mark and easy to remove or if you leave the mark on it does not stand out.

[@Gazeroo71]

Very helpful for me I had no idea how to sort my XTR spongy brakes - you explain it well for a novice like me. Subscribed !

[@bwg2020]

awesome video Syd & Macky! another way to get your lever back to exact position if you do not wish to mark on your shiny new $200 carbon bar is use the angle app on your iphone. 🥳

[@budwende8190]

Again Syd you are awesome!

[@ciliciaann3504]

Thank you Syd. As I mentioned in your full bleed video comments, and you recommended, this is what I'll be doing. Looks easy enough except I don't know what brand brakes I have because Phatmoto branded the brakes Phatmoto. They look like Shimano but what model who knows. LOL not so much. Guess I'll be visiting my local bike shop 😒

[@andrewlekin4627]

You did the great job, I try my first bleeding in next few days, thanks

[@jeff7086]

That work well for a front brake bleed. As Macky said the rear is much longer, also it has more bends and spots for air to get trapped. So a tip for a rear bleed is to hang the bike vertically so the air had a easier time moving up to the brake lever. and then same process. sometimes unbolting to brake caliber and putting a bleed block in makes the line straighter so air is easier to purge.

[@sallypearson5890]

really well demonstrated and explained thank you both.

[@taffycymroukmtb9073]

Great stuff Syd and Macky on the Camera 🎥👍🚴🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👌

[@philklepka6933]

Loving these videos!

[@tonytaylor26]

Just done this on our Cube MTBs. Thx for the video 👍👍🚴🚴 UK

[@vecxp]

Thanks for this video saw it when it was new, but just did the process today very helpful and entertaining

[@dairatars]

Can you do the lever bleed for Sram brakes like this too? Since full bleed procedures are different.

[@GHinWI]

Step 1: remove and discard SRAM brakes Step 2: install Shimano brakes Step 3: refer to Shimano bleed procedure video

[@dairatars]

@@GHinWI It is not that hard to do either full brake bleed :D

[@danielbum912]

@@dairatars SRAM is manageable too but it's roughly 745 times more laborious than Shimano..

[@mymorristribe]

My exact question. One of my bikes has SRAM brakes. Sigh.

[@paolocapozzi927]

The last step of the SRAM bleeing procedure is only dealing with the lever. You have the syringe attached to the lever and you pull and push on the plunger to remove the last bit of air. In the Shimano bleed, the procedure Syd did is also done at the very end of the bleeding procedure in order to remove the last air bubbles. So yes, I assume that you can do the same with SRAM brakes. However you still need to degas the DOT oil beforehand. Then just follow the lever bleed part of the whole procedure. I've never done it myself so I'm not sure what the result will be ;)

[@gregfox785]

Great demo. Gonna try it now!

[@mdsouz4]

Worked like a charm!

[@warthogstudios9784]

Def do this with a new brake install even if the cable was not cut. My front shimano had a ton of air!

[@tamk9088]

Thanks team. Your instructions worked like a charm!

[@markandar5194]

What do you do with the mineral oil after? can you you use re-use it after its been used to collect air? good video.

[@sydfixesbikes]

As long as the fluid is clean, you can reuse it. If there's any dirt or discoloration, dispose of it.

[@mojitomaker]

Infinitely useful video, thanks team!

[@MaxPowersHedgehog]

I found a little adjustment next to my lever that allows for me to change the amount of pull back before it brakes. I like mine to be an almost hair trigger, and not have to pull it close to the grips

[@johnnybaridi]

you guys definitely have the best show on mtb tutorials, and have created a show. my question for disc brakes is do you need to burn in resin pads like you do steel? thanks

[@sydfixesbikes]

Yup, all brakes and rotors should be burned in before use.

[@rickschock4642]

Great video. Just did a lever bleed and was so simple with your help.

[@johnb7326]

Great video… Worked perfectly for me. Thanks!!!

[@Josh-sm3hg]

Worked perfectly, thanks

[@ondrejsejkora4561]

This is the most inteligent and easy explain video about brakes i ever seen. Keep going, im interested. I do some services too, but if i do something once per year, i looking on internet for being sure i know what im doin. Cant wait for some realy big services videos. Thank you and i wish you succes.

[@staceywimberley2739]

So happy I found this video! I especially like the cat assist. My cat may want to participate also. I only have a syringe and it seems that I can use that instead of the cup since I’m not doing the full bleed. Just in case I thought I would throw this question at you. Thanks again for this video!

[@sydfixesbikes]

Unless you have a way to attach the syringe to the lever reservoir, it probably won't work as you want to make sure there's no way that air can get into the system from the top...

[@staceywimberley2739]

@@sydfixesbikes thanks for the speedy reply! It’s the syringe for the bleed kit so it does attach. I’ll still be safe and order the groovy cup! Have a great afternoon. 😁

[@pace_tracker]

Well done and I just ordered the shimano cup as I had Avid brakes before, that is so simple :)

[@garyherndon4722]

Another helpful maintenance video. Good job. Thanks for doing this.

[@a1parra]

Thank you Syd! Appreciate you.

[@driftlessareasingletrack2933]

Much easier than I was expecting it to be. Thanks for sharing.

[@evox786]

One question/comment - why squeeze and hold the lever when flicking the line for air bubbles? When the lever is depressed, any air bubble in the line will shrink much smaller (almost disappear) and will be much less likely to dislodge and rise to the top. I would recommend tapping the line without holding the lever so the air bubbles are big enough to work their way out.

[@racemanyaya]

Thanks! Very useful video!

[@joeyc8546]

You keep making these look so much fun to do. Will have to do my rear brake, lever goes to the bar after sitting at work for the day. V annoying as that isnt cheap, is the Deore XT. The front i just changed cos the XT piston was contaminating the pads and discs so that is just a Deore. Would be interesting to see a calliper maintenance if you do them?

[@evilbanks]

Excellent video. I need to do this today. Thank you!

[@p_mh]

super helpful! thank you

[@julianrodriguez3451]

Hello I have a different brand of brakes on my marlin 7 I like to see if this video is useful for the brakes I have I mean the bleed procedure thank you for the video

[@cliffkennell3854]

Fantastic video. Thank you.

[@foxykc]

Followed this video today and did it myself. Thanks!

[@sydfixesbikes]

Congrats!

[@foxykc]

@@sydfixesbikes I even used a yellow paint pen like you did