Tool Review
Bougie Bleeder Bliss
The Bleeding Edge
Let's just start with the elephant in the room. 128 USD is a lot of money for a brake bleed kit. Especially when there are scads of Alibaba/Amazon generic kits out there going for around $30. Factor in the fact that Park offers two different kits, the D.O.T specific BKD-1.2 and themineral oil specific BKM-1.2 (which costs 156 USD), implying that you'll be looking at upward of 270 Freedom Units for a comprehensive "bleed any brake in the world" kit, and that seems like an unreasonable asking price.
But, really, it's not unreasonable. Hear me out.
Okay, maybe if you have one bike, with one set of brakes, and only plan on having that one bike for the forseeable future, and would really prefer that a bike shop bleeds your brakes for you anyway, then, yeah, these are unreasonably expensive bleed kits.
Except that they're not. Of course, I say this having already outed myself as an absolute tool slut, and an avowed skeptic when it comes to generic shit-tools, regardless of whether they come from Harbor Freight or Alibaba. Still, just to finish polishing this here elephant, let's keep digging into the cost proposition before we actually get to any performative stuff.
One for D.O.T brakes, one for mineral oil stoppers. And ne'er the 'twain shall meet.
A dedicated Shimano TL-BR bleed kit, one that will work on Shimano Mineral brakes and not much else, will run between 50 and 60 USD. It comes with one syringe, two funnels, and an assortment of four caliper blocks. A dedicated Magura Professional kit will retail at close to 90 USD, and contains one syringe, a catch bottle, one piece of hose, another piece of hose with an EBT fitting, and 250ml of Magura mineral oil. In my bike pile at the moment there are two bikes with Shimano brakes, one with Magura, another two with SRAM, and one with Hayes. In my toolbox there are the haggard and abused remains of several old SRAM and Shimano and Magura kits. For the most part, finding a fitting that works on any given brake is about a 50/50 proposition. Deciding whether or not the bleeder in question last had mineral oil or D.O.T fluid through it is a total guess, which means that the whole thing needs to get purged with alcohol then carefully dried before use anyway. Aaaand, for the most part, the syringes were pieces of shit to begin with and now, anywhere from two to twelve years later, are extra-mega-hella shitty to use. Except for those SRAM Pro syringes. Those are pretty good. But still, I have varied and frequent brake bleed needs, and most of the time, my bleed kits are totally inadequate. Oh, and that SRAM Pro bleed kit? It'll run you about 100 'Murican bucks.
Now, when viewed from that perspective, a well thought out kit with really nice syringes, one that will work on 10 or more different brands of brake and comes with some clever touches like rubber clamp syringe holders all contained in a neat little carrying case, well, that seems like a bargain. It costs the same as the combined price of a Shimano kit and a Magura kit, AND it comes with a whole mess of extra parts to work on other brands, AND there are the bonus features on top of that. To me, it makes sense. If it works.
The Juice Worth The Squeeze
"If it works." Such a setup. For the rest of this review, we'll be talking about the 156 USD BKM-1.2.
My immediate needs were mineral based, so I broke out the BKM-1.2 the other day and decided to give a rear XT brake the what-for. When I built this bike last winter, I had to perform the usual right-to-left rear brake hose cut and swap. I carefully pushed a new olive and barb onto the hose, preset the lever all the way out before cutting anything then slowly brought the reach in a couple turns, set the calipers out to push fluid back into the hose as I rejoined everything, and then wiped up the mess and hoped for the best. I know better, but I was in a rush, all my shit was packed in storage, and I was building the bike in a parking lot. To cut to the chase, that rear brake performed "inconsistently" from the get go, and proceeded to get worse every time I rode the bike. So, it was time.
What'choo got in the box, mister?
