Originally Posted by
jetpackjbd
Thank you everyone for the help! I managed to get the caliper pistons unstuck with oil and WD40 (not the correct way to do it but it helped), and finally popped them out by adding threads to my air compressor nozzle and screwing it into the hose connection on the brakes. The pistons had some wear on the bottom, explaining why they had trouble extending more than a millimeter. Lightly sanding them with 1000 grit helped them move a bit easier.
Unfortunately, despite installing a rebuild kit on the brake lever, it still doesn’t have enough pressure to move the pistons on its own. Maybe I just need a real bleed kit.
just finished bleeding tektros on a specialized sirrus... i used the bottom-up double syringe method... they work great now, They WERE mushy as heck, and would quit completely if the bike was turned upside down for any reason..
i bleed each one TWICE... two 20cc syringes, a selection of fittings for various brakes... once to push out some air, and the old fluid, and once to get the remaining air out. I push a vacuum cap onto the lower fitting when i disconnect the syringe and tube, then remove the top tube/fitting and quickly put the plug in the fill port, THEN i remove the caliper fitting and quickly screw that plug in.
i have replaced the cheap tubing that came with the kit with clear small engine fuel line tubing... it remains flexible after numerous uses.
the kit cost about $20, shipped... i will upgrade to glass syringes and brass fittings in the future, when needed.