Shimano Ultegra R8020 / R8070 Hydraulic Brake Bleed

[@cwk1417]

Caution to anyone bleeding Shimano hydraulic brakes: Absolutely DO NOT overtighten the bleed port screw, as he says. I've rounded out the hex while trying to unscrew it, and now I have to use a Dremel tool to make it accept a flathead screwdriver, then replace it (which are difficult to find). Otherwise, thanks so much for your Ultegra setup video series! I have been building my own bike with a full Ultegra 8020 mechanical groupset, and I'm about to tune the derailleurs with the help of your videos. A wealth of information!

[@rjvaughn]

I had the exact same issue and also used a dremel tool to turn it into a flathead. The 2mm hex head is ridiculously small. I saw that Shimano changed it to a 2.5mm because they stripped all the time.

[@FreeToCycle]

How To Remove A Damaged Bleed Screw Cover | Shimano Levers kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zn-bdK2FlLqrndE

[@rommelreyes2209]

Your channel answered all questions I have on my bike.

[@CrepusculumTerrae]

hey, many thanx for your advise!!! altough, english is not my native language (i am german), your instruction guide is the best i found so far in youtube, far better than what i found in german. easy to understand and solved all my questions! THANK YOU!

[@marcsturgess2111]

Spot On...easy to follow video with some great hints and tips. One thing to note - the job is much, much easier with the Shimano specific bleed kit. I first tried with two syringes (top and bottom) and quickly realised I needed a third hand ! Great video - Thanks !

[@stevenr5149]

when you change the speed on the syringe, it changes the turbulence patterns in the tube and can dislodge sneaky bubbles. I work as a nurse and can see it happen in my clear IV tubing.

[@nowisthetime12]

what does change the speed on the syringe mean. pumping faster?

[@tian9246]

follow this guide , fix my break well good job!

[@l0ner1der]

Just what I was looking for! Many thanks 😉

[@nickthegreek5124]

Thanks again man! Your videos have helped me put together my dream bike! Cheers

[@FreeToCycle]

👍

[@sophiescyclingandwalkingch4294]

Thanks good tutorial.

[@Tj-tc5gp]

Great video 👍 thanks for everything!

[@glennoc8585]

Ive done bleeds but it was a good video. My syringe is just about had it so i lll get one with the better metal plunger i think that will last for years.

[@landers1984]

How do you add more fluid when doing the lever-nipple business to remove the last amounts of air? Does this top up go into the reservoir or do you remove the bottle/bag and use the syringe again? Thanks!

[@richardbryanesq]

I think the answer to your question is that the last amounts of air are removed from the system when the levers are pumped, because the air rises into the funnel, and is replaced by fluid in the funnel which flows into the brake lines. So there's no extra use of the the syringe once the job is done.

[@ceeteebee56]

Best bleeding video by far! So much detail but in a logical and well-explained order,. Thanks. My problem is that I can't get fluid to go up from the syringe to the lever. I don't seem to have blockages from the lever hose to the caliper so assume there is a problem in the lever. Any suggestions before it goes away to the doctor?

[@FreeToCycle]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5rUe2OHpahro9k Give it a try!

[@jonathanb8336]

Excellent info thanks👍

[@TheDiegoloop]

I’m getting a leak from the hose and the lever connection. Did I tighten it too much? Will I have to put in a new olive? What could be causing that?

[@ianroberts1997]

I seem to have overfilled front brake cylinder and fluid coming out of port on inside of STI below 3 screws that hold diaphragm cover ! Any way to avoid this mess ?

[@marclaubinger1075]

my man, perfect! thanks for your help. excellent, 5 stars.

[@FreeToCycle]

Marc glad you found the video helpful!!

[@olenerva8815]

Easy pocedure shown. Byt why is the front brake connected to the rear gear shifter on the handlebar. I think must be a mistake? However the video shows the procedure good.

[@andrewevans758]

Ole Nerva in the UK the front brake is operated by the right hand side brake leaver (a UK legal requirement). It is different to most other countries.

[@darrenjshiels1]

Love the videos and I'm following them all for my own first build. I've just bought R8070 brakes and the cables are attached to the calipers and its says they are pre-bled. I'm assuming I will still have to bleed them as I will introduce air when cutting housing to length and installing them or have you any tips? Many thanks

[@FreeToCycle]

Yes you will need to bleed the brakes after cutting the hoses to length!

[@darrenjshiels1]

@@FreeToCycle thanks. Don’t know why shimano bother sending them prebled considering most will have to cut them

[@OPPIDUM666]

Great Video ! What bleed kit are u using ?? with this full componentes ? greetings from Portugal

[@FreeToCycle]

Shimano TL-BT03S bleed kit, and a Shimano adaptor for the road levers.

[@OPPIDUM666]

@@FreeToCycle tnks , =) so the little sucker u buy in other place . =)

[@FreeToCycle]

Yes the part that screws into the lever body is a separate part.

