MORE BRAKING POWER in under 5 minutes (Shimano lever bleed)

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

Рет қаралды 337,944

Күн бұрын

Lever bleeds are quick and surprisingly easy and make a huge difference in how your brakes feel. Doing it yourself will also save you a lot of money.
What you'll need:
Shimano bleed kit: bit.ly/34om67L
Shimano mineral oil (brake fluid): bit.ly/37IjNyr
Allen keys: bit.ly/3jtctcm
Paint pen: amzn.to/2TpCL4u
Shop towels: amzn.to/36tvFnd
Brake cleaner: bit.ly/31GCqiy
Other things in the shed:
Our toolkit: bit.ly/337LfDf
Work stand: bit.ly/3sekMPO
Tool pegboard: amzn.to/3mTYlLY
Syd's apron: amzn.to/345MbHz
00:00 Intro
00:19 What you'll need
00:35 Why should you do this?
02:16 Lever bleed
06:29 How to do a lever bleed in one minute
These links are affiliate links which means we get a small percentage of the sale! The price stays the same for you, but you can support our channel by purchasing through one of these links :)
If this video was helpful and saved you time and/or money, consider supporting the channel:
Patreon: / sydandmacky
Venmo: venmo.com/u/sydandmacky
Paypal: paypal.me/sydandmacky
Or hit the "Thanks" button above to leave a tip
Our vlogging channel: / sydandmacky
Our Instagram: / sydandmacky

Пікірлер: 461

@sydfixesbikes Жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

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

@JamesBond-hy4kv 11 ай бұрын

Hit the like 👍 button 😂@@saulfernandez8876

@oldfartmtb 2 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

Great tip!

@1barnet1 8 ай бұрын

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

@LittleStar261 4 ай бұрын

I wondered where those bubbles were coming from. Thanks!

@pkelly20091 3 ай бұрын

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

@veli-pekkaporrassalmi3135 2 жыл бұрын

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 7 ай бұрын

100% agree

@sydfixesbikes 3 жыл бұрын

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

@oldkayakdude 3 жыл бұрын

Nice! The shimano bleed video from the SC/Syndicate mechanic is awesome and solves the issue most brakes calipers have which is dirty/non moving pistons.

@charlesm.8807 3 жыл бұрын

😍

@LAMADREQUETEPARIO19 3 жыл бұрын

¿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 3 жыл бұрын

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

@snowy10r 3 жыл бұрын

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 3 жыл бұрын

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

@coepuffs 3 жыл бұрын

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

@PeteBemmer 3 жыл бұрын

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!

@alphaartis4 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@karlcallus7977 2 жыл бұрын

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!

@DaveMcHale 3 жыл бұрын

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!

@mikecarter6758 3 жыл бұрын

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!!

@kennethcolbert2921 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@MattPriceGuitar 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@courtneyoneill9075 Жыл бұрын

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

@allanridesbikes5856 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@nathansperry1685 6 ай бұрын

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

@williamfisher2780 Жыл бұрын

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.

@jeffers63 Жыл бұрын

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.

@JamesBond-hy4kv 11 ай бұрын

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! 👍

@SouthBySouthwestPedaler 3 жыл бұрын

Hey guys, thank you so much for common sense, relatable, understandable instructional videos!

@hardmtnbiker 3 жыл бұрын

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

@vhold42 2 жыл бұрын

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!

@chocolate_squiggle 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@Atxcmtb 3 жыл бұрын

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!

@kimroelants6420 2 жыл бұрын

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!

@talkingebikes Жыл бұрын

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

@kvegasdirtrider1420 2 жыл бұрын

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

@adamsilversmith 2 жыл бұрын

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

@rickschock4642 3 жыл бұрын

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

@resonanttotality8322 2 жыл бұрын

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...

@tl2913 3 жыл бұрын

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

@JuJu13406 3 жыл бұрын

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 😬

@garyherndon4722 3 жыл бұрын

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

@KingofMe23 3 жыл бұрын

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 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@Gazeroo71 3 жыл бұрын

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 !

@dandeangeli9860 8 ай бұрын

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 $

@bikeste 3 жыл бұрын

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 3 жыл бұрын

Unsurprisingly incoherent.

@bikeste 3 жыл бұрын

@@strategicthinker8899 ?

@tamk9088 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks team. Your instructions worked like a charm!