First up, syringes. Verrrr' nice. Hard plastic 20ml barrels with hoses that thread in instead of press on, threaded top cap, ergonomic handles, nice slippery piston o-rings. Then there's a variation on the old yellow Shimano shot glass, made from a stout hard clear plastic with a tight fitting swizzle stick. In addition to having two syringes and a fancy little funnel cup, there are four hoses in this kit, two of which have thread on adaptor tips. There are six different adaptors included that thread onto those tips. So, in addition to being able to bleed both funnel sizes of Shimano brakes, this kit will work with Magura, Formula, Campagnolo, Promax, Hayes, Tektro, SRAM DB8, Trick Stuff and "universal" brakes. 10,11 and 12mm bleed blocks are also included, along with an assortment of spare o-rings.
And then there's a pair of syringe holders. Basically a pair of Voile straps with swivel adjustable holders so that you can clamp the syringe onto a chainstay instead of needing an extra arm to keep everything where it needs to be while eyeballing syringe, cup, fluid levels and bubble activity and at the same time opening and closing the bleed bolt at the caliper. For a Shimano bleed, only one holder is necessary, but that holder is worth gold. I haven't priced out an extra human arm lately (with functioning hand), but I bet one costs a lot more than this kit.
Finally, this. At the end of one of the supplied bleed hoses, there's what resembles a barb inside the hose. Slide this hose over the end of the caliper bleed bolt, and resist the temptation to wrap a zip-tie around it to hold the damn thing in place. Just push it over the bleed bolt, clamp the syringe into the holder, and bleed a brake.
Maybe I'm really out of step with the times, but damn, this little sucker here makes magic happen.
A couple days ago, thanks mostly to that little barb at the end of a hose, I performed what may have been my first ever "not one drop spilled" brake bleed. At the end of this bleed, I pinched the syringe hose, snugged the bleed bolt closed, and pulled the syringe off. Not one drop spilled. Just like that. Fucking magic.
NOT ONE DROP!
I admit to being a hack, as evidenced by the abominations I committed while building this bike. But still, most mechanics I know are handy with the alcohol and the wipe rags, and accept that there's going to be a few drops spilled in a bleed at best, or a total hose blowout deluge at worst. Inevitably, if a blowout occurs, it is because someone didn't have three arms and/or someone didn't manage to get a zip tie snug enough around the hose where it pushes onto the bleed bolt, or some combination thereof. The syringe holder, combined with that sweet innocent looking little hose barb, reduce the primary point of leakage and blowout by several orders of magnitude.
Fully Squoze
Sometimes it is the little things that make all the difference. I consider that little barb to be a game changer. For brakes where the bleed bolt won't jive with that barb, there's an aluminum compression sleeve in the kit that slides over a bare hose and does a much more tidy job of replacing the zip tie that some of us cavemen have been futzing with for the past couple decades. For all I know, these may be standard in brake bleed kits nowadays, maybe even the ones you get on Alibaba. But they do NOT come as standard equipment in either the Shimano or Magura pro bleed kits.
Rosé all day, as they say...
Back to the value proposition; these are expensive tools. You can replicate them from several different sources for a lot less cash, but I would suspiciously eyeball both the functionality and the performance of any of those before I committed. I have a big degree of trust when it comes to Park tools. I have been using them for about 35 years now, and I believe that they think about everything they make from the viewpoint of bike mechanics who know their shit. That, combined with the comprehensive range of applications that each of these kits can address, makes this a worthwhile investment.
About the only complaint I can think up is that the syringes could maybe be a bit larger in volume. In the case of a Shimano brake, the shot glass on the lever is going to limit the amount of fluid you want to jam through a bleed, but it still took me three or four back and forth cycles to get to the point where bubbles were not flowing anymore. On double syringe bleeds, I think some extra volume would help the bubble purge.
Yeah, each of these kits costs a pile. Totally worth it. Argue in the comments.
Park BKD 1.2 bleed kit (DOT)
Park BKM 1.2 bleed kit (Mineral Oil)
Comments
Kos
4 weeks, 1 day ago
"I carefully pushed a new olive and barb onto the hose, preset the lever all the way out before cutting anything then slowly brought the reach in a couple turns, set the calipers out to push fluid back into the hose as I rejoined everything, and then wiped up the mess and hoped for the best."
