Bleeding Avid Juicy's

[baz]

I need to shorten the hoses and bleed both brakes. It can't be that hard, can it?

[barry_kellett99]

No, not hard at all.

You have the kit?

[miniator]

No, not hard at all.

You have the kit?

that needs rephased...without the kit it is near impossible (i think)...with the kit, simple as pie! just take your time!

[barry_kellett99]

that needs rephased...without the kit it is near impossible (i think)...with the kit, simple as pie! just take your time!

Rephasing, yes! ;)

What he said.
You can borrow mine if you need. Probably in return for a go on the Nicolai.

[AndyB]

Baz, I've a bleed kit you can borrow, though I think I'm out of brake fluid. I'm fairly sure little inserts that go into the hose ends are not reusable so you'll have to get a couple
A.

[Lurch]

I think i need to bleed my juicy 7's too as they have been spongy for a while. Tried the "tying the lever" trick but still no joy. They have been a lot worse since i took out the pads and stuck some copper grease on the back of them to stop them squeaking. Tell me this are the pistons supposed to move equally from both sides? If so i may have a sticky piston. How would i sort that?

Sorry for the post hijack baz.:o

[baz]

Will buy a bleed kit and try it myself. Thanks for the offers.


I wonder has anyone ever died from DOT fluid poisoning?

[barry_kellett99]

No, But I haven't tasted it to be honest.

Try not to spray it all over the new frame either.

[blur lt]

"Bleeding avid juicys"

I know they are terrible, thats why I went back to hope.

IGMC

Baz I have a bleed kit you can have and keep, plenty of brake fluid here too I could spare you a bottle.

[mcgintysgoat]

Baz watch yourself - someone could be trying to groom you to start buying bikes on a weekly basis.

[baz]

Cheers Pete, but I think I'll just but the kit. I need the inserts and compression fittings anyway.

[Girvan]

get brake fluid from a car shop much much cheaper, with the tools easy as, unless they're hayes. It tastes sh*t (dont ask) and I thinks its quite dangerous for you.

[baz]

I tried bleeding the brakes this morning. Front was no problem, but the rear wasn't so successful. I as able to get al the air bubbles out of the caliper and flush it out to the lever ok, but when I tried to bleed the lever, I seemed to continually be able to pull out bubbles. Every time I pulled on the syringe, a few bubbles would come out. I wasn't pulling hard, so I didn't think I was pulling air through the seals, but I wonder if the seals are gone. I closed it all up but the lever still feels really spongy. I currently have it cable tied back almost to the bar.

Are the seals in the brake gone, and if so, can these be replaced?

This may be my lesson to stop trying to be clever and just to go to a bike shop and get work done.

[barry_kellett99]

I tried bleeding the brakes this morning. Front was no problem, but the rear wasn't so successful. I as able to get al the air bubbles out of the caliper and flush it out to the lever ok, but when I tried to bleed the lever, I seemed to continually be able to pull out bubbles. Every time I pulled on the syringe, a few bubbles would come out. I wasn't pulling hard, so I didn't think I was pulling air through the seals, but I wonder if the seals are gone. I closed it all up but the lever still feels really spongy. I currently have it cable tied back almost to the bar.

Are the seals in the brake gone, and if so, can these be replaced?

This may be my lesson to stop trying to be clever and just to go to a bike shop and get work done.

What kind of cables have you replaced them with?
I got a goodridge one on the rear which was simple, but one of the ones in real cycles like goodridge but called something else which escaped me and it was not as simple.

The end put on to screw into the lever was the wrong one, the threads on it bottomed out before it hit the seal and it sucked in air through it every time I tried to suck the system out.

If you squeeze in a little too much fluid and then seal both syrines up and squeeze the lever as hard as you can with them still attached, your leak will become evident with a trickle of fluid coming out.

[PeteMcD]

Avids...they're of the devil! Well, they are when they don't bleed properly.... somtimes they bleed beautifully and you couldn't wish for a better system.

BK, I think he just shortened the hoses, so they're not HEL hoses.

Sometimes a seal can go in the lever....fiddly to replace. But I would check other sources of a bubble first.

wee tip...take the caliper off the frame and let it dangle down from the handlbars. This is useful on any brakes. Makes a straighter hose and the fluid and bubbles are assisted by gravity. Its especially useful for the rear brake.

On the Avids...the instructions say to suck the bubbles out of the caliper, push the fluid through the system once, then suck the bubbles out of the lever.

I find it works best to push a little fluid into the caliper first, then suck out any bubbles left. Then push the fluid through the system, and push it all back through from the lever. Do this until the fluid runs bubble free from both ends. Like, several times. Finally, just suck out bubbles from the lever. Make sure that you push as much fluid back into the system as you can before you close up the lever syringe.

Unfortunately Avids can take 15mins to bleed, or you could still be fighting with the same brake an hour later.