Understanding, diagnosing, bleeding and fixing a Shimano disc brake

[@jubei961]

Had to watch this video over and over and over again probably like 10 times or more but finally got it I much appreciate it thank you born in North Carolina living in Spain ✊🏾💯!!!!!

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Thanks, I always wonder what makes people travel to settle so far from they grew up. Interested.

[@jubei961]

@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic oh me I was in the Navy for like 12 years and got married to someone in Spain and eventually came back to Spain so I do a little bike working on in my spare time but came across the conundrum of bleeding hydraulic brakes

[@topgundk]

Very short, THANKYOU.... Saved my day. I normally do a brakelever bleed, but this time i wanted to do a prober big service on my Shimano XT brakes, replacing all the fluid (and that was needed) All the videos i saw, had different versions of gravity bleeding and wated against using a syringe, due to different arguments. But i could simply not the the back brake to be as sharp as before. Your tips and tricks at the last part of the video, showed i had a LOT of air in the caliper end, and the syringe method you showed, just fixed it all.... Thanks fotr his detailed walkthrough, I was ALMOST considering taking it to a bikeshop :) (Have really bad experiences with those close to me, with poor quality in their work)

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thanks for watching and your comments

[@double531]

Dave I just whack mine with a stick of Rhubarb and all the air vanishes! Excellent tutorial on this subject, best I've watched in fact.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thanks for watching, Thank you

[@tonymeacham9219]

I found this VID really interesting,also the VID on the front fork air leakage, as i am looking for a new MTB and the two VID'S i have viewed have gone some way to helping me make a decision .YOU vid's are clear interesting and informative . thank you.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Glad it was helpful!

[@coreycanuck1315]

New to the channel. Really appreciate the detail you give in these videos. Changed my downhill mud tire today with the help from your video on tire change and now seeing this one with a beer in hand. Thanks for posting!

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Welcome aboard! Thanks for watching

[@clarkie005]

probably the best Shimano bleed procedure vid on youtube. would be useful to hear your thoughts on the 'free stroke adjustment' screw on the XTs and above. for me they have done absolutely nothing, and iv tried them on both new and worn pads.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thank you. Free stroke screws, more like whats all that about screws?, some say they make a difference, I certainly have never found them useful, in the workshop or out riding, using the lever adjustment give better results.

[@kixigvak]

Excellent treatment of the subject. And if you're an American this is one Brit you'll be able to understand.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thanks for watching and your comments

[@eaglehunter1802]

Just discovered the channel and this is the first vid thats giving me some confidence to attempt bleeding my brakes and i thank you for that pal....subbed and gonna check your other vids 🤝

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, thanks for watching and your subscription, hope you enjoy my other videos.

[@lowiqsavage]

."..rock hard. Which is exactly how we want it". That's what she said. Great video.

[@jumbleross]

Dave Kay I love watching your vids, they kind of make jobs on your bike seem not to overwhelming which the the other vids do. Next time I need to visit Clarec in Hebden I’ll pop in to say hi 🙋‍♂️

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Thank you

[@Alaakso]

Nice video! Finally someone making bike maintenance videos without faffing around and making silly faces and memes. 👌

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Glad you liked it!, Thanks for watching

[@wimvanbever561]

Thanks. Great video! My brakes are rock hard now

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Nice one, glad you found it useful, please share. Thanks, Dave YBM,

[@ocbyn]

Dave, love your videos- so informative and detailed. Would love to have you look after my bikes full time, however I live some 350 miles away in sunny Cornwall. Keep up the good work. 👍 much appreciated

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thank you. Cornwall is a absolutely stunning, I have spent many happy hours in St Ives and surrounding areas. I would be happy to come down and look after your bike.

[@12591259]

Great detail, thank you from Texas!

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Our pleasure, Thanks for watching and your comments

[@nickp1420]

Perfect, thank you!! Finally got a problem sorted.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Glad it helpedThanks for watching and your comments

[@Paulo-fr3xm]

Top tip Dave 👌

[@BOTG_Adventures]

Ayoop Dave, thanks for making the videos appreciate it. Brake bleeds is something I need to learn as well, I like brakes with very little movement on brake handle.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, thanks for watching, it can be done with practice, just be careful putting more fluid in that normal.

[@Petrolhead912]

Great stuff , good clear instructions, would have liked to see the screwdriver thing at the end on camera but I think I got the idea anyway.👍

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Thank you for watching and your comments

[@rossdouglas8131]

Great video, thanks for the tip on the syringe, sure beats $50 set that they say you have to have!