Been there, with similar results, to the point that I didn't bother on my last XT rear install -- just slapped shit together, then cut and assembled, knowing I'd need a full bleed......and it's been perfect. Shrug.
I have become one of the Let The LBS Bleed Them guys, as they are SO skilled, and I figure it's good for them to know my face for those times I walk through the door in truly dire straits. With or without Knopfler.
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King Cardbeard
4 weeks, 1 day ago
If you walk into my shop with Knopfler I will bleed your brakes for free!
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Velocipedestrian
3 weeks, 5 days ago
You'll help with _Setting him Up? _
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GB
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Other end of the spectrum.
Free syringe from pharmacy.
Air hose for fishtanks . About 2$ foot.
Cute little open end wrenches from Canadian tire 10$ for a whole package from 3mm up to 10 mm.
I still need that plastic cup with the treads , bought mine a decade or more in the past .
How well your brake bleed goes has everything to do with the time you take and knowing every procedure. Patience.
Unbolting the caliper and using bleed blocks is a good idea .
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Mike Ferrentino
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I hear ya. But in spite of care taken and years of experience, I would still occasionally have the hose pop off the caliper bleed bolt. Or would find myself trying to balance the syringe between my knee and a seatstay while back-bleeding fluid from the lever. And those pharmacy syringes are garbage. You already have the threaded cup, and the bleed blocks, so for your needs, the $20 investment at your end makes sense for the brakes that you are bleeding. Saves a whole lot of money.
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GB
4 weeks, 1 day ago
The hose end becomes soft from removal and from brake fluid . It then looses its firm grip . So I buy a few feet of tubing and use fresh lengths.
You can buy large size turkey baster syringe from a dollar store .
I do like using the proper tools if the cost is reasonable.
Realy a successful bleed is from being careful. More about the performance of the mechanics than the tools being used .
Bleeding brakes is a nasty job . One of the tasks best left to shop mechanics.
I could service my own forks . I'm very happy to get Suspension Werx to do the job professionally.
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ReformedRoadie
4 weeks, 1 day ago
You'd be surprised at what you can get a human arm, with functioning hand for on the dark web these days...
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Cooper Quinn
4 weeks, 1 day ago
You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me
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JT
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Totally hear the bit about the caliper bleed nip. Depending on the bleed kit's hose diameter, a compression bushing/olive works a treat to secure the tube to the nip.
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Brad Nyenhuis
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Being a Shimano brake guy, I owned the BKM kit for a year before putting Hope brakes (DOT) on my last build.
Since Park sells everything included in that kit separately. I simply bought the fittings and hoses necessary to bleed my Hopes (Total cost under $20). Yes, I have to be careful to do the alcohol clean after each bleed but it's a nice way to save a buck-n-a-half and besides, with the issues of DOT and air exposure, shouldn't you anyway?
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Mike McArthur
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Unbolting caliper was the game changer for my Magura bleeds. Their own YouTube shows this method well, moving the caliper vertically until fluid level in caliper is right, then insert the bleed bolt back it. Sure, I have to wipe the excess drop or two, but I'm not too good for that. Pretty much removes needs for those fancy syringe holders. And yes, I'd love my lever bleeding syringe/cup to thread in, but my press-fit syringe stays put every time. I buy the 6 pack of 100 ml syringes, use a few for tubeless tires, and a few for bleeds and add them to the basic factory bleed kit to get 'er done. That's Magura - the story may be different for other brands and the merit of this kit.
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Skooks
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Yes, this is the way. At least for us frugal home-mechanics!
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Kos
4 weeks ago
Fun fact on the wrenches: For quite awhile at least, the spoke wrench that came with KTMs fit perfectly on a Shimano bleed nipple.
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Mike Ferrentino
4 weeks ago
And you can get one of those wrenches for a trifling $10k. It even comes with a free dirt bike!
