Brilliant tutorial!! I followed step by step pausing and cleaning each part along the way. In total took 35 mins from start to reassembled. SRAM guide ultimate.
This tutorial helped me revive a “sold for parts” brake I bought on eBay, thank you! One thing to note, the plunger was super stuck and didn’t come out with coaxing so I placed the brake lever into my freezer for 30 or so minutes and the plunger came right out!
Awesome! Yes I am always on eBay picking up these levers! That’s a great idea on the plunger!! Glad you revived it and happy that this video helped you! Thanks for watching and commenting! Happy trails amigo!
Dude.This is money in the bank. Just talked to a local shop about a recall on these... with this totorial, I'm not even going to waste my time with them. Thanks for the detailed breakdown!
Can’t thank you enough pal. I’d been close to tears with my brakes this afternoon when I started pulling them to bits. They very nearly went in the bin. Then I found this video! Saved me a load of bother and a huge pile of cash I expect. I didn’t need the installation tool, and it all went back together relatively easy. So - top man. Thanks again, and thanks for your quick replies too! Brakes now working better than before! The bite point adjuster wheel is still really hard to turn, but it was like that before, so nothing lost. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Dave T that’s awesome that it worked out for you! I appreciate the feedback and the commenting! I know being a rider myself we all want to “fix” our problems ourselves which is the main reason I made the video since no one seemed to have a step by step process. The dial might be hard to turn only cause you may have over tightened the coupler, with that being said if your used to it so be it! How did you work it out with no tool? I am sure other people might be interested in knowing this. Thanks again and happy trails!
Adrian Castro I just pushed the piston down with some pliers to get the wheel in, and then I used a hex key & the metal pin bit (2.05 on your video - I detached it from the joint), and used that to push the 2 plastic bits down onto the wheel & piston, and then tightened it up using the hex key (turning the wheel also tightened it up, once the threads were aligned). Thanks again dude - I feel like a pro (but very slow) bike mechanic!
Dave T don’t downplay yourself! You have done what most people are afraid of doing so a big high 5 to you! As for the method you used, I actually did do that and to be honest I just second guessed myself on that technique and started to worry bout stripping the thread and possibly breaking that coupler. So now that I know how it goes these days I can certainly suggest it to people and thank you very much for reminding me of that method! Congrats on your rebuild!
Thanks a ton for this video. One thing to add is that you can chuck the white plunger in a hand drill (from the side that the spring slides over) and spin it with sandpaper. That will help keep it concentric.
6061. com yes I know exactly what you mean and to be honest I would have suggested it but not many people have a drill press and I didn’t want people to spend a lot of money in order to “fix” these brakes. Thank you for that info and hope if someone has a drill press available to utilize it! Thanks a bunch for watching and commenting!
6061. com some know how on how to use either way is useful and I am glad you said it! I am sure if I mentioned it most people would not have these items! I do appreciate you commenting! Thank you for taking the time to watch!
OK OK --- so i attempted the fix an tore the seal closest to the spring --- contacted Adrian an he walked me threw the correct way to remove and replace the seal so you can sand the plastic piston. (warm them however you choose). SUCCESS on all fronts --both levers are smooth as butter now --- i cant believe this was my problem for appx. 2 years --- i was thinkin the caliper was bad and did everything possible except replacing it to remedy the dragging issue. holy crap my bike actually rolls now. power output higher - heart rate and perceived effort lower-- with a higher avg speed on a course i've ridden a lot. THANK YOU ADRIAN
superwillied I put this video out to fellow frustrated riders! I can try to walk through and remedy the problems people have, my goal has always been simple.. to help! I am happy to hear your back on the trails and especially having brakes that work! Thank you very much for commenting and giving feedback since that is always a good thing for other curious DIYers confidence that this is something anyone can accomplish! Have fun and happy trails!
Great job! I ordered the aluminum pistons and will take care of it ASAP. I would love to see a re-do of this video using a newer camera so we can see the details better. Thank you!
@@MarkMorgen I agree I do need to redo it! I know most of the problem with sram have been resolved but I am sure a complete breakdown of levers would be beneficial to most DIY peeps. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
Michael Clements thank you for watching and commenting! I wish there was a way to pinpoint what it exactly was and when you can get affected by these stuck or sticky levers. Glad that the video provided some help and your back on the trails!
Thank you so much. Mine eventually jammed in the sun. Very satisfying fixing it myself. Btw the 'SRAM brake instillation tool' or whatever isn't vital. Pretty easy to get the contact adjuster in and back off the axle with a skinny skew driver or similar and get it in position. Check out the sram sight for the exploded lever diagram too which is handy. Thanks for sorting thousands of us out man! J
jopbass1 thank you for watching and commenting! I know the Sram tool is not vital BUT it does help if your not mechanically inclined or don’t have patience! I have done it without the tool it just can be tricky if you have no idea what to expect! Hope your rebuild goes great! Have fun and happy trails!
adamelida19 thanks for that feedback! I honestly think these are some great brakes with great power! Happy trails and thanks for taking the time to watch!
thank for this tutorial.! i almost bougth new code rsc kit front and rear. but stumbeled upon this video. and two hours later. i`ve saved 5-600$ :D thank you
nexr4i thank you for watching and thank you for commenting! This is what it’s all bout- helping! Glad I saved you some money too! Hope your back on the trails soon!
Thanks for this video man. My RSCs never felt right and I thought it was the calipers. This year my levers got worse and I watched your fix. Did the service, 6 times out riding in heat and they are perfect. The camera quality is a bit rough but more videos should exist like this. Concise info without a ton of talking about nothing. Great job.
Sattva Woodworks I wish I was more savvy with videos and you tube and when I first posted this video I thought I had uploaded in high quality but people are telling me it’s my uploading speed that sucks. Hopefully I can get a better quality one of these days! As to your brakes I am happy this helped you! Thanks for commenting, I always appreciate the feedback wether good or bad! Thanks again!
Steven Henning thanks for commenting and letting this forum know these work great! Let me know if you remember of course bout the summer it’s the heat that these are prone to swell up and I am curious how the aluminum plungers react. Thanks again!
Just found this - thanks! I found my RSC front brake in a 'piston-stuck' position after driving to a nearby trail. The brake was behaving completely normal before I loaded the bike on my carrier. It seems like high temperatures / heat possibly exacerbate the onset of the problem as the bike was sitting in full sun for an hour on a 100 degree day during the drive. The brake then slowly returned to normal operation over the course of the ride as the temperatures dropped. I had a buddy experience the same problem a couple of years ago on a hot day with the stuck piston sending him over the bars and resulting in a broken collarbone. Hoping not to see a recurrence of the problem after applying this fix. Cheers!
Hello and thanks commenting! Yeah this problem unfortunately experienced by many riders as what happened to your friend. The brakes were great when they do work! Here in Arizona it was becoming quite a common occurrence. I hope your able to remedy your situation and your back on the trails soon! Cheers to you as well!
Thanks for this very useful video Adrian! In the meantime, I replaced my guides with Hope E4's, but I will give my old Guides another try with this sandpaper upgrade.. you never know.