[@olsherman]

Thanks for these videos. Super-helpful. Can I ask why you have 140mm discs on this build? I'm totally new to hydraulic brakes and am building a gravel bike up. From reading on the topic I thought that there's no real need for me to get 160mm as I'm not planning on doing any big Alpine descents on the bike and don't ride particularly aggressively in general. Any thoughts? My local shop (who are supplying the frame) seemed to think 160 at the front and either 140 or 160 at the back. They said they never build 140 at the front. I haven't bought the rotors yet. Thanks!

[@FreeToCycle]

It's all personal preference, most bikes come with 160 front and 140 rear as standard with some gravel bikes being fitted with 160 front and rear. I fitted 140 front as for that particular build the rider was only 60kg and wasn't planning on coming down the alps at 60mph. The rotor size won't matter to much as the caliper has the same piston clamping it wheather you have a 140 or or 180mm disc so if your not planning any big high speed descents where the disc can overheat and cause the brakes to fade then the 140 is fine if your a lighter weight rider! Bike manufactures have to equate for all shapes and sizes and riding styles when selling off the shelf models.

[@LarsT57]

160mm front and 140mm rear is UCI standard for those who compete in UCI races. Then you can get service from neutral servicecars.

[@abefrancisco624]

Hi i would like to ask if you can help me my brake is ultegra hydraulic and cable I want to know what are models of ultegra I can buy the same mechanism, I’m new with all this parts hope you can help me

[@FreeToCycle]

Shimano Ultegra R8020 levers.

[@abefrancisco624]

Thank you so much I need to look for it

[@damienmitchell3080]

I have an ultegra lever that won't take in oil. No matter how hard I try to push oil in through the caliper, it won't go in. With the lever off, it flows in no problem so there's no kink in the line and the caliper is good. I also can't get oil in the reverse way too. Any ideas?

[@akessonmikkel]

Im having the same problem. Did you fix it?

[@damienmitchell3080]

​@@akessonmikkelHi. I figured there was a blockage in the lever. I replaced it. Problem solved.

[@darinsteele7091]

How often should breaks be bled? I have read that most people think they're having a fluid issue but really they should just be adjusting the pistons by pushing them back and replacing pads, some people say the fluid can last years as long as it's not opened for some reason.

[@FreeToCycle]

I would bleed Shimano brakes once a year! But it’s all personal preference really some people never bother from one year to the next! As the pads wear the lever will have more travel so people think the brakes feel spongy!!

[@wangdangdoodie]

Daring Steele. Unless your a downhill monster, you really only need to bleed brakes when performance drops off - you'll notice this as the levers will become spongy. I find myself more & more working on other peoples brakes and rarely does the fluid need replacing, it's almost always pad replacement, lever/caliper adjustment or, more rarely, slightly sticking pistons (tip re pistons: use sewing machine oil to lubricate). The fluid in my brake set at the moment is three years old with no signs of deterioration. Mineral oil does not absorb water and can be kept in an opened container indefinitely. DOT fluid does absorb water and should be discarded after a couple of weeks if not used. If you get water in a DOT fluid system performance will be affected, and it should be bled or replaced, but you will still have some braking. If you get water in a mineral oil system (unlikely but it can enter via worn or faulty seals/O rings) DO NOT ride until you have replaced the fluid AND renewed all seals/O rings. Water is heavier than mineral oil and the water will pool at the bottom of the system, ie the caliper. This reduces the boiling point and means the brakes will cook very easily, extremely dangerous! Learn how to bleed & renew the fluid in your brake system, it's really not difficult and will leave you with a good feeling that you've done it yourself! Hope this helps.

[@darinsteele7091]

@@wangdangdoodie great info thanks! the sram engineer guys said the same that most of the time the fluid doesn't need to be changed, just the pistons need adjustment again. for me i can only bike outside 6 months of the year, so i'd likely never bleed the breaks for years.

[@pieterdegroot4817]

My st r8070 di2 shifter leaks oil from the cilinder (backsite shifter). Does someone knows how i can solve this problem? maybe it needs a new rubber o-ring. I hoped to solve this by opening the shifter at the front site but I can not find a circlip or so to do that...

[@darraghmcmahon8828]

My disc rotor keeps getting contaminated and I’ve just discovered the bleed nipple on the rear calliper is leaking despite being closed tight. Is this likely terminal or can it be serviced? I suspect my LBS overtightened it and damaged the bleed nipple.

[@FreeToCycle]

The O-ring on the bleed nipple could be damaged causing it to leak fluid.

[@darraghmcmahon8828]

@@FreeToCycle thanks for your reply, can this be serviced? Thanks for all your videos!

[@FreeToCycle]

You can replace the rubber o ring or purchase a new bleed nipple that will come with the o ring!

[@Stew913]

I was thoroughly confused about your front brakes being the right lever, and back brake being the left. I then did some research and discovered that it's most likely due to Americans and Brits driving on different sides of the roads and needing opposite arms to signal while still having access to the rear brakes. All in All, great video mate.