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Andreas Macke
4 weeks, 1 day ago
There are some pretty basic things that are a gamechanger if you start doing them yourself rather than having them done at a shop. Not so much because of what it costs to get them done, but because they are not infrequent, and shops have lead times. Bleeding your own brakes, doing the lowers on your fork, basic drive train tuning, brake pads, that sort of thing. Doing those frequently makes your bike so much better, and not having to be without your bike for a week every time you need one of those done is huge, unless you're lucky enough to have some redundancy in your bike shed. There's still stuff that makes sense to have done right at your LBS (I don't want to mess with dampers, for example; I'm sort of one the fence about pivot bearings, but I've become comfortable with hubs and BBs), but the basics have a really favorable cost/benefit ratio for getting your hands a little dirty.
And no, I'm not a tool slut - but cheap tools turn expensive over time. They cost you a ton of time (fixing rounded bolts from cheap hex/torx wrenches, say; plus they often require funky workarounds that just make every job take longer). Worse, they frustrate the hell out of you (so you're more resistant to just doing the thing, nursing the bike along for longer before giving it the TLC it needs).
We're all really good at rationalizing bike stuff. Bikes are cheaper than therapy if you do it right, and keeping them running is rewarding. Makes sense to me.
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Pete Roggeman
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Bikes are Cheaper than Therapy definitely might be a future t-shirt or sticker design.
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Andreas Macke
4 weeks, 1 day ago
For some of us probably more effective, too...
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Peter Appleton
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Bikes are Pain
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Andy Eunson
4 weeks ago
Are you me? Because that’s how I think about tools and certain maintenance chores. I don’t do dampers anymore either because it often requires tools that I do not own nor want to purchase because they may not be applicable to my next fork.
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Lynx .
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Mike, haven't yet got all the way through the piece yet, just your opening defense of the cost and the pics of the kit (I'll be back to fully comment later) and have to say, yes, nice looking kit, if you own multiple bikes with varying brands of brakes, a good investment, but honestly, you're a reviewer, you have different bikes from different brands with varying brake brands attached, you're unique amoung MTBers, most even if they have several bikes, don't get given stuff, generally find one brake/brand they like and stick to it - I have lots of bikes, all use Shimano from the lowest end unmark to XT, all use the same bleed kit and process, easy peasy.
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Morgan Heater
4 weeks, 1 day ago
If you're cheap and buy stuff used, you end up with weird mixes, between my wife, kids, and I, we've got SRAM, Shimano, Magura, and Hope. I've even got a bike with both hope and shimano.
It's a bit of a nightmare.
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hankthespacecowboy
4 weeks ago
Finally, a review for a toolkit I already have! Now I'm off to bleed some brakes.
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albert03
4 weeks, 1 day ago
After converting all of my other bikes to BB7s with MTX brake pads, I've ordered some Klampers for my main trail bike. Never bleeding again, and happy about it.
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Merwinn
4 weeks, 1 day ago
To each his own. I live on the side of a mountain; solid hydro stoppers are a prereq.
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Andy Eunson
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I can bleed brakes quicker than the time it takes to replace a cable and housing. Plus mechanical calipers have far more wear parts making them more complex. I totally understand why some one might chose mechanical brakes as the tech appears more simple but I don’t think it is. Bleeding isn’t hard it’s just different.
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XXX_er
4 weeks, 1 day ago
IME back in the day 3 blown hoses, constant rubbing pads I was done with the hayes mags so I got BB7's and had NO issues in almost 3 yrs, power wise they were about the same but did not modulate quite as well, i still break into a sweat when I see the word "Hayes"
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Andy Eunson
4 weeks ago
Hayes bleeds in those days were a nightmare. The bleed nipples were plastic deals that sort of threaded in the bleed port at the master cylinder but I think there was a nipple at the calliper end. I try hard to forget those days.
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XXX_er
4 weeks ago
the whole hayes system was shit IME, I blew a brake line with the bike on top of the car going to sunpeaks ... WTF ?
