bleeding Shimano M445 brakes

[ride_29er]

Hi all,
need to bleed my brakes, first time ive ever done this as this is my first hydraulic bike and its well overdue for this.
ive had a browse through some of the other threads on the forum about bleeding brakes but have come to the conclusion that every brake is different.
anyone bled the Shimano M445, if so will i need a syringe for these or can i get away with bleeding them like you would car or dirt bike?
thanks

 

[MountGower]

G'day

You say it's well overdue. Is this the only reason for wanting to bleed them? I don't think bleeding is ever overdue on Shimano brakes. Once they have been installed correctly, they should never need bleeding again unless they have malfunctioned.

Is something actually not working correctly aswell as the percieved time frame?

 

[ride_29er]

G'day

You say it's well overdue. Is this the only reason for wanting to bleed them? I don't think bleeding is ever overdue on Shimano brakes. Once they have been installed correctly, they should never need bleeding again unless they have malfunctioned.

Is something actually not working correctly aswell as the percieved time frame?

i say well over due as im pretty sure shimano (dont hold me to this) reccomends that brakes are bled every year, the bike is year and a half old, also there is alot of play in the brake lever before it acctually kicks in, ive compared it to my other newer bikes with similar shimano brakes (>1 year old) that have much less play in them. nothing is acctually broken or not working the bike is just kess.

Ive also checked the calipers and these is some wear to them but there is still 50%+ left on them.

 

[MountGower]

I have the M445 on my daughter's bike. There is some free stroke before they bite, but are then very firm. I have XT brakes and the only time I have had any variance in free stroke was from a high degree of rotor wear.

If your rotors are not worn and you are sure you need to bleed them, the cheapest way would be to sourse the hose and surynge from ebay or a vet or wherever. Remove the pads and install a brake block. Remove the bleed screw on the lever. Pump the fluid through from the calipers and catch the overspill in a container. Lock off the nipple on the caliper. Remove the brake block and push the pistons back. Replace the bleed screw on the lever. Replace the pads. Wipe the overspill off the lever. Spray generous amounts of isopropyl alcohol on it and wipe off or blow off with a compressor.

If you don't understand that, consider taking it to someone who does. I'm still not convinced they need bleeding. It's not like Avid made those for Shimano.

 

[Alo661]

What shimano recommends is not always whats best.

If it's not broken, why fix it.

 

[265chemic]

Cos they use mineral oil there's not as compelling a case to change it - its not hygroscopic (absorbs water) like brake fluid is.

 

[ride_29er]

thanks for the advice guys

Hi all, again,
Thanks for all the advice and help, but i think i am still going to go ahead with the bleed. ive got a mate who is going to help me in a few weeks who has had some experience with these brakes before. i decided to do it mainly because of the amount of play in the lever and also it'l be good practice and i might learn something. but thanks again =)

 

[PerthMTB]

I bled my M445s a couple of weeks ago. It's pretty easy, but you'll need a yellow bleed block to stop the calipers coming out (or bodge up something yourself like folded cardboard), a bottle of Shimano mineral oil, and a small piece of tube that fits the bleed nipple on the calliper (4mm id). Then just follow the instructions in the relevant Shimano tech docs - if you have the M445 lever then the tech doc you want is SI-0040A-001, or if you have the M505 lever its SI-0037A-002. Just do a google search on "Shimano tech docs" plus one of the numbers above, and you'll get a PDF of the instructions.

Just be aware they describe two methods of bleeding - top down and bottom up. I've always had more success with the top down, and you don't need a syringe like the bottom up does.

I think you're right to have a go - it's a skill worth having even if the brakes really don't need bleeding this time around!

 

[ride_29er]

I bled my M445s a couple of weeks ago. It's pretty easy, but you'll need a yellow bleed block to stop the calipers coming out (or bodge up something yourself like folded cardboard), a bottle of Shimano mineral oil, and a small piece of tube that fits the bleed nipple on the calliper (4mm id). Then just follow the instructions in the relevant Shimano tech docs - if you have the M445 lever then the tech doc you want is SI-0040A-001, or if you have the M505 lever its SI-0037A-002. Just do a google search on "Shimano tech docs" plus one of the numbers above, and you'll get a PDF of the instructions.

Just be aware they describe two methods of bleeding - top down and bottom up. I've always had more success with the top down, and you don't need a syringe like the bottom up does.

I think you're right to have a go - it's a skill worth having even if the brakes really don't need bleeding this time around!

Thanks mate, that’s a big help! I will read into those documents for sure! I plan to go ahead and give it a go this friday, time providing.....

 

[ride_29er]

All done

Well, all done! thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated.
I didn't end up needing a syringe which was great and my brakes are much better, i no longer have to pull the lever right into the bar to get a response!
thanks for all the help!

 

[moorey]

And incase you haven't heard, if you get the pads contaminated, cook them on the BBQ/hotplate/(or if youre wife is out, "le crueset"), until they stop smoking, cool them down and away you go.

Btw, I bled the saints on my 04 dh bike (owned since new) recently for the first time ever, and only because I felt guilty that I never had. They didn't need it, but the pink fluid was clear.

Im not brand loyal unless the brand have earned my loyalty. Shimano have done that in spades with their brakes.

 

[ride_29er]

And incase you haven't heard, if you get the pads contaminated, cook them on the BBQ/hotplate/(or if youre wife is out, "le crueset"), until they stop smoking, cool them down and away you go.

Hahahahaha! thats golden! I think dad would actually kick me out of home if I was to do something like that! but i will remember that if i ever have to do it again!

yeah, mine needed it, i was pulling the lever into the bar before anything happened, they are much better now, lever comes no where near the bar! but 7 years! thats a long time to go! I guess the saints really do live up to their reputation then?

 

[moorey]

Just use the Barbie though, not the glamour cookware if you value your nuts. Brings oily pads back to good as new. Don't forget to clean rotors though. Ideally isopropyl, but metho will do.

All shimano Stopping gear (well, all shimano full stop) has been good to me. Put a new xt on my old P3 in about 200 (cost over $500 from memory) front only, as it had no rear disc mount. Running saint on DH bike (8yo, bought new) and AM/slope style bike (sh 4yo bike), just sold xc bike (6yo) with xt's, and just bought sh xt's for trail bike build (2yo). You can buy old shimano brakes and know they'll work (kiss of death)
Had hope m4's once, and would buy again if budget ever allowed. Had Hayes twice, meh, but never owned an avid brake and don't plan to. Almost everyone who has them them that I ride with them, moan about them. No one, and there's lots, that run shimano can fault them. That's good enough for me.

 

[moorey]

*disclaimer
Have never run lower end shimano, so at $100 a full set, maybe you get what you pay for. I'll take SH xt for $150-200 thanks.

 

[moorey]

Oh, and pads I use, I get for $45 for 10 sets off eBay, sintered. All 3 bikes run same pad, and they work as well as the xtr pads I had to buy in an emergency the other day from lbs. Gold.

 

[pharmaboy]

moorey, you can bet your bottom dollar that todays 445's (deores?) would be equivalent or better than your xt's from 5 years ago.

 

[moorey]

moorey, you can bet your bottom dollar that todays 445's (deores?) would be equivalent or better than your xt's from 5 years ago.

Possibly, but would you bet your bottom dollar that they are as good as my 8yo saints? Time will tell how cheaply they can be made, and still work perfectly many years later. My bet is that they'll work better and last longer than any other $100 brake sets, and that's all you can ask.