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, thanks for watching and your comment

[@markifi]

i tried the screwdriver trick yesterday on some clarks brakes but couldn't get it to work. where exactly are you pushing? the piston didn't budge with such a tiny tool, and i was afraid to excert much force lest i brake the piston

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

The reason that could be is that there is too much fluid in the system or their is debris around the pistons stopping them retracting

[@markdavies3151]

Nice tips in there amongst the basics. Thanks. I have a different problem with some SLX brakes. I have a consistent bite point and a solid stop every time, to start with but if you continue to pull the lever with firm pressure then it will pull to the bars. Back brake only. I have swapped the lever for a spare I had and it remained. I can bleed it on the stand and get it solid but once it’s back on it’s wheels and ridden then it goes back to the same as before. I need to replace the pads but I have bled it with the block and the pads fitted until solid and it still did it. I have tried various ways of bleeding including an oscillating tool on the hose (I’m getting annoyed with it now) I just want a consistent hard lever that can be held on without loosing pressure somewhere. I’m a mechanic but for cars so I have some knowledge on bleeding but this felt like it was bypassing seals in the lever. Any advice would be appreciated thanks.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi Mark. I presuming you have checked for leaks, there are 4 reasons why this would happen, the first is a tiny pocket of air at the back of one of the pistons, 2, is that seals are letting fluid past back up into the lever, 3 there is a tiny leak, 4, when the bike is turned upside down or bike is upright on its back wheel any air in the reservoir is traveling back towards the calliper.

[@markdavies3151]

@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic thanks for your response. I found the hoses had a minuscule leak from where it enters the frame. Yes, on both bikes dammit. Replaced both hoses last night and perfect. There was no fluid evident externally but it was definitely that. Thanks again.

[@deathorb]

I don't appear to understand - I didn.t understand the need for the brake blocks during bleeding - nor was this discussed. Surely without them in you can get higher pressures in the system as you can fill the brakes whislt they are 'out' rather than retreated back within the body. I also wanted to hear about how to remedy brakes not going back in properly (hardly at all) - but you mentioned it but not the solution! Wonder if you can possibly help with these issues? anyway other than that a good vid I may make use of when these other problems are sorted! EDIT - I have researched that the bleed bloke prevents over filling of fluid - but I still remain a little unsure of what that entails and why it is an issue - maybe it explains why my brakes appear to be slightly 'on' all the time?

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Thanks for watching and your comments. it's very difficult bleeding brakes because your cant teach how the brakes feel and what the feel means within your fingers. different types of brakes are bleed differently but untimely end up with the same result. the goal is to have every tiny space in the brake system filled with fluid only and not even a tiny spec of air. how to achieve this is sometimes difficult without turning calipers in awkward angles. blocks are used to prevent pad contamination and the accidental pistons popping out. I normally bleed with no pads in but no blocks either as I like the pistons out slightly then push them back right at the end before closing the bleed port. you can if your good at it bleed with new pads in, that way you get a full compliment of fluid and a better bite. hope this makes sense.

[@deathorb]

@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic Yep just as suspected thanks! I also had an issue of air coming up the pipe with the syringe from the brakes - but it appeared only when pulling hard on the syringe. Pulling gently had no bubbles but i tested it and the pipe is airtight - so I think my brakes may have a fault which allows air in somewhere and when i pull a bit faster - loads of air comes out the brakes?!?! Anyway thanks again

[@mrdog3920]

Great video.Really appreciate it. I used your technique to bleed a particularly problematic rear brake on my wife's bike. However I just fitted a new XT 4 pot rear brake to my bike and cannot for the life of me get the lever feeling right. It still feels a bit spongy and does not spring back as quickly as the front. I am guessing there is still some air in there but I cant for the life of me get it out. I have emptied the system 3 times and checked for any debris or blockage. Lever return feels fine when the system is empty. Could it be a duff lever/cylinder?

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, thanks for watching, if its a new brake then the chances of it being faulty are really slim. Shimano brakes don't like it when the pistons travel is uneven. they are quite easy to bleed but tricky to get that super hard lever feel, this is achieved by simply centering the pistons and pads, whilst using the lever at the same time to adjust the pistons and get the hard feel. It takes lots of practice and works providing you have got all the air out. Dave

[@mrdog3920]

@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic Hey Dave, thanks for the tips. I tried the whole process again twice but still had issues with the lever returning slow after about 4 - 5 actuations. I gave up and resigned myself to the fact that I would need to try a new lever. With that I had nothing to lose by stripping the lever to see what’s going on inside. I didn’t find anything that looked out of order other than a tiny piece of swarf in the cylinder area. I put it back together, repeated the bleed process and it is perfect. Maybe just a fluke or coincidence but was interesting to see the inside of one of those things and now I have a super solid rear brake. Thanks again for all the instructions and videos 👍

[@apaquatics6172]

How do I get my bike to u Dave ? It needs love brake love 🤔

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi thanks for watching, where do you live?

[@nash220]

Good day idol!😁 Is the Shimano Tourney TX compatible to LTWOO A3 1:1 shifter? Thanks😊

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Yes as far as I know they are compatible.

[@nash220]

@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic Do shimano tourney TX applicable to 11-42t sprocket? Can it be without goatlink?? Thank you☺️

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

@@nash220 I don’t think goatlinks work very well, you don’t get enough wrap around on the smallest cog, use a new rear mech which is designed for the cassette.