By comparison with the BB7 i never had to replace cable or housing, I used the red knob to dial the pad closer once in 2 yrs, they were pretty damn good IME
Fortunatley modern hydralic brakes are much better than the hayes mag product
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Lynx .
4 weeks ago
The fact that even the lowest end Shimano's are as good as normally setup BB7s made me never want to buy them again. The cost to set them up properly with high quality cables makes them even more expensive than XTs hydros and then to adjust them absolutely perfect takes some patience and time and just isn't worth it, not when the Shimano's are so damn easy to setup and inexpensive.
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albert03
3 weeks, 6 days ago
The only thing that wears are the brake pads. Haven't replaced any other mechanical brake parts. Admittedly, I'm not a really high mileage rider and I ride a variety of bikes, so a given bike may not get much use. Having said that, that's another reason why I like the mechanical brakes: I can store a bike on a wall for six months and pull it down and ride it without having a soft lever or leaks. And, if I'm messing around and bending discs (my trials skills are always a work in progress), I can easily adjust the pads so they don't rub.
I worked on automotive brake systems in the past, I get bleeding, but most hydraulic bicycle brakes seem to need it way too often and it's often messy. YMMV.
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Mike Ferrentino
3 weeks, 6 days ago
I'm still a fan of BB7s after all these years. They can be set up for more bite or more gradual modulation, are super easy to adjust, and they are incredibly durable. They do not have the power of modern hydraulics, but they work surprisingly well for what they are when set up by someone who knows what they are doing.
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Lynx .
3 weeks, 6 days ago
And that's the key Mike, by someone who knows what they're doing, otherwise, in general performance isn't good, i.e. not the brake for the avg Joe who doesn't have a clue, much better to buy basic hydraulics.
Example, when my friend had me spec out a Prime for him some years ago, early 201* he wasn't convinced of hydraulics, wanted cable brakes and so I spec'd BB7s and really good cables, took my time to set them up properly, they were insane. He sold the bike and the guy who bought it scoffed at the brakes and ordered some XTs, but still wanted to ride it and managed to send himself OTB not expecting the BB7s to work so well.
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Tjaard Breeuwer
3 weeks, 5 days ago
But it’s not just bleeding. Just spent 30 minutes getting all 4 pistons to push out evenly.
I do still prefer hydraulic brakes. I have had to, and failed to, rebuild a BB7, but to say all hydros need is bleeding is not correct.
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ReformedRoadie
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I'm not sure how you go from a decent hydro brake set-up to a mechanical disc and think - yeah, that's good. I had the TRP Spyres - which I think are one of the top mechanical calipers going - on a gravel bike and the Shimano 410s on my HT smoke them in every way.
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Abies
3 weeks, 6 days ago
I thought my BB7s were the shit in 2008. I could see using them again on a dirt road touring bike. For mountain biking no way.
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Allen Lloyd
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I was having issues with my Shimano brakes and bought the Park kit because I had figured my life would be spent riding then bleeding and I wanted nice stuff to do the work. The Park kit works so well that all my bikes now have correctly functioning brakes. The other nice thing about the kit is the container if nice and durable it goes on trips and I have blead brakes in some really odd spots. The only issue is when people see you bleeding brakes they form a line. I once did a dozen lever bleeds at a trailhead after a group saw what I had with me.
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Ripbro
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I searched amazon for quite some time to find this bleed kit here. Very nice syringes, replaceable o-rings, metal fittings and $35 CAD. I bought one kit for DOT and one to work with oil for fork damper bleeds and shimano brakes.
I would love to own the Park or SRAM pro kits, but they're really price gouging.
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Mark
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I have something similar and the price can't be beat compared to the Park kit.
The one really cool thing about that Park kit tho are those seat stay clamps for the syringe.
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WheelNut
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I was going to say the same thing. That kit looks great and the only add on it needs is a syringe mount!
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JT
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Which you could prob configure using a double ended camera clamp.
