I'm no stranger to brake bleeding, but have had a troublesome front magura mt6. Each time I've attempted to bleed it, it's never been satisfactory (rear has always seemed to go ok), always felt a bit spongy and light, and over time, lever travel grew. After a period of no use, there was no piston movement when pulling the lever to the bar (well marginal), and no sign of any fluid leaks. It's had me stumped.
Fast forward a bit mor time and no use, and my ever growing son now needing a bigger bike, the build the brakes are on was always too small for me so I planned to hand it over to him. Probably far too good a build, full xt 11x1, revs, crossmax etc, but it's a buikt bike I don't ride.
I gave it one last go at bleeding before swapping the brakes out, but hey presto, it finally behaved.
So what did I do different this time? I can't really say for sure, but thought I'd post what I did just in case anyone else has a troublesome brake.
Filled a cyribge full of royal blood
Set up catch syringe
Removed pads
Popped in a calliper spacer block from a cheap bleed kit (previously I'd used Shimano ones or a fat alken key).
Removed bleed bolt and screwed in catch rube
Removed reservoir bleed bolt
Popped syringe in hole and pushed liquid through. Many, many air bubbles then none.
Pumped lever a few times and repeated fluid push until again no bubbles
Removed catch tube and refitted bleed screw
Removed syringe and fitted reservoir port bolt
Cleaned everything with isopropyl alcohol
Refitted pads
Job appears to have been a goodun lever action and braking is spot on.
The only things I think I did differently is using a calliper block that was a very good fit, and pushing fluid down through the system rather than up from the calliper (which I may be wrong about, but certainly somewhere along the line I've done it this way as per manufacturers guidelines, though that may have been formula brakes).
Hopefully I won't see the gradual loss of braking as I have seen in the last, but I'm hoping not as I've not had such a good post bleed feel at the lever on these brakes before
I wish I knew why the previous bleeds haven't gone so well.
Fast forward a bit mor time and no use, and my ever growing son now needing a bigger bike, the build the brakes are on was always too small for me so I planned to hand it over to him. Probably far too good a build, full xt 11x1, revs, crossmax etc, but it's a buikt bike I don't ride.
I gave it one last go at bleeding before swapping the brakes out, but hey presto, it finally behaved.
So what did I do different this time? I can't really say for sure, but thought I'd post what I did just in case anyone else has a troublesome brake.
Filled a cyribge full of royal blood
Set up catch syringe
Removed pads
Popped in a calliper spacer block from a cheap bleed kit (previously I'd used Shimano ones or a fat alken key).
Removed bleed bolt and screwed in catch rube
Removed reservoir bleed bolt
Popped syringe in hole and pushed liquid through. Many, many air bubbles then none.
Pumped lever a few times and repeated fluid push until again no bubbles
Removed catch tube and refitted bleed screw
Removed syringe and fitted reservoir port bolt
Cleaned everything with isopropyl alcohol
Refitted pads
Job appears to have been a goodun lever action and braking is spot on.
The only things I think I did differently is using a calliper block that was a very good fit, and pushing fluid down through the system rather than up from the calliper (which I may be wrong about, but certainly somewhere along the line I've done it this way as per manufacturers guidelines, though that may have been formula brakes).
Hopefully I won't see the gradual loss of braking as I have seen in the last, but I'm hoping not as I've not had such a good post bleed feel at the lever on these brakes before
I wish I knew why the previous bleeds haven't gone so well.