[@ryant75]

Hello Brendan 😁

[@forevercomputing]

Uh, no. Not quite. I believe it was a preference in how older brakes were done. One hand was for the brake, and by keeping that hand the rear brake, this freed up the other side. I believe France exported bicycles to the US based on their setup and it stuck. Sides of the road has nothing to do with it. Italy uses the traditional method as well. The excuse of, "Because you need your hands to signal" What about motorbikes? Surely, you don't make only left/right turns? At the end of the day, you are free to swap them. When I was younger, I heard/read you could swap the controls if you wanted, just ask the shop. But why on Earth would you have the front brake on the other lever? Is it for left handed people? It gets worse, in the UK, we have new bikes being sold, I was browsing and noticed ALL of the bikes with rim braking have a 90 degree noodle which creates a strange arc for the cable. The correct noodle should be the 135 degree noodle instead as this allows a sweeping S bend to be made. I got out my pair of noodles and realised, they weren't front and rear, they were rear and rear. Unless I went to switched braking. When you ride a motorbike, keeping the brakes the same does help.

[@byrnesy919]

Did this on my Tiagra 4700 disc as the rear had no pressure from the factory.. I placed a 10 ml Allen key in the caliper as I didn’t have a bleed block. After installing the wheel and pads which are brand new it was a lot better but there was 1/4 lever of travel before the pads even make contact with the disc. There seems to be a very small clearance between the pads and discs which again are brand new. Is this amount travel normal for Shimano hydraulics?

[@FreeToCycle]

Yes because when you remove the bleed block the piston has to travel that little bit further before it makes contact with the pads which in turn curates slightly more lever travel! You can try bleeding with the disc and pads installed see if that helps.

[@byrnesy919]

Free To Cycle thanks, i bled the brakes with the pads installed which promoted a stiffer lever. I will try to adjust the reach and free stroke to get rid of that existing play

[@lupoffa]

Thanks I’m gonna try :-)

[@jdrake7039]

I would like to shorten my cables due to new handlebars, do I have to bleed the system or is a matter of cutting the cable and fit new olives and inserts ? Thanks

[@FreeToCycle]

Unfortunately you will have to bleed the system if you are cutting the hoses.

[@LukeMichaelJames]

Will the pistons leak if the bleed block drops out? Or is leaking from the pistons only possible if the piston seal is knackered?

[@FreeToCycle]

The bleed block is held in place by the pads retaining pin so can’t drop out when bleeding the brakes! The pistons won’t leak fluid unless there is a problem with the seals!

[@DVDsNFC]

great detailed video fool proof.

[@SayMcGillicuddy]

I really like your videos, you explain things at a nice pace and capture what you're doing very well. You do have a few phrases that you repeat a lot (eg 'obviously' and 'go ahead and.....') - if you could train yourself to filter these out, I think it would really elevate your content to the next level. Thank you for what you do though, always helps me.

[@davidmcilvenna3710]

I have Shimano grx hydro shifter and r785 calipers... can any of you recommend a compatible bleed kit please?

[@FreeToCycle]

The genuine Shimano brake bleed kit works fine just make sure you have the funnel adapter for use with the grx shifters! And some mineral oil.

[@davidmcilvenna3710]

@@FreeToCycle thank u for the reply! Do those funnel adapters, normally come seperately to the standard bleed kits?

[@FreeToCycle]

Yes the adapter is sold separately to the bleed kit.

[@davidmcilvenna3710]

@@FreeToCycle thanks mate!

[@richardbryanesq]

Caution with the Shimano GRX brake system: it's slightly different from the Dura ace/Ultegra/105 system (the hoses and needles) to be not straight-forward after cutting the hose. At least it wasn't for me. The part number for the hose on the GRX system is not the same as on the other Shimano systems, and the needles are slightly different. And there is already an olive inside the brake lever. And the hose connecting nuts are different with the GRX system. Caution.

[@l0ner1der]

If I’ve too much lever movement after bleeding, should the bleed block be thicker or thinner?

[@FreeToCycle]

Daniel Shimano only do one size bleed block (the yellow one). If you replace the bleed block with used pads the lever will have more travel in it than when the bleed block was in. If you have finished the bleed and are putting new pads in then the lever should be exactly the same as when the bleed block was fitted, if the lever has to must movement then there is still some air in the system somewhere!!

[@l0ner1der]

@@FreeToCycle excellent advice many thanks 👍

[@masterastro5463]

Los shifter el sistema de mangas hidráulica se montaron en lado equivocado el del lado shifter izquierda va la manga hidráulica front y el derecho va rear

[@RodrigoLopez-tw3nx]

No, en el Reino Unido se usan al revés.

[@gregorysmithj1]

I thought this was one way bleeding?

[@scottrider7271]

man... im sticking with my dura ace 9000 rim brakes... this looks like a nightmare... if 250mg of water = 250 grams... isnt this kinda messy, and heavy? My brakes 'ain't broke... i 'ain't changing them.

[@opethobsession3113]

It's not as bad as it looks once you've done it a time or two. Disc brakes are just better overall.

[@EditioCastigata]

It's usually about 9ml in the shorter (front) braking system, and 12ml in the longer (rear). Measured it today. It's actually lighter than a steel cable, but all other disc brake parts add up to more weight.

[@damienmitchell3080]

A lot of work needed to bleed these air cooled pad calipers. So much hassle. Older models are much better. Enough to turn me off using shimano.