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Fozz
4 weeks ago
I stole a big hair clip from my daughter - it is exactly right to grab a syringe/stay. It has replaced my strip of velcro (less messy)
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LV87
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Best one kit for me is pro thing from china EZmtb brand (or rebranded as ZTTO).
Brass fittings for any brakes and real quality stuff! Even funnel has quick disconnect.
For Shimano I recommend Putoline HPX R 2.5 oil and bleed it from caliper to funnel.
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bde1024
4 weeks ago
For the record, the Shimano Professional bleed kit (about $43 US in Performance right now) does have a hose with that little barb at the end, and as you say, it’s a game changer. The hose also screws into a decent syringe. Side benefit: I probably won’t have to change mineral oil stained floor mat tiles in my workshop as often anymore
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Velocipedestrian
3 weeks, 6 days ago
This is clearly the place for some advice on mixing / matching fluids.
I'm about to embark on some experimenting with Magura brakes, but only have Shimano mineral oil, and can't find Royal Blood for sale for less than silly money.
1- if I drain Magura brakes and replace with Shimano oil, will I die?
2- if I don't drain, and allow the oils to mix, will I die?
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Lynx .
3 weeks, 6 days ago
@ Velo - Interesting question and not one I can answer unfortunately, something maybe Andrew Major could as he did some Shigura stuff. According to Magura, they have "special" additive or some such in their version of mineral oil that's "necessary" for their brakes, but honestly, I think the biggest difference between theirs and Shimano is the blue dye. Don't think you'll die, actually pretty certain, but the seals might not last as long if there truly is some additive in there to help lubrication or such.
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Mike Ferrentino
3 weeks, 6 days ago
There is a very slight difference in viscosity between the two, with Royal Blood being slightly lighter (6.5mm2/sec at 40c vs 8mm2/sec at 40c, per the respective spec sheets). They are both noticeably lighter viscosity than Maxima mineral oil formulated for "all mineral oil brakes". So I doubt that the difference between those two is very noticeable. Shimano says using anything but their oil will void warranty and could damage seals. I would take that with a grain of salt.
Because I am a hack who doesn't know how to work on bikes, I have used either fluid in each brake in the past. Had no problems. But, regardless of Shimano oil in Magura brakes or Magura oil in Shimano brakes, I flushed the old fluid out entirely with the new when doing this. I am juuuust superstitious enough to be wary, and can still clearly recall that one time I used DOT5 in a bleed by mistake instead of DOT5.1 and ended up with something that looked like Jello in my brake line.
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Velocipedestrian
3 weeks, 5 days ago
> I have used either fluid in each brake in the past. Had no problems.
This is the kind of enabling I'm here for.
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Andy Eunson
4 weeks, 1 day ago
All I can say is, I need this.
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Abies
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I'm tempted. I find myself burping and fussing with brakes pretty often as I'm picky and try to chase perfection.
Does anyone know if the DOT kit above would work for Formula Curas (which are mineral oil). They use the SRAM double syringe method. Seems like kind of an oversight on Park's part if the DOT kit is meant to work with Formula mineral oil brakes but doesn't clarify which ones.
Or - does Park sell the fittings seperately?
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Mike Ferrentino
4 weeks, 1 day ago
The BKM mineral kit has two syringes, and has adaptors for the Formula brakes, if having something other than a single syringe and a cup was your concern.
As for using the DOT kit for the mineral brakes, there's an M5x0.8 adapter for SRAM brakes that is the same size as the adapter needed for Formula Cura brakes. So, if your needs are primarily DOT based but you also have a set of Formula Curas, you could make do with the DOT kit provided you are super diligent about purging the wrong fluid out between bleeds.
It's not an oversight on Park's behalf. They are maintaining a separation between mineral oil and DOT fluid that almost everyone involved with brakes is on board with. Fluid contamination between DOT and mineral oil can have disastrous consequences.
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Abies
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Gotcha, I see that you mentioned they have the formula fitting, which was my concern. Missed it reading through. My bad!