Erdnav27 what’s the worse that can happen right? You already replaced them so it wouldn’t hurt to try and see if it works for you and who knows maybe sell them to recoup some costs on the hopes you got which are excellent brakes too! Thanks for watching and commenting I always appreciate the feedback!
Hey my brake lever is completely seized like yours when connected but when I disconnect it from the brake lines it moves freely without the same issues. Is that the same diagnosis as in this video?
Hey Liam! Thanks for messaging! It depends, did you notice if you look at your caliper pistons retract into the caliper? Usually the lever issue is only the lever problem but if the temperature has dropped since you first noticed it then it could still be the lever. Does that help you at all?
Great instructions.Trouble is, one of the rubber seals broke when trying to take it off the plunger. Not available as a separate part so I had to the complete assembly.
Hello and thanks for watching and commenting! Yes, from time to time it can happen. Did you already order it? I have plenty of spares I am sure I can send you some if you like. Thanks again for watching! I always appreciate the feedback.
Yes I know and I have seen these and they do work although I just came across another TH-camr who installed some and the seals leaked. I guess the quality on the seals are questionable! So I hope your levers have you back on the trails!!
Brilliant! Thanks for this. My guide RSC has been feeling rubbish for months before locking completely. Now it feels like new! By the way I reassembled using a 10mm socket with a flat-blade screwdriver through the middle. It was pretty awkward but got the job done.
@@ragedracer So, first up, this was a total bodge. If you haven't started the project yet, go find the SRAM tool because it'll make the whole thing much easier. I'll try to explain what I did, though. Basically, you need to turn the screwdriver head on the 'inner' section of the securing assembly (I'll call this 'A' - the piece removed at 3.18 in the video), which is engaged into an outer collar B (you see this at 3.08) which in turn screws into the reach adjust dial C. The problem is, the whole assembly is spring-loaded by the piston spring, and it's very hard to get the screw threads on B to engage onto C. So you need to maintain forward pressure against the spring (I did this with a 10mm socket which happened to be a good size) at the same time as turning A using a flat-blade screwdriver (that I slotted in through the 10mm socket). So, as I said, get the tool :D
Here’s a link to the SRAM Guide tool for $5. Figured I’d post this for other riders like me who might not have all the tools. Well worth it to fix your own and get them functioning again.
Great video. Do you know if the contact adjustment wheel is supposed to click when you turn it? I have a brand new bike with these brakes, my front brake clicks when I turn the wheel but my rear brake doesn't click when I turn the adjustment wheel.
Rodolfo Rodriguez thanks for watching and commenting! So yes they are supposed the heat the “click” there is a ball bearing on the inside part of the contact adjuster dial. It’s held in place by the reservoir cap screw closest to the lever. There is a spring in there and it holds pressure against the ball bearing. Usually depends on the rider and environment that dirt dust will build of in that ball Bearing area and you won’t hear that “click” if you contact adjustment doesnt move I would not really bother with it. If you want to tear it down and make it click then just undo that screw and clean out that screw hole. Be careful that the ball bearing and the spring are very very small! Hope your brakes are doing good and any problems feel free to message again!
@@ragedracer thank you for replying so quick. The wheel does move and it's not stuck. Maybe because it lacks that retention contact with the ball bearing, when I'm riding quite fast over bumpy terrain the wheel moves out of place, therefore I have to adjust pad contact wheel several times during the ride. Saludos desde la CDMX
Hey bro are you still watching this comment section?? Im really interested in doing this. However, i did find aftermarket metal plungers for my Codes. So i just need to swap them out. You made it look pretty easy so once it warms up im gonna give it a go!
Hey Jonathan! Welcome and yes I still keep on track with comments and help were ever I can. The codes are relatively the same process. Either the R version or even the RSC. Keep in mind Jonathan I am no pro but well experienced in these brakes... so I probably could do them with my eyes closedown this point. I am constantly working on them so the issue has not been resolved but less common lately. The metal plungers are great and do work. I have swapped out a couple already and they work really well. Now my only word of caution is just to have patience, I really can’t stress this enough. I know what to expect and some comments you will see that the seals are tricky to remove if your not careful and can tear them. If your plungers come with seals then more power to you! Good luck to you and thanks for subscribing! I hope to add to my tutorials with some code levers soon. If your “stuck” no pun intended but any issues arise feel free to shoot me a message I should reply relatively quick. Thanks again!
@@ragedracer awesome great to hear about you putting out a new video with Codes! Yes the plungers I got already have the seals in place. I love my Codes just want that taken care of
@@jonathanangieri153 yes like most brakes there is wear and tear and maintenance but overall the Juicy/ Guide brakes are all pretty similar in maintenance. Best to use 5.1 DOT fluid and can be purchased relatively anywhere and cost is bout the same in some cases. Being here in Az our temps are hot so I go to 5.1 fluid for all my brakes.
@@jonathanangieri153 so it’s odd I don’t know if SRAM changed or what but the tool I used to unscrew the retainer that attaches to the dial is different now. It was once universal so I could use it on various rsc, ultimates etc. I did improvise and used a broader tip flat head to fit within the retainer and unscrewed it that way. It’s still made out of plastic so make sure you don’t cross thread when you put it back together.
Process went smoothly except for my plunger was nearly impossible to get out of the cylinder. I am pretty sure I widened the gap on the lever arm from hammer it out. Do you think it is ruined it hole on the hose end has been widened?
Hey Henry! Thanks for watching and thanks for commenting! If you are referring to the hole on which the brake line attaches too I would not worry if it’s open more. If anything it might improve response because of moving move fluid quicker.... that’s might take on it.
Hello i ordered some new alloy pistons, but when i took both levers apart the rear lever internals are different to the front one. Plus a shorter spring, and a washer type valve that clips to the far end of the spring? Any clues A Castro,CHEERS. I got the bike brand new.
ste sand thanks for commenting! As for the question.. you have me wondering. I know there are different plunger/ pistons on the market and also through Sram. Do you mind sending a pic if it to my email ragedracer@gmail.com ? I know there is a small washer tip on some of the later made levers to work with the “stealth-a-majig” olive attachment. Some levers even say under the rubber cap that it will work only with those olive and barb (stealthamajig) attachments. I want to make sure if this is what it is or maybe something else. Thanks!