@JeremyMcNeil_ca 3 жыл бұрын

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 3 жыл бұрын

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

@philklepka6933 3 жыл бұрын

Loving these videos!

@gregfox785 2 ай бұрын

Great demo. Gonna try it now!

@driftlessareasingletrack2933 3 жыл бұрын

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

@dj80550 Жыл бұрын

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!

@sallypearson5890 2 жыл бұрын

really well demonstrated and explained thank you both.

@budwende8190 3 жыл бұрын

Again Syd you are awesome!

@vecxp 2 жыл бұрын

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

@mojitomaker 2 жыл бұрын

Infinitely useful video, thanks team!

@DaninVA 7 ай бұрын

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

@samfisher930 3 жыл бұрын

I enjoy watching your video A true bike mechanic 👩‍🔧

@mattkavanaugh5623 3 жыл бұрын

Another great video, thanks! I am saving this one to my Favorites for future reference.

@Pattskee 2 ай бұрын

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!

@lazylearner967 2 жыл бұрын

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

@pace_tracker 3 жыл бұрын

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

@evilbanks 3 жыл бұрын

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

@cyclingnerddelux698 Жыл бұрын

Triple thumbs up! I find it helpful that you leave the missteps in the video.

@graffix11us 3 жыл бұрын

I SOOO needed to see this!

@MikeinCC 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome vid. Thanks! One of my Shimano levers is squishy, so I'm taking this video out to my work bench.

@oskarstaudte 3 жыл бұрын

Great, easy to follow video. Thanks!

@IBCMTB 3 жыл бұрын

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 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@matthiassvoboda527 3 жыл бұрын

@@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 3 жыл бұрын

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 Жыл бұрын

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

@peterpage9017 Жыл бұрын

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.

@Josh-sm3hg Жыл бұрын

Worked perfectly, thanks

@setransou 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@johnb7326 11 ай бұрын

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

@andrewlekin4627 11 ай бұрын

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

@razmtb5028 3 жыл бұрын

This is so helpful! Thanks 😊

@taffycymroukmtb9073 3 жыл бұрын

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

@mdsouz4 2 жыл бұрын

Worked like a charm!

@mrbarbwire 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@p_mh 2 жыл бұрын

super helpful! thank you

@Skogmtb 3 жыл бұрын

Danka 👍 good timing as usual 😁

@racemanyaya 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Very useful video!

@davidmaco1 3 жыл бұрын

thanks for the great informative video !!

@livedadyt10 2 жыл бұрын

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

@cliffkennell3854 2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic video. Thank you.

@EvtheNev 3 жыл бұрын

This looks like something even I could do! Thanks! 😄

@luccavirgallito4014 3 жыл бұрын

great video! You deserve way more subscribers

@a1parra 11 ай бұрын

Thank you Syd! Appreciate you.

@ondrejsejkora4561 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@JimmyBeanz13 2 жыл бұрын

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!!!

@davidmcconnon2800 Ай бұрын

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

@stevenrutherford6665 Жыл бұрын

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!!

@jimratzlaff3112 3 жыл бұрын

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!

@tonytaylor26 2 жыл бұрын

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

@grallochervideos 7 ай бұрын

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

@Voltzaps 3 жыл бұрын

thank you this was too easy 🙌

@ralphsammis7330 2 жыл бұрын

Love ya Sid, flat works for me.

@danielkaz6280 3 жыл бұрын

Great vids keep up good job guys

@ManuelMartinez09 3 жыл бұрын

Love your videos

@mrupholsteryman Жыл бұрын

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! 😇🙏💪

@markxexar9386 3 жыл бұрын

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

@scottstroshane5142 3 жыл бұрын

Syd & Macky - thank you for these awesome videos! I just completed my first lever bleed. Super quick. Super easy!

@valer4uk 3 жыл бұрын

wow, watching you for a last week, guys you are runing super duper interesting youtube channel!

@foxykc 3 жыл бұрын

Followed this video today and did it myself. Thanks!

@sydfixesbikes 3 жыл бұрын

Congrats!

@foxykc 3 жыл бұрын

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

@mlodymlody3067 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you kindly

@michaelferguson7371 3 жыл бұрын

Love these videos!! Sid your eyes crack me up. You look so stressed!!! But you know it all !!

@stibbbs 3 жыл бұрын

Really good!

@IISkarrII Жыл бұрын

Thank you

@super8forever Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@joeyc8546 3 жыл бұрын

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?

@jeff7086 3 жыл бұрын

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.