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XXX_er
4 weeks, 1 day ago
i got the universal kit from TBS ( on sale now) but I'm only going to run 5.1 thru it, in future if I get a mineral oil brake i will get another kit. IME you want one of those yellow plastic kits with metal fittings cuz the cheaper ones have plastic fittings that might not last long, I secure the plastic tubing to the fittings with small zip ties. There are like 10 pages of 7 bleed procedures per page for each brand so watch a bunch of youtubes and figure out what you want to believe or even better (IMO) come to a consensus
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Timer
4 weeks, 1 day ago
So why should one get the Park Tool kit and not the Jagwire one for less than half the price?
Haven’t used either, but if I was in the market, that’s the thing I’d want to know.
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Mike Ferrentino
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I haven't used the Jagwire kit, but my own experiences with Jagwire cables and housing left me with enough of a sour taste in my mouth over the years that I have some amount of brand aversion as far as they are concerned. My bias is showing.
Similarly, there are scads of $30ish dollar kits on Amazon. I try to avoid Amazon where possible, and having purchased various generic-ish kits of things ranging from GoPro accessories to bearing pullers, the quality and performance delivered has been wildly variable. As a result, I am generally suspicious of super bargain deals.
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XXX_er
4 weeks, 1 day ago
yeah and they are all made from yellow plastic and all very slightly different which confused the hell out of me so I went with the kit from TBS cuz they were Canadian and maybe i could trust them but really just pick a kit for whatever reason you think is valid and try to make it work for you
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Andreas Macke
4 weeks, 1 day ago
You don't get what you pay for, you pay for what you get...
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WheelNut
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I have both of the Jagwire kits and they work fine. They don't really offer much in the way of making life a lot easier than other bleed kits I've used, but mine are 6 years old and still working fine.
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JT
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Love the idea of the translucent Shimano bleed cup, and I wonder if that's available separately. Friends in shops have to replace the normal units occasionally, enough so that they've looked to the machined Al units. This one offers a benefit over Al units. Being able to see fluid levels without having to peer into the abyss would be mighty handy when working on the back end.
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Timer
4 weeks ago
If you are in the US, you should be able to order any part of the kit from the Park Tool website.
Haven’t seen that option for anywhere else in the world, though.
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LC
4 weeks ago
I've always used an open Reverb syringe with the hose shortened instead of the Shimano funnel, works well. As does my AliExpress syringe and piece of hose. Might add this kit to my cart for €11 on my next order though - the second photo shows it with the barbed hose end. https://www.bike24.com/p2457466.html
Seems like a good time to ask: any tips for replacing a hose? The front hose on the SLX M7120s I just got hold of might be just a little short on my new bikepacking build once I swap my riser bars over. Do I just connect it all and push fluid up from the calliper end?
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LC
6 days, 8 hours ago
I can confirm that the €11 Bleedkit.com Basic Bleed Kit works very well on Shimanos. The calliper bleed nipple barb thing fits very securely and the lever end syringe is like a more secure version of a half Reverb syringe since it screws on directly with no hose, plus it a screw-in stopper. The only thing that's not so nice is no rubber seal on the plunger - it didn't pull up oil very smoothly from the bottle but was fine for the bleed. Might see if any of the parts from other syringes I have fit it.
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Flatted-again
4 weeks, 1 day ago
I’ve recently been gravity bleeding my shimano brakes with very little, if any at all, spills. That said, I’m curious if there’s a noticeable difference between a gravity bleed and a bottoms up bleed.
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Mike Ferrentino
4 weeks, 1 day ago
Plenty of proponents of gravity bleeding will attest that the dirty fluid comes out the bottom and doesn't migrate through the entire system on its way out the top. Makes sense. I'm just not sure how much contaminated fluid sticks to any of the innards if it is being flushed with fresh.
Personally, I like to bleed up from the bottom, then let gravity and lever pumps flush it all the way back down, and will do this a couple times. If the fluid is super nasty, I will purge it all the way up until the fluid shows clean, then will dispose of the dirty fluid from the cup, reattach it, flush some more clean fluid in, then still pump it up and down the system a couple times.