Just had to do this on my guide r rear. Didn't have much luck with sandpaper so put it in the lathe went carefully, just taking a tiny shaving off. Seems ok so far. The trails will be the test 😁
Ash B brave soul! I can see taking too much off with those but as long as your careful and are handy with it then proceed with caution! Worse case scenario you have to buy a new plunger right? Good luck and hope your way works out for you! Thanks for watching and commenting!
hi, great video. i would like to know is there a DOT compatible grease available from auto supply stores. something like "red rubber grease" will work on the guide brakes??? i dont have the avid one. thank you
heti hetio hello! Thanks for the feedback and commenting! As for a “grease” you can still assemble the seals and plunger with the DOT fluid. It will still work, I use to do it that way when I first rebuilt juicy levers and they still will work fine. I just like to use the grease now.
yeah, thankyou very much dude, we really apreciate your help...by the way, maybe you have already watched it but there is a similar video on youtube explaining how to do this fix. on the comment section of that video the SramTech crew reply this: "Please do not do this. If you increase the extrusion gap too much for the primary seal by manually distorting the internals, the brake can fail catastrophically. You risk serious injury with this procedure. If you have this issue, the lever internals will need to be replaced. There is an updated service kit available. Please visit your local bicycle dealer to have your brake serviced properly." what do you think about it? Have you ever hear about a "catastrophically failing brake" as they said by doing this mod??
heti hetio no I have never seen this happening with any brake that I have rebuilt. I am still using a set that I have done this rebuild on over a year ago. Maybe SRAM wants you to replace the plunger with their products which is fine but I had one of these “fixed” plungers swell on me too. Always have your local shop check it out first! They maybe able to warranty your levers and you will get the levers replaced with the proper fixed plungers. Thank you again for commenting and I hope your levers get fixed and your on the trails soon!
i actually purchased the "2nd generation internals replacement kit" for one of my brakes. I noticed three main upgrades in the 2nd generation internals: 1) the pivot bushings are now made of aluminum, 2) the piston sleeve are also now made of aluminum instead of plastic. 3) and the main change is the plunger diameter, which is now 9.25mm. After replacement, I measured the old plunger diameter which is 9.44mm. In conclusion, those 0.19mm less between the new and the old make all the difference between a sticky brake and a good feeling brake, so i think that the fix that you make in this video is totally accurate, secure and cheap. i will not hesitate to make this hack on my other brake, thanks again Adrian.
heti hetio thank you very much for that input! I know a lot of readers and TH-cam viewers wanted to know this info so I appreciate you taking the time to post this! I hope these internals will work best for you, where did you order this? Thanks for your update and comments I always enjoy the feedback!
Hello and thanks for reaching out! Usually the fault with a spongy lever is too much air in the line. The other thing to consider is that DOT fluid is hydroscopic meaning it will and can draw air into the fluid. I am sure you will see when you bleed the system to draw back on syringe to get negative pressure you will get big air bubbles but also consider the very microscopic air bubbles too. Try to use new fluid when you can, also make sure you look at the gasket/ seal on the reservoir cap and make sure it’s making a complete seal. Hope this helps you! Thanks again
bozemangnar well I can say it does happen and it sucks because you need to completely buy a complete kit in order to get that one simple gasket. If you email me your address I can check if I have spares and send you some. Ragedracer@gmail.com Thanks for watching and commenting!
Ken Nowakowski you would think that this was planned accordingly but I am sure the plunger was measured with tolerances of not allowing the the plunger or the lever itself to expand and contract with temperature increase ( heat ). Sram realized there was a problem which is why they offered to fix this issue with no charge. I was just recently told that Sram is no longer offering this fix anymore so hopefully this tutorial will help those who didn’t get in the chance to have it done.
@@ragedracer This bike was hung up for about a year with no use. It worked fine before being hung up. It was hung up horizontally in an insulated garage. I have yet to disassemble.
Ken Nowakowski crazy as it is this will happen too if not used. In older Juicy series levers I noticed that levers that we’re not in use the brake DOT fluid would crystallize and lock up the lever too. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to do a break down either way.
@@ragedracer Got the rear lever disassembled. The piston was really stuck. My problem now is that the shaped seal in the leading groove on the piston broke on removal, so a new lever is needed.
Ken Nowakowski what version or style of guide do you have? Is it an RSC? Or R, RS? I have plenty of parts. Feel free to email me at ragedracer@gmail.com
@@dude-mg2fv hey I have been there many times in this type of situation and the quicker the reply was a better outcome on brakes. Just an FYI too you don’t need the grease.. it’s very helpful but if you saturate the seals you still will be fine to fix this.
Just trying to make sure I understand, do I drain my entire brake line first before I do this? Does that change the bleed procedures I need to follow when I fill it back up with DOT fluid?
Ian Silver-Ramp no need to drain the entire line just make sure the line is not able to drip fluid on your frame once you disconnect the lever. Try putting a zip loc baggie on the end to make sure nothing drips out. Once you rebuild the lever just reattach to the line and do a blend. Hope this helps you! Thanks for commenting! Good luck!!
Ian Silver-Ramp your right! once you disconnect your lever, your just better off draining all fluid out of the lever. When I did this rebuild the fluid was drained out to better deal with rebuilding it with no fluid that way your not making a mess and of course that fluid is almost like paint stripper if it’s left long enough on a painted surface it will strip the paint. Any other questions feel free to ask!
LASTTOPGUN LASTTOPGUN thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! So this is a common question and to be honest it helps but not necessary. Those o-ring seals only have so much give and when you use the grease it helps them glide over the plunger easier. When I first encountered this problem and fixed it I used only brake fluid and it worked fine as long I was careful... BUT I will admit that I have them (o-rings) break when I used the grease too. So be patient and as long as your careful and keep the seals and the plunger saturated with fluid, you should be fine. Hope all goes well and good luck!
@@ragedracer 35 I think 🤔 has dr rf for t tvtg5g 540_4'3/435_'&&0:'9#$'&9$&- & 99999898989889899888888:'&&&54__4:' _/::'....' 4,$ $:::'&:' $*3'**&:/19!
I have a set of SRAM Guide RSC and I want to change the pistons in the levers for the updated generation 2 pistons. One of the levers is the stealth-a-majig version and I was wondering if you know if a standard piston can be used in it or can it only be used with the stealth-a-majig piston?
Stephen Mccormick I have done rebuilds with regular and second generation internals ( plunger/piston) and I have dealt with the stealthamajig lines and it makes no difference. They are compatible either way. Hope this helps you and good luck on your rebuild!
Thanks for the reply I wasn’t sure as if you look on SRAMs diagram for the 2017-2019 Guide RSC it shows the standard piston and stealth-a-majig piston which seems to be slightly different as the stealth-a-majig piston has an extra part on the end of the piston assembly. I was wondering if this piston and extra stealth-a-majig part can be removed and replaced with a standard piston or is the lever itself different?
Stephen Mccormick it does have this small cone like tip some have been black, the ones I have seen a just bare metal silver. To be honest I didn’t see or feel much of a difference of having this “piece” in. I am sure some R&D dept said it improves reaction but I didnt notice anything.
Yeah on my lever it seems to act as a non return valve and only allows the lever to be pulled when the brake hose is inserted, I don’t think it does much else. If it can all be removed I will just swap it with the standard Gen 2 piston
Stephen Mccormick your right, so to me it didn’t make much sense wether or not it was there or not. Thanks again for commenting and bringing this up. Not many people have encountered this piece or part so I do appreciate you writing bout it!
So I completed this but can't get the contact dial knob to turn like it used to turn. It now very difficult to turn the contact dial. I tried replacing the plunger with an aluminum one and also replaced with the same plastic one after sanding. still hard to turn the contact dial. Thoughts?
chris g this is pretty common problem and easy to remedy. When you put in the parts and twist to screw it on, that part that screws into the lever and the dial controls just needs to be loosened a bit and that’s it. Unfortunately I have done this in the beginning or rebuilding these and it turns out I was just tightening too much. Hope this helps you
chris g your plungers are more than likely fine wether aluminum or the plastic one. It’s the part that hold the plunger in place that most has a tendency to over tighten. Once you loosen it bout a half turn and reassemble the lever on you should notice a difference.