[@nash220]

@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic ahh okay thank you very much❤️😁

[@kevinhansbury3629]

Hi where’s your shop, and what’s it called please

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, thanks for watching and your comment. we are based in Sowerby Bridge, HX6 2LB, Just google cycle fast.

[@yamyam60]

Writing this makes me feel stupid which probably I am but here is my story: I have bled cars, motorbikes go-carts, all with success. I also have a good knowledge of how hydraulics work, I used to work in a shop selling Danfoss hydraulic equipment and even built my own hydraulic lift from scratch. Now this is what baffles me, I bought a Scott ebike with Shimano BL-MT501/BR-MT520 brake system and decided to shorten the front brake hose. What could go wrong? I dismantled the hose at the lever cut a few inches, replaced the olive and barb and re-attached it. Flicked the the lever a few times, bubbles came up as expected, pulled the lever expecting the rock solid satisfactory feel but after some resistance the lever went back to the bars. A few more flicks, no bubbles so to cut a long story less long😁, I performed all the different procedures that are shown on KZbin; gravity, syringe method (both ways suction and compression), the common method of opening and closing the bleed screw while applying lever pressure and a combination of all the methods in one go😄 without any success, the same problem persisted and this is the front brake with less than a meter of hose. I even zip tied a flexible drive from a Dremel and a bit with a bent shaft to the calliper thinking that the vibration might dislodge any trapped air bubbles. It is worth mentioning that one of the calliper pistons cracked and I had to buy a new one. When I installed the new one, another piston cracked, it was then that I realised that the plastic block that comes with the EZmtb bleed kit (there are two, I used the larger one) is a little small and if it gets to one side of the calliper, one of the pistons would be partially unsupported causing it to be pushed at an angle and hence cracking so beware when using these. Anyway, before I totally gave up I half-heartedly bought a new brake lever to eliminate it from the equation and you guessed it, it didn't make any difference. So by now I had replaced the original lever and calliper and ended up with the same problem. Sorry for the long story which could have been longer but I needed a shoulder to cry on😂. In the meantime I am searching for more KZbin videos of how easy bleeding brakes are. Do you have a clue of what my problem is? Yes I know I have air in the system but how the heck am I going to get it out and why is it so difficult? My next option is to drain the system completely and fill the system with fresh fluid, preferably with the syringe pushing the fluid from the bleed nipple.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, sorry for my late reply, did you manage to get this sorted??

[@yamyam60]

@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanicMy previous reply was deleted by KZbin, I think because of a link I referred to. Anyway, after two more attempts I failed to do so. I'm taking this challenge personally now🤨. I 3d printed a thinner bleed block (7mm, the standard is 10mm) so as to enable the pistons to come out further but with no success. I will print another thinner bleed block just enough to not have the pistons pop out as I do believe that any air trapped, has to be behind the pistons. An interesting fact is that Shimano has what they call 'ONE WAY BLEEDING' on most of their callipers but strangely enough it does not claim this feature on the BR-MT520 specs, although inspecting them does look they do incorporate this because both the hose fittings and bleed nipple are on the same side as opposed to having them opposing each other. I did provide a link for the Shimano ONE WAY BLEEDING system but in case it gets deleted just google it. I am adding this after I posted this reply because I just read specs on a German site that sells bike parts that the BR-520 do indeed have the One Way Bleeding feature. From looking at the calliper one can tell that it is the same basic design as all the Deore range but it is strange Shimano don't mention it in the specs probably trying to make out that there would be a huge difference in performance in upgrading to the more expensive models that supposedly have more features.

[@outoutmtb1949]

dave do you have any tips on bleeding sram code r as having a nightmare can never get them how i want them ??

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi Stewart, my next video will be how to bleed code brakes, should be out late weekend

[@rayfrazier8783]

Great video!!!!!!!

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Thanks!!

[@kejansenz]

Thank you for your clear and easy to understand advice. It really helped me to finally successfully bleed the air from my brakes. The only addition I would like to make is that some bikes, like my cube with internal cable routing needed to be rotated more than 90 degrees. Because else the cable has low points near the rear and the pedals that trap air that doesn't go to the handle or caliper.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thank you for watching and your comments

[@mickilkr]

You are awesome

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Thank you

[@steve_main]

Awesome video but you forgot Step one which is MARK WHERE THE BREAKS WERE BEFORE YOU STATRTED haha the user is going to get this back and be like "My breaks feel weird"

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi Steve, thanks for watching, I think you mean, they feel amazing, lol

[@jumbleross]

Let’s crack on ..... bleeding el

[@patinpalero]

It's bad idea flush from caliper, if is there any water inside caliper, you push it to the circuit, it may cause severe damage.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, thank you for watching and your comments. if there is water in the system it needs pushing out by changing the complete oil

[@patinpalero]

@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic i do it when replacing brakepads. Thank you for your videos 😁😁😁

[@pgrbff]

Contrary to many I really didn't find this very helpful. Not well thought out waffle.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thanks for watching and your comments