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Lynx .
4 weeks ago
If you check with Jason Marsh, aka Marshy, Greg Minnars old mechanic, he reasons that it lets the dirty stuff come out and not contaminate the system by stuff maybe getting pushed into the system from any dirt that might be in the bleed valve you don't get out and I tend to agree. Shimano brakes are the easiest to work on, normally a quick lever bleed every so often keeps the lever feel fresh and if you need to flush the fluid, say once a year if you're a heavy user, just fill the cup, remove the pads, remove the bleed fitting and let it run, reinstall the bleed fitting once the fluid runs clean, then do the lever bleed with funnel until no more bubbles come out and you're good to go.
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Mike Ferrentino
4 weeks ago
I see two problems with the straight gravity bleed. One, air trapped in the system tends to migrate upward, so if there are bubbles, they are usually toward the top. Sticking the cup on top of the lever and gravity feeding it can sometimes mean that bubbles are getting pushed down through the system - talking about a full bleed here and not a lever bleed where the caliper bolt doesn't even get cracked. Two, bubbles like to hide within a system. This is part of the reason why Magura and others recommend removing the caliper entirely and letting it hang, because it creates the straightest possible line from top to bottom, which ideally gives bubbles fewer places to hide. That said, I've had brakes where tiny bubbles are still showing up even after two or three complete bottom to top to bottom purges and plenty of tapping the caliper with a wrench. Some brakes are way more finicky than others in this sense.
Cleaning the dirt from around the caliper bleed bolt is the very first thing I do with any bleed. Whether bleeding top to bottom or bottom to top that should go without saying.
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Flatted-again
4 weeks ago
Good points on cleaning the dirt off. I do a couple of extra things with the gravity bleed (I’d do these with normal bleeds too)- I take off the caliper and let it hang, I move the caliper around, I tap the hose from the caliper to the lever and back, and I use these spacers (https://www.etsy.com/listing/1220259460/top-loading-brake-bleed-and-piston)) to bleed with each piston extended before pushing them back for a final bleed.
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Anthony Schroeder
4 weeks ago
I actually had just bought one of those cheap kits and used it to lever bleed a bike that's been sitting for 4 years or so. It seems like it worked really well, included plastic versions of those hose clamps, which were honestly way more effective than I thought.
I don't know how long this tool set will last, but given 2 of my bikes are converted emtbs, too many local bike shops just tell you to fuck off in the middle of the summer (during winter, people seem much more willing to try), even if you drop if off without a battery and literally don't want to let them touch your electronics. **shrugs**
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Shmarv
3 weeks, 4 days ago
211CAD is a bit steep, but arguably acceptable. 269.99CAD (or approximately 211 USD) is pushing things -- I'm going to really have to want this bleed kit...
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Lynx .
4 weeks, 1 day ago
OK, back to comment on the rest. Yeah Mike, don't mean to sound mean, but reading your description of how your swap the levers and then your troubles not dripping when removing the hose from the calliper, I think I'm going to have to say, that while you're a fantastic creative writer, you're only a passable mechanic, sorry :-\ So for you maybe this kit is an extra special value as it makes chores easier for you.
When removing the hose from the calliper after you've finished with it, you simple close the bleed fitting them apply pull on the plunger of the syringe as you remove it from the calliper and voila, not a drop spilt ;-) Anytime I've had to do a lever/line swap, the most I've ever had to do was a quick lever bleed, never had to do a full bleed.
As someone though who not only has a crap load of bikes and brakes, but who also deals with other peoples bikes and knows full well how regular, simple, maintenance of your brakes keeps them operating superbly, this kit would definitely be worthwhile to help make the tasks a bit easier. Granted, I already own some pretty damn nice syringes, loads of fittings, bleed blocks and a very nice home made stainless steel funnel, so the thing that would be most useful would be the attachment piece for the syringe when doing full bleeds, but I guess for someone who hasn't got any of the kit, this would be nice kit.
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