@@ragedracer thanks. i've done this so many times tonight I can now do it with my eyes closed :) The last attempt worked a little better. Great lever return with the alum. plunger and the dial does turn. I still have to do the other lever. I will make a note not to over tighten with SRAM lever tool and see if that makes a difference. Thanks, Great video by the way. very helpful!
chris g thanks for watching and of course commenting! I do appreciate the feedback on those aluminum plungers. I think almost everyone who has used them and mentioned it are pretty satisfied. Thanks again and enjoy the ride!
Great video! I have SRAM Guide RS and the lever is stuck like in your video. I normally do mechanical bike maintenance on my own, but this is the first time dealing with hydraulic braking system. Can you please advise what tools to purchase (to bleed and open the lever)? Appreciate it!
Sunny Arjakusumah hello and thanks for watching! I did make another video that lists the tools I used and where to get them. Most are available on Amazon now but at the time I made this video I got most tools at harbor freight. I didn’t want to make this a big expense since I figured most people would only do this once! Hope that helps you, if you have any more questions feel free to message again I will be happy to help. Thanks again!
Hi Adrain. Thank you so much for this DIY tutorial. I purchased the internals and about to start this fix. I read through the comments and also noted that using DOT fluid to lube the seals is acceptable if I do not have DOT grease. However, I have a tube of Sram Butter, Slick Honey, and 9point8 P10L grease. Can any of these be used as an alternative lubricant? Or am I better off just assembling with DOT fluid? Honestly, I just don't want to spend $10. for a dab of DOT grease.
miloboy1211 I don’t know the chemical breakdown of the Sram butter or slick honey or the others mentioned and I am sure there is a compatibility compound that is ok with DOT fluid. Just to be safe I would just assemble with the DOT fluid. I have done many like that prior to the Sram dot grease and still the brakes do fine. Hope this helps you in your fix! Thanks again for commenting!
Chad Briggs I did do a rebuild on guide r in another upload. The only thing that helps is some deep reach snap rings which another you tuber informed me you can get at a local Home Depot, utilize them and return them so it’s nothing really out of pocket.
I've been let down by a shop that listed seal kit as in stock when wasn't, and then went did sent standard shipping not priority as selected at check out, ordered to weeks ago for not to arrive, But I'm flying for riding in France tomorrow, is it possible just to push the piston back with out dismantling to get running again? As the brake was working fine, just bleeding it up I accidently knocked the lever making the piston stick so need to unstick it, but the sram tool comes with the seal kit.. So don't have the removal tool
Matt Toll sorry to hear bout all this! Unfortunately the only way I know to unstick it is to disassemble the brake line from the lever and insert a firm Allen wrench and push. You would still have the problem and you will still need to bleed the brake. Maybe a local shop in France can help you with tools and maybe with the video get you up and going? As you can see you don’t need a new seal kit and if you read some comments you will see some people got it to work with without using the Sram tool (maybe a local shop might have it) They just used an Allen tool inside the metal lever pushrod and the coupler with sleeve. I am sure it will work but it might be more tedious to do it, just be patient! I hope this does not ruin your ride time in France. Good luck!
@@ragedracer Hello Adrian, In your video at about 5:44 you spoke using 800 wet or dry. In your text above you spoke 400 wet or dry. Have you recently changed the process? I have had problems with Guide R since 2015 when I bought a new bike that had them. When it got hot here in AZ both rear and front stared locking up. Generally the front was always really nasty in Summer heat. SRAM replace about four 'R's and finally sent a "RSC'. It worked well through two Summers but this year Black RSC has locked up, first ride, at 92°F (33°C). When I returned to my residence I put a Frozen Bead Cold Compress around the body of the locked brake and within three minutes it had relaxed to fully functional. Glad to have found your video and will be purchasing the installation tool and DOT fluid & seal Grease to rework my Black Guide RSC & R per your process. I own two Silver RSC's on a second bike and wonder if they will be affected by heat also. Find out soon because this Black RSC is not fun full to use and bike is grounded. I really like the Guide brakes modulation and feel except for this one problem. Thanks again for the video.
Harold Fateley hello and thank for watching and commenting and more importantly asking this question. I am currently still fixing these brakes on a weekly basis with brakes from here in Az to Virginia and so on. I have played around with grit and 400 works and seems to work a bit faster than 800. Nothing is wrong with using the 400 vs 800 it’s just that I would check the plunger more frequently to make sure there is no resistance after a few sands, and of course use the wet dry paper and use plenty of water. I still like these brakes too even though a lot of people hate them, like I have said before I have no hate towards other brands I just wish that if a problem happens I know I can look online and see it’s something “I” can handle and do. Best of luck and your rebuild and feel free to ask and comment some more if you have any more questions! Thanks again!
Thank you for the great video! My problem is where the lever attaches. There are two bolts holding the lever in place, well the bearings that the bolts go through broke. I purchased replacement bearings but don't know how the get the remaining bearing out and the new ones in. Please advise
Hey Jarrett thanks for commenting and I always appreciate the feedback! As for the lever I have only done it once so lets hope this will work out for you too! If you have a bench vice it will work best, maybe a c clamp but have yet to try that also need a Bolt same thickness as the opening of where the lever goes but big enough to allow the bearing through and a 6mm socket, also a toothpick (optional but helps). Place some cloth on the vice (dont want to mark up the lever) and place the socket on the outside of the lever over bearing and slide the toothpick in through socket and in the center of bearing opening. Slowly clamp on the lever and the socket should push through the bearing. Repeat process on other side, I hope you understand what I am saying through all this. If anyone else out there reads this and knows of a better method please feel free to comment!
I actually used an old shrader/presta adapter and a pair of channel locks (with some cloth to prevent scratching) to press the old bearing out and the new one in. It worked surprisingly well. Thanks!
Jarrett Doorentz awesome! Glad to hear this worked... or actually your method! I can see where the adapter would work that’s a great idea too! Thanks for sharing what you did!
Robert Angelo hello, yes you can. In your version it might need just a good cleaning. The older elixir and juicy levers did have this issue but I found in most cases it needed a good cleaning out. Remove plunger and clean debris out. I would always see crystals from the dot fluid usually over time and cause the plunger to get stuck. I have also seen the plunger swell too so it’s not a bad idea to tear it down and clean it and examine it. Good luck and thanks for commenting!
My mechanic says we should change the rubber seal and i don't think so if that's the rubber seal when i see this video haha. What do you think bro should i change the rubber seal or my mechanic lol!
Robert Angelo well the seals and and the plunger usually come in the rebuild kit with the guides. You might just tear it down and see if you can do it. The seals might be built up with grime and debri but I rarely see the seals the problem. Usually if the seals are bad you have a soft lever and it’s leaking fluid.
Robert Angelo thank you! Btw most mechanics I know will say to buy new brakes instead of rebuilding them. Thanks again for commenting and hope it all goes well with you and your lever.
José Luis Garcia Martinez thanks for watching and thanks for commenting! Yes it is a common problem And SRAM did warranty these levers too. I don’t know if people are using the aluminum piston or not I only had one person mention it. If you try the aluminum one let me know how it goes. Thanks again!
