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Frozen Brake


tdubz

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So to be proper about this, does anyone know of an oil so thin its like water? I had to replace a slave cylinder piston after leaving a water which froze last winter a couple times, but then didn't ride for months and it wouldn't return.i rang magura uk to be told water is just about ok if used regularly but it will corrode the pistons after some time. I've got monty from tarty in mine at the moment and the stroke feels a lot thicker,i dont like it! Is there a proper alternative to any kind of water bleed?

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If I bleed it with dilute anti-freeze, will that be ok yeah? - Basically water and anti-freeze anyway.

You can pretty much freestyle the ratio. It really doesn't matter much. I've used a pure anti-freeze bleed before and it worked just as well as any 'pure' water bleed I've done, except obviously I could use my brake in the winter...

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You can pretty much freestyle the ratio. It really doesn't matter much. I've used a pure anti-freeze bleed before and it worked just as well as any 'pure' water bleed I've done, except obviously I could use my brake in the winter...

Ok, is mineral oil better? - Because I got told loads of times today at the comp to bleed it with mineral oil!

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if you want a slow returning arm pump inducing brake, then mineral oil is fine. Otherwise just put some anti freeze in and tell the people at comps that you don't always have to do what you are told.

Lol, yeah, his seemed to return fine though. Wasn't as quick as water, but you know. Anti-Freeze it is then :D Thanks!!

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So to be proper about this, does anyone know of an oil so thin its like water? I had to replace a slave cylinder piston after leaving a water which froze last winter a couple times, but then didn't ride for months and it wouldn't return.i rang magura uk to be told water is just about ok if used regularly but it will corrode the pistons after some time. I've got monty from tarty in mine at the moment and the stroke feels a lot thicker,i dont like it! Is there a proper alternative to any kind of water bleed?

Use RO water.

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Antifreeze appears to work fine by itself, but IF you want to still try out some mineral oils... then Baby Oil is the first stop. I haven't used it myself yet but I always hear that the lever feels a lot snappier and reponsive, whilst it being mineral oil which doesn't corrode anything incase you're worried in the long term.

I should think a bottle of baby oil is cheaper than anti freeze of the same volume, so why not try it out? If you don't like it, then anti freeze away. Since it's Baby Oil, even if you don't get on after testing it'll at least be somewhat of use other than for bleeding brakes...

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A lot of good info in this thread :ermm:

1. Brake should be fine - Mines frozen and after it thawed it it was fine.

2. Can bled with water / antifreeze mix. Probably 50:50 ratio, but whatever. Brake will be fine.

someone told me the antifreeze would do somthing to the seals on the brake. not sure if its true :S

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if you want a slow returning arm pump inducing brake, then mineral oil is fine. Otherwise just put some anti freeze in and tell the people at comps that you don't always have to do what you are told.

Thought you bled yours with metal like i do, Ali?

Or are you still going through that phase? :P

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I have a feeling the masses of scaffolding required to run a V-brake on a 4-bolt frame, as well as the way that V's 'shake' and hit your rim when you land spins and the like, have meant Ali's 'changed his viewpoint' you might say.

Or 'sold out' to put it another way :P

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Im still using my emulsion and not had any problems with sticky pistons in the last 18 months Ive been using it. Had to top the bleed up a few times as my RB has started weaping but its not a huge amount or hassle. Ive not tried it in subzero conditions yet (because Im old and the cold gets to me bones ;) ) but I dont think there would be any significant problems with freezing :)

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