Rant: My young coworker made me rethink how I bleed brakes

I have always used the two-person method for bleeding hydraulic disc brakes, one pump and one open the bleed port. But last Tuesday, my coworker Dave, who is maybe 25, showed me his one-person kit with a vacuum pump that he bought for $35 online. He said I was 'wasting manpower' and making the job harder than it needs to be. I argued with him at first, but after watching him do a full bleed on a Shimano XT set in 8 minutes with no mess, I have to admit the old way might not always be the best way. Has anyone else had their mind changed by a younger mechanic showing them a new tool or method?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_carr71mo ago

8 minutes on an XT set with no mess, that's impressive. What was the actual kit Dave used, was it one of those no-name Amazon ones or a brand like Park Tool or Jagwire? I'm curious because I've seen cheap vacuum bleeds that pull air bubbles out fine but then leave a bunch of seal residue inside the lever, causing sticky action down the road. Did you check how the lever feel compared to your standard two-person job, or did it just look clean and you assumed it was good?

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rose_reed1mo ago

Totally get where you're coming from @mark_carr7, I once had a buddy use a cheap vacuum bleeder on his truck's brakes and the seals went all gummed up after a month. That lever feel is everything, did you get a chance to squeeze it yourself before he took off?

vera_robinson361mo ago

You've got a good point there. I've seen the same thing with those cheap kits, they pull the air but leave a mess behind. A buddy of mine used a random one off eBay on his SLX levers and the lever came back feeling all grindy and stiff within a month. I didn't get to feel Dave's setup myself, but he showed me the lever action after and it felt crisp and consistent, no drag or stickiness. He was using a Jagwire kit, the Pro Bleed one with the syringe and catch bottle, not some no-name thing. Still, I'd want to see how it holds up after a few muddy rides before calling it a total win.