My RSC front brake lever is not stuck but does not return fully which seems to cause severe rotor drag. Would this procedure fix it? Also, does the system need bled afterwards? Thanks and great video!
Brad Dedman thanks for commenting! So yes this is a preliminary sign of your plunger starting to “swell” and thus causing the lever not to retract and drag on the rotor. This fix will help to cure that, you probably don’t need to remove much material since it’s not caused a “stick or stuck” lever yet. When you do this fix yes it’s always required to bleed the system and remove as much air as possible to get the best brake response. Hope this fix helps you out and if you need anything else feel free to comment! Thanks again
petsamere yes it’s my biggest complaint and I still cant seem to get it to upload in a better quality. On my phone it’s great, I have cable internet too so I don’t know what gives on the upload. Thank you for watching and the feedback!
duncan wilson yes it does... I have been meaning to make a new rebuild video regarding the new version of code rsc and code ultimate levers and they are the same problem and the same process of a rebuild. I am assuming it would have been the earlier version of these models since the newer ones as in the ones built within the past 8 months I have not seen any issues with. I hope this helps you. Thanks for asking this and I hope to do a rebuild on these soon.
duncan wilson yep it certainly sounds like you got the “first” generation of these which unfortunately had this issue. I have had to rebuild 3 sets like these so far but the most recent like I said in the past 8 months I haven’t seen an issue. Hopefully the R&D department got it right this time! Thanks for commenting I do appreciate it! Hopefully the video will help you, it certainly has sparked my interest to do a rebuild On the newer version!
Chris Beindorf thanks for watching and of course asking questions! Well the tool is helpful in aligning that internal retention dial/ screw. You can probably do a long pair of needle nose pliers and it should might help. It will be some fiddling cause you have to compress at the same time turn that retention screw. I hope this helps. Where abouts are you located?
Chris Beindorf gotcha, your profile picture looked like a desert so I was curious if you were in town ( Phoenix ). If you manage to get it fixed cool, if not please let me know I can send you this tool. Thanks again
Chris Beindorf well that’s even better. I know earlier on a year or so ago they were pretty backlogged with repairs/ replacements but I think now I have heard less than a week in turnaround. Thanks again for watching!
superwillied well where exactly are you located? It’s hard to find just that specific gasket/ seal. Depending on where your located I maybe able to help you.
im in Savannah GA --- if you have them id be happy to buy some from you - i bought a rebuild kit and i tore that one also - i was trying to do it with the samw pick you used but ill be damned the brand new one tore also my email is superkitewdg@gmail.com thanks adrian
Adrian Castro, I also tore the gasket closest to the spring. What does it take to get one of those? I assume it won’t work with the tear. Thanks for guidance!
Just got mine back from sram two brand new levers which are new design internals...... all good. Good customer relations all work done for free even though they were out of warranty. As they should do as it’s a Sram design fault !!!!
Pat Mitch Mitch exactly! It is their fault and sucks you had down time but very happy to hear they followed through and you got them warrantied! Have fun out there!
Mike Chivy definitely worth the little trouble to find out and get them warrantied! If you get them fixed it will be worth to just sell them on eBay or Pinkbike.. ( no fees to list on their)
@@benborrie2221 no need to replace unless you damaged it on removal…. But it’s relatively hard to damage it so you should be fine to put it back on and bleed the system.
Have the same problem with Level TL. My local brake shop (also a local SRAM dealer) did not know about this, they didn't even know that Level TL lever can be disassembled, which is kind of hilarious :D
Thanks for the video! I am now trying to get my levers replaced through warranty. If I won't succeed, I'm gonna try to repair it using your solution. I think it should not be much different from Guide and a bit of sanding will help.
It's not really, I did do this repair on a set of level ultimates and the process was all the same. This RSC has the dial to deal with, I did do a break down of the other guide lever and posted. That one might work better on your application but in general they are all bout the same. Good luck with either way you go and feel free to update me on what happens I am sure either way you tubers would like to know if warranty works out or if this tutorial was beneficial! Thanks again!
There’s a company online that makes a corrective plunger from aluminum that aren’t susceptible to swelling and sticking like the original plastic ones. Just ordered a pair for mine, maybe they will fix my sticking issue.
Hey Justin, thanks for commenting. I always appreciate the feedback. Yes there are a few places online that have the aluminum plunger with seals that work really good. I have installed a fee of them and all seem to work with no issues to sticking. Now I will also mention that I have had a couple that the seals were not the best and allowed the fluid to leak beyond them which caused a huge mess. So if you go with the aluminum plunger make sure you save the stock seals cause you might have to reuse them. Thanks again!
Magnus Nilsson I believe they started trying to fix this problem in the beginning of 2018 because it was a huge problem. Sram was warranting the levers so they would just replace the levers. So start by contacting your bike shop or SRAM to see if they will fix your levers. I know by mid 2018 the brakes were fixed.
Blair Kemp, well you will be able to tell upon reassembly that the plunger will be difficult to reinsert since it will be difficult to take out initially. So if you already have it apart to the extent of regreasing it you might as well do the extra step of sanding it down...know what I mean?
Yeah, I'd just feel like I'd 'bodging' a fix which for me is fine, on the less important components of my bike. No discredit to you or you method I'm sure it works flawlessly for many people, but I won't want to risk anything on brakes, which we pretty much trust with our lives, (very poor show on srams part) i am no longer a fan. Seems I'm going to have to dish out on a new plunger kit! Next step will be to sell them on and buy hope tech brakes that I can trust! Cheers!
Blair Kemp I agree with you completely! This has been a problem with Sram brakes with different models ( juicy, elixir, code, level, guide) but it was more of a problem with their level and guide models. I understand the trust on your brakes let alone trusting yourself that they won’t give out on a trail! I know rebuild kits run 30 US dollars and buying 2 well at that point you could just sell them as is on eBay or pinkbike and save yourself some possible headaches! On a side note the hope brakes I heard are fantastic but just like Shimano not much on rebuild friendly if something goes bad. Thanks commenting and good luck with either way you go! Cheers and happy trails!
Awesome, I'm the UK so basically if you buy a hope product you can directly contact them and they'll sort you out almost every time. There service is second to none. Unlike sram who don't deal directly, though lbs etc... Thanks for you help!
ChedengMB you should be to remove the lever aspect and the pivot points within. You should have access to the inner area of that dial and be able to move it with some long nose pliers. Don’t try to move the dial with pliers on the outer part.. it’s very weak and you can easily bend it and if you do that it’s hard to get it back to a circle again. Hope this helps you! Any other questions feel free to message me.
ChedengMB no, unless the whole plunger comes out but if you just want to move that dial so it moves you are good because your not introducing air into the system- that is the only time you should bleed it.
ste sand thank you! We are all on the same boat, we just want to ride! Sucks with this problem but glad to know you were helped out and back on the trails soon! Thanks again for reaching out!
@@rorosi4163 i can guarantee this is not a band aid fix! I live in Arizona and the heat here is constant. Never had any more issues after I did this. Good job on fixing it on your end!
