SRAM Guide T Bleeding

[Warp]

Hi!!

Anyone has experience bleeding these brakes or any other with the new Bleed Edge (or whatever the name is) new adapter from SRAM?

My new bike came with these brakes and after eons of using Maguras and Shimanos that run on mineral oil, I am not so keen of working with THAT fluid.

I understand the thing is used on cars and what not vehicles so it shouldn't be a huge issue but still. Mineral oil can be kept for a long time after opening the bottle so it does not have to be discarded as opposed to DOT fluid.

Speaking of which, what is the proper way to dispose such ungodly fluids?

As for the brakes themselves, they are fine. Different feel than my XT's but they stop me. Better modulation but just about the same power or even more than my 2-pot M8000's.

 

[Zaf]

Removed by user

 

[Warp]

Keep all the fluid in the brakes, and throw them into the bin?

Are they THAT bad?
When they go bad, I mean. So far so good but brakes are new. Like in one ride.

 

[Zaf]

Removed by user

 

[Oddjob]

Are they THAT bad?
When they go bad, I mean. So far so good but brakes are new. Like in one ride.

You live in the tropics right? In that case expect to need a bleed every 3-6 months. Dot fluid needs to be fresh when you bleed. And when I say fresh I mean check the seal on the bottle when you buy it by giving the bottle a squeeze and see if the seal expands. And even then the fluid might stil be screwed.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

 

[Nambra]

What @Zaf & @Oddjob said - the Bleeding Edge improvement to Guides is supposed to make life a whole lot easier (although I never had much trouble with the old method either). I'll know soon enough as I need to bleed a set of RSCs with the new calipers shortly.

Fresh SRAM DOT fluid is light straw coloured, and turns into a dehydrated man's piss colour when it's stuffed - doesn't take long in the tropics as Oddjob says. I store my open bottle in one of those big Moccona coffee jars with moisture absorbing silica bags in it. It buys enough time that the fluid is still fresh enough to do another bleed in 6 months or so.

 

[Warp]

You live in the tropics right? In that case expect to need a bleed every 3-6 months. Dot fluid needs to be fresh when you bleed. And when I say fresh I mean check the seal on the bottle when you buy it by giving the bottle a squeeze and see if the seal expands. And even then the fluid might stil be screwed.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

Bloody oath... yes, i live in the tropics.
I'm swapping these for Shimanos. I don't have time for bleeding. Particularly with three bikes to ride.
Maguras and Shimanos are happy with the odd bleed every year or so. Heck, you swap levers or cut lines and the things just work all the same with a minimum top up from the lever.

 

[The Duckmeister]

DOT fluid brakes need to be bled periodically, even if you think they don't.

 

[Binaural]

I put excess fluid in a jar and chuck it in the bin.

Bleeding Guides sucks, I did it a few days ago. Get the official kit, it really does make a shitty process easier. Look for the MBUK's guide where they draw a light vacuum during the bleed, that helps a bit.

 

[dancaseyimages]

The other option for disposal is at your local paint store or the local Waste depot, also useful if you have any old car oil etc (make it one trip).
Its free to take chemicals there.

https://www.darwin.nt.gov.au/live/w...-waste-management-facility/sorting-your-waste

 

[Warp]

Ahh, bugger... Whether I decide to sell them (internal routing is a wonderful thing when it comes to hydraulic brakes, isn't it?) or keep them, I need a bleed kit or pay to get them sorted. What a croc.

The other option for disposal is at your local paint store or the local Waste depot, also useful if you have any old car oil etc (make it one trip).
Its free to take chemicals there.

Dan, I'm getting a tag to access the waste facility. I need to dump oil, batteries and other stuff (like DOT fluid)

 

[oliosky]

Bleeding the guides really isnt that big a deal. Just follow the videos and use a decent quality bleed kit. You'd think dot fluid is going to melt your extremities and take your soul by some of the hysteria in this thread. It won't by the way.

Top tip - Buy a box of nitrile gloves to use while bleeding and a water spray bottle to clean up any spills and you'll be fine.

 

[Flow-Rider]

Hi!!

Anyone has experience bleeding these brakes or any other with the new Bleed Edge (or whatever the name is) new adapter from SRAM?

My new bike came with these brakes and after eons of using Maguras and Shimanos that run on mineral oil, I am not so keen of working with THAT fluid.

I understand the thing is used on cars and what not vehicles so it shouldn't be a huge issue but still. Mineral oil can be kept for a long time after opening the bottle so it does not have to be discarded as opposed to DOT fluid.

Speaking of which, what is the proper way to dispose such ungodly fluids?

As for the brakes themselves, they are fine. Different feel than my XT's but they stop me. Better modulation but just about the same power or even more than my 2-pot M8000's.

You can dilute DOT brake fluid with water and just throw it on the lawn to dry, it's hardly going to cause an environmental disaster with the sparse amount that comes out of MTB brakes. I usually have a spray bottle full of water and spray down the bike near the parts I'm going bleed in case it drops onto them and I don't notice, as a safety measure after I'm finished I give the whole bike a wash down with a garden hose. As far as storing it, it's best practice to re bottle it into smaller quantities but you can store it for a while if don't leave the cap off the main bottle for a long duration. I've got some here that's 3 years old from an opened bottle that I used the other day and didn't notice any difference. I've serviced cars that have had the same brakefluid in them for more than six years and the brakes still work fine. It's not as bad as what people make it out to be.

 

[The Duckmeister]

Ahh, bugger... Whether I decide to sell them (internal routing is a wonderful thing when it comes to hydraulic brakes, isn't it?)

Actually not that hard..... Drain at least some of the fluid out of the old brake, mainly so the reservoir won't dribble everywhere when you disconnect the hose. Depending on the frame's porting, you may or may not need to cut the compression fittings off the lever end of the hose. Shove a gear cable down the brake hose, then pull the hose through the frame while feeding the cable in from the top end. You now have a "mouse" to lead the new hose through.

If you're happy with the old hose length, use it as a guide to measure the new one to (invariably you need to cut the hoses down, the factory lengths are quite generous), but leave a little bit of excess for fine tuning.

Feeding the new hose is then simply the reverse; shove the mouse cable into the top end of the brake hose, feed the hose up the frame and then use the mouse to guide it out of the top hole. Bung your compression fittings on, plug it up to the lever, top up the juice, go and ride.

 

[Warp]

Actually not that hard..... Drain at least some of the fluid out of the old brake, mainly so the reservoir won't dribble everywhere when you disconnect the hose. Depending on the frame's porting, you may or may not need to cut the compression fittings off the lever end of the hose. Shove a gear cable down the brake hose, then pull the hose through the frame while feeding the cable in from the top end. You now have a "mouse" to lead the new hose through.

If you're happy with the old hose length, use it as a guide to measure the new one to (invariably you need to cut the hoses down, the factory lengths are quite generous), but leave a little bit of excess for fine tuning.

Feeding the new hose is then simply the reverse; shove the mouse cable into the top end of the brake hose, feed the hose up the frame and then use the mouse to guide it out of the top hole. Bung your compression fittings on, plug it up to the lever, top up the juice, go and ride.

Cheers for that Duck!

I've done it a few times changing brakes/frames (on mineral oil brakes, mind you) but I see it as an unnecessary complication from inside routing. Outside was easier for maintenance, that's it.