@@ragedracer thats what im telling people but they still think those brakes a garbage like one guy on youtube said ive been fixing bikes for 20+ years and said it is garbage like what you have fixing bikes for that much time and you could not fix a damn lever
@@rorosi4163 yes every person has their own “like” I like only Sram stuff or I like only shimano blah blah blah. Every product has a pro and con. I like Sram Brakes because I can work on them and fix them and Shimano…. NOPE. It’s ok, I am open to constructive criticism and go with it. Thanks again for taking the time to comment! I do appreciate it!
james creasy you can but it tends to be a little more tedious and you still have to be careful as the coupler is made of plastic. You will have to use the metal pushrod and unscrew it from the swinglink. Put the pushrod in the coupler and the sleeve installed and use your t9 torx and proceed to screw it in carefully. If everything goes as planned you should have no problems, that took just makes it more stable to screw it in. Hope this helps you and understand what I mean! Good luck and thanks for watching!
No not hard at all to change, once you unscrew the internal set up where the plunger is. The turning dial will then come off and you can access the area where that small ball bearing and spring it. Make sure the screw that holds down the brake reservoir is taken out as well. Once those are off then you can push through the ball bearing and spring with a paper clip. I had a lever do the same thing and that's how I got it out. Hope this helps you.
Shane Haws ugh well that sucks BUT you can still make the lever function without it. It’s main purpose is to control that dial contact in, but if you manage to fix your lever and reassemble it, you should be fine with adjusting your contact point and then use tape.
Adrian castro hey so I used a drill I stuck the front where the spring slips over in the drill lightly and wrapped sand paper around it 20 seconds and it was ready works flawlessly thankyou
Shane Haws great idea! You do have to be careful on how much to tighten the drill chuck and I only say this in case someone reads this part. Thank you for contributing and your feedback! Hope you find a spring and ball that will work for your dial! And the thanks is to you for watching and your idea!
I really don't understand how this happened. How does the plastic expand so much that it is this jammed? And if it is an issue that thousands of people have experienced (myself included), why hasn't it been addressed?
Ira Dudley-Bestow yes that is exactly what happens, and yes it is an issue by thousands and yes it has been addressed by SRAM. If you want to have your levers fixed then contact Sram or your local bike shop and they can submit the levers in to have them fixed. At the peak of this issue, the wait time was bout 6-8 weeks. Nowadays I have heard the turnaround time is 5-7 days. I know they don’t charge for this fix so it’s just a matter of waiting, or you can fix it yourself. I hope this comment and video helps you and if you need any further help feel free to message again. Thanks for watching and commenting. Good luck with either way you go.
Is this not something sram will cover under warranty? Or should I not even waste my time. I don't mind doing this fix but would rather just get it replaced for free. Mine are 2 years old
Hey petayV8, The only way I know if maybe Sram having to cover under warranty is if you go through your local bike shop and they can let you know. Otherwise I think this fix will be your best option. Hopefully either way you go it will work out for you.
@@ragedracer mine aren't terrible but the front only seized up after leaving bike in the sun at work (often ride after work) I bled it and got it working again but now the level doesn't feel smooth/fluid and the contact adjustment dial moves left to right slightly when using the lever. I re built my guides 4 years ago and figured sram fixed this problem buy now so didn't worry about leaving in 100f heat. Frustrating from $400 brakes.
@@petayV8 where are you located? Starting around 2018 they tried to remedy the levers but I noticed even on those it still had issues. When you rebuilt your previous guides were they RSC or Guide R’s? RS? If they are not too bad you might just need a good bleed with 5.1 DOT fluid.
Dave T you can badger me all you want it’s an open forum! As for the tool it helps... ALOT. You can probably do it but it’s tedious and not to complicate even more is that coupler you screw in is made of plastic so if it’s inserted wrong you might strip that thread on it. I hope this helps you either way you go. If you manage to do it without the tool please share cause I am sure more you tubers would want to know! Thanks again
Hello I was able to reassemble without the tool. I set the threaded retaining|plunger piece in place. Then used a 3\8 socket to simulate the tool. I placed a 4mm Allen through the socket to just slightly depress the plunger. Then used the Contact adjustment the carefully seat the threads. It is awkward as you have to place pressure downward on the socket while simultaneously pressing on the Allan. Continue to carefully use the contact adjustment to seat the threaded piece to the hilt. Bike shops were of no help as I surmised one in my city would have the tool. All sent the brake master and lever out for service.
Mire Ven thank you for commenting! I am sure most bike shops will just try to send it out or have sram see if it covered by warranty. Great job on working on your lever and finding another way to assemble without the special tool! Thanks
Bernard Blackburn I think you turned it too much, keep in mind that coupler is plastic so if you over tighten to the slightest amount it becomes almost impossible to turn that dial adjustment knob with just your fingertips.
hi nice helpfull Video, i have everything here now to repair my 2016 Guide r. Do i have to fully emtpy the dot befor i can disassemble the Lever, and how can i emtpy it.
Danie Matzani I do have the other video of the repair of the guide r. No you don’t have to empty all the DOT fluid. You will have some fluid come out when you take off the brake line and when you dissemble the plunger in the lever. If you wanted to take out the fluid you could use a bleed kit and just suck out the fluid from the caliper port. Hope this helps you in your rebuild.
Can i just use the syringe and press air into the Lever port , and with the other syringe i take out the DOT at the caliper port? Or what do u mean with suck it out. Sorry first time ill try to repair Brakes, i just know how to bleed em but not how to empty the whole dot.
Christoph W. First don’t try using pliers to turn the dial, that dial is very thin so you end up squeezing it and making it oblong. Second take off just the lever aspect and the first part mechanical aspect of the lever plunger. You should be able to insert a small flat head screwdriver and loosen it up so it’s not tight. So finger tighten is enough for it. Hope that helps you!
@@ragedracer oh thanks for the quick response! I used the assebly tool to tighten the black thing with the thread on it that goes through the contact adjust wheel. I didnt thighten it up a lot - bit more than finger tight i'd say. So you mean i should just unscrew it a bit?
Bye the way and I am asking just to make sure you put the small ball bearing and spring back in under that screw for the reservoir. I have had people with issues on forgetting that ball bearing but the spring is in place so it binds up that dial.
Jason Thomas I am not surprised lately. I had some TLM’s that I had to put in the vice which is a first for me. Never had one that stuck before. I did fix them though! Good luck on yours and hopefully you didn’t ruin anything! Thanks for commenting!
I'd really like to do this to my problematic RSC but I don't have that sram internal tool. Is re-assembly possible without that tool? Thanks man, very informative video!
jhongsylva well you can try but it’s troublesome to hold that plunger and turn the dial to get it on. It’s a small part but it takes a lot of headache out for reassembling. Thank you for watching!
Dave T damn! Well you can technically not install it, the only thing it does is keep that dial contact in place and it will not allow it to move while your riding. Just don’t put the spring back in cause that can cause havoc with that dial contact. Maybe tape down the dial to keep it in place.
Adrian Castro not that i know of. I just got 1 Sram Code RSC brake system and 1 Sram GUIDE rsc for free. I plan on using them but they have no levers so i won't know till i try them lol.
Orlando Mendoza so you have lever bodies but no lever blades? They are both easy to work on ( but that’s me saying this!) but honestly the Sram code rsc are relatively new so I don’t think you should have any problems with that one, but for the guide rsc it all depends on how old it is.
Adrian Castro yep just the bodies with the lines and calipers. They look brand new but I have no idea of the history of them. Some lady gave me a box of goodies and they were inside. I hope I hit jack pot. How much is your service just Incase?
Orlando Mendoza wow what a score! Great for you! Even if you are OCD and want matching lever bodies you can easily sell one and it will cover some if not most of the cost of a matching brake. If you take care of shipping I can do it for about 20 bucks.... but as you can tell and read some comments you can see you can probably do this yourself! That’s why I made this video! Give it a good try with some patience and I am sure you can do it! If not just message on here and happy to help where I can!
MrTurbobullet it does not need the tool, this plunger set up is similar to the guide r and the rs model. You need some deep nosed snap ring pliers. Once you remove the snap ring your able to access the plunger.
Arthur Poussardin hello! Thanks for watching and commenting! Can you disconnect the hose from the lever and see if fluid travels from the caliper through the hose? If so then see if there is any debris in the lever. Make sure you have no particles in the lever and that your fluid is clean. If the fluid is contaminated it might cause the bleed process to get plugged.
@@ragedracer thank you for your answer. I can bleed if i remove the lever (1st thing you do when desassembly) and the front brack work but the other don't. I will see if i can remove debris and i will notice you again if I have any problem
Arthur Poussardin thank you for updating me, make sure you also check and remove the reservoir cap to make sure no contaminates or particles are in their too!
Great video, but has anyone questioned sram on their terrible quality control? Seems like a ton of work for something that should leave the factory in perfect working order.
pete langevin thanks for watching and commenting! And YES! It seems some crew didn’t have their best team designing this but I will say like I did in my first tutorial video that the plunger dilemma was present before the Guides. I found it on every model so far, the previous codes, juicy’s, X0, elixir, you name it this plunger swelled but didn’t affect as many brakes as the guides did. SRAM is making good as I last heard and will warranty your levers, I am sure there is some details or specifics that you need to do to send it in. Crazy and yes a bit of work if you don’t know what your dealing with. I am still fixing these levers nowadays, takes me bout 4 minutes now to do it from start to finish. On a side note I do think there NEWEST lines of brakes are free of these problems.. codes and guides but I am sure this was a pain to deal with! Hope they learned! Thanks again for watching and commenting!
John Cruz yes they do and also at their discretion. It does require your local shop to do it. But I heard the turn around on this is crazy but maybe it has changed lately since it’s been a while since I did the video. I do mention that in my other video that before you get started on this to have your local shop check things out and see if it can be recalled/ fixed.
What was this? Some sort of time trial service🤣only pulling your leg pal. Just had my bike complete stripped for paint. The front sram guide rs stayed on the front but I completely disassembled the rear leaving the rear lever complete but off the Bike...(cable out at lever end and caliper end also) went to reassemble today to Finnish the new build off and went out for a test....Bike felt so fresh having had all the pivot bearings done, bb, headset etc! Then after riding for about 5-10mins the rear lever locked solid in the fully open position....and I mean solid, couldn't move the lever at all. Released some tension off the cable on the lever end and it would free up again only to lock up after a few pumps! Repeated this process 4-5 times then have up....have you any idea what this could be? Never had an issue with these brakes before. Only thing I will note it I fitted a new pin and olive in the cable which looked slightly different from the original & it was almost 30'deg Celsius heat with us today! What could be causing this issue? My first thaught was I used the wrong shape or size olive and it is causing issues for me....some say that these levers are effected by high temps....went out to the alps two years ago in 30deg heat with zero issues....this has only occured since I stripped and rebuilt the Bike! I used dot 4 fluid which it sais is ok on the lever cap! Build has taken me months so I'm itching to get out on the trails...any help would be greatly appreciated buddy. Thanks🤙🏼
taffgriff69 of course this is only a trial service! Well it seems like what’s going on is what the problem is with these brakes. For some reason the plunger seems to expand with very minimal rise in temperature and makes it difficult for the lever to actually work. As to why it didn’t affect you before in the same temperature is odd but this problem affects These brakes wether they are new less than 10 miles and like you a couple of years old. You can try to use 5.1 DOT fluid and see what happens and see if it still has the same affect ( 5.1 fluid has a higher boiling point) when I rebuild brakes I only use 5.1 fluid. If the problem still happens I am gonna guess you need to rebuild the brake and that should resolve your problem. You can watch my trial service again and hope it helps you! 😆
Adrian Castro thanks for the reply dude....I did think of the dot fluid! It happened when I was bedding the brakes in so the oil temp would have arisen! Time to flush and try 5.1 if not I will do the same down fix....pretty good with tricky little rebuilds like that myself! Not at that speed though! U can tell uve done a brake or two in the past..🤣thanks man. Have a nice day
taffgriff69 thank you for commenting! Yes I have done this a few times now, I think I have done bout 60 guide r and rs levers and bout 70 guide rsc. I think I have gotten faster now! Ha ha ha I hope your levers will work with changing the fluid. If you have any more problems or rebuild questions feel free to comment! Good luck and hope your on the trails soon!
Dmitri Nesteruk I completely understand and like most people they want to as well. It might be worth to sell them ( pinkbike or eBay) as parts to someone who is willing to do the rebuild if you don’t want to.
Brilliant tutorial!! I followed step by step pausing and cleaning each part along the way. In total took 35 mins from start to reassembled.
SRAM guide ultimate.
Thanks for watching and commenting! It’s very appreciated. I do what I can to help out in this mountain bike community! Thanks again!
This tutorial helped me revive a “sold for parts” brake I bought on eBay, thank you!
One thing to note, the plunger was super stuck and didn’t come out with coaxing so I placed the brake lever into my freezer for 30 or so minutes and the plunger came right out!
Awesome! Yes I am always on eBay picking up these levers! That’s a great idea on the plunger!! Glad you revived it and happy that this video helped you! Thanks for watching and commenting! Happy trails amigo!
Dude.This is money in the bank. Just talked to a local shop about a recall on these... with this totorial, I'm not even going to waste my time with them. Thanks for the detailed breakdown!
No problem and happy to help! Hope your on the trails soon!
Adrian Castro hey bro, I just did it. Brakes are back to working great! Thnx for posting these detailed videos man! U def saved me a bunch of money!
Awesome! Glad you saved money and saved a set from the trash! I am happy to hear I helped you out and I definitely appreciate the feedback!
Can’t thank you enough pal. I’d been close to tears with my brakes this afternoon when I started pulling them to bits. They very nearly went in the bin.
Then I found this video!
Saved me a load of bother and a huge pile of cash I expect.
I didn’t need the installation tool, and it all went back together relatively easy.
So - top man. Thanks again, and thanks for your quick replies too!
Brakes now working better than before!
The bite point adjuster wheel is still really hard to turn, but it was like that before, so nothing lost.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Dave T that’s awesome that it worked out for you! I appreciate the feedback and the commenting! I know being a rider myself we all want to “fix” our problems ourselves which is the main reason I made the video since no one seemed to have a step by step process. The dial might be hard to turn only cause you may have over tightened the coupler, with that being said if your used to it so be it! How did you work it out with no tool? I am sure other people might be interested in knowing this. Thanks again and happy trails!
Adrian Castro I just pushed the piston down with some pliers to get the wheel in, and then I used a hex key & the metal pin bit (2.05 on your video - I detached it from the joint), and used that to push the 2 plastic bits down onto the wheel & piston, and then tightened it up using the hex key (turning the wheel also tightened it up, once the threads were aligned).
Thanks again dude - I feel like a pro (but very slow) bike mechanic!
Dave T don’t downplay yourself! You have done what most people are afraid of doing so a big high 5 to you! As for the method you used, I actually did do that and to be honest I just second guessed myself on that technique and started to worry bout stripping the thread and possibly breaking that coupler. So now that I know how it goes these days I can certainly suggest it to people and thank you very much for reminding me of that method! Congrats on your rebuild!
Thanks a ton for this video. One thing to add is that you can chuck the white plunger in a hand drill (from the side that the spring slides over) and spin it with sandpaper. That will help keep it concentric.
6061. com yes I know exactly what you mean and to be honest I would have suggested it but not many people have a drill press and I didn’t want people to spend a lot of money in order to “fix” these brakes. Thank you for that info and hope if someone has a drill press available to utilize it! Thanks a bunch for watching and commenting!
@@ragedracer Just to clarify- I used a cheap Ryobi hand drill, not a drill press.
Thanks again
6061. com some know how on how to use either way is useful and I am glad you said it! I am sure if I mentioned it most people would not have these items! I do appreciate you commenting! Thank you for taking the time to watch!
OK OK --- so i attempted the fix an tore the seal closest to the spring --- contacted Adrian an he walked me threw the correct way to remove and replace the seal so you can sand the plastic piston. (warm them however you choose). SUCCESS on all fronts --both levers are smooth as butter now --- i cant believe this was my problem for appx. 2 years --- i was thinkin the caliper was bad and did everything possible except replacing it to remedy the dragging issue. holy crap my bike actually rolls now. power output higher - heart rate and perceived effort lower-- with a higher avg speed on a course i've ridden a lot. THANK YOU ADRIAN
superwillied I put this video out to fellow frustrated riders! I can try to walk through and remedy the problems people have, my goal has always been simple.. to help! I am happy to hear your back on the trails and especially having brakes that work! Thank you very much for commenting and giving feedback since that is always a good thing for other curious DIYers confidence that this is something anyone can accomplish! Have fun and happy trails!
Great job! I ordered the aluminum pistons and will take care of it ASAP. I would love to see a re-do of this video using a newer camera so we can see the details better. Thank you!
@@MarkMorgen I agree I do need to redo it! I know most of the problem with sram have been resolved but I am sure a complete breakdown of levers would be beneficial to most DIY peeps. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
Thank you! My brake levers worked fine for 3 years, even in extreme heat. Then this problem gradually set in. Following this video, I fixed them.
Michael Clements thank you for watching and commenting! I wish there was a way to pinpoint what it exactly was and when you can get affected by these stuck or sticky levers. Glad that the video provided some help and your back on the trails!
Thank you so much. Mine eventually jammed in the sun. Very satisfying fixing it myself. Btw the 'SRAM brake instillation tool' or whatever isn't vital. Pretty easy to get the contact adjuster in and back off the axle with a skinny skew driver or similar and get it in position. Check out the sram sight for the exploded lever diagram too which is handy. Thanks for sorting thousands of us out man! J
jopbass1 thank you for watching and commenting! I know the Sram tool is not vital BUT it does help if your not mechanically inclined or don’t have patience! I have done it without the tool it just can be tricky if you have no idea what to expect! Hope your rebuild goes great! Have fun and happy trails!
Great tutorial! I bought used RSC levers online for 1/2 the retail, i freshened them up, now they are good as new. Thanks to your video!
adamelida19 thanks for that feedback! I honestly think these are some great brakes with great power! Happy trails and thanks for taking the time to watch!
thank for this tutorial.! i almost bougth new code rsc kit front and rear. but stumbeled upon this video. and two hours later. i`ve saved 5-600$ :D thank you
nexr4i thank you for watching and thank you for commenting! This is what it’s all bout- helping! Glad I saved you some money too! Hope your back on the trails soon!
Thanks for this video man. My RSCs never felt right and I thought it was the calipers. This year my levers got worse and I watched your fix. Did the service, 6 times out riding in heat and they are perfect. The camera quality is a bit rough but more videos should exist like this. Concise info without a ton of talking about nothing. Great job.
Sattva Woodworks I wish I was more savvy with videos and you tube and when I first posted this video I thought I had uploaded in high quality but people are telling me it’s my uploading speed that sucks. Hopefully I can get a better quality one of these days! As to your brakes I am happy this helped you! Thanks for commenting, I always appreciate the feedback wether good or bad! Thanks again!
Adrian Castro more important that your tutorial is correct. And it is. 🥂
I followed this guide, but replaced the nylon plungers with a pair of aluminum plungers from eBay and the brakes feel like new! Thank you!
Steven Henning thanks for commenting and letting this forum know these work great! Let me know if you remember of course bout the summer it’s the heat that these are prone to swell up and I am curious how the aluminum plungers react. Thanks again!
Do you have a link for the new plunger I have the guide r is this the same part
Just found this - thanks! I found my RSC front brake in a 'piston-stuck' position after driving to a nearby trail. The brake was behaving completely normal before I loaded the bike on my carrier. It seems like high temperatures / heat possibly exacerbate the onset of the problem as the bike was sitting in full sun for an hour on a 100 degree day during the drive. The brake then slowly returned to normal operation over the course of the ride as the temperatures dropped. I had a buddy experience the same problem a couple of years ago on a hot day with the stuck piston sending him over the bars and resulting in a broken collarbone. Hoping not to see a recurrence of the problem after applying this fix. Cheers!
Hello and thanks commenting! Yeah this problem unfortunately experienced by many riders as what happened to your friend. The brakes were great when they do work! Here in Arizona it was becoming quite a common occurrence. I hope your able to remedy your situation and your back on the trails soon!
Cheers to you as well!
Just did this for my guide ultimate's works a treat cannot thankyou enough for this video Adrian
Mike Laing I appreciate the feedback and the comment, thank you! Less work and more play!
Thanks for this very useful video Adrian! In the meantime, I replaced my guides with Hope E4's, but I will give my old Guides another try with this sandpaper upgrade.. you never know.
Erdnav27 what’s the worse that can happen right? You already replaced them so it wouldn’t hurt to try and see if it works for you and who knows maybe sell them to recoup some costs on the hopes you got which are excellent brakes too! Thanks for watching and commenting I always appreciate the feedback!
@@ragedracer Exactly my considerations. I'll give it a try and let you know the results!
Erdnav27 great! Either way let me know! Thanks again
Hey my brake lever is completely seized like yours when connected but when I disconnect it from the brake lines it moves freely without the same issues. Is that the same diagnosis as in this video?
Hey Liam! Thanks for messaging! It depends, did you notice if you look at your caliper pistons retract into the caliper? Usually the lever issue is only the lever problem but if the temperature has dropped since you first noticed it then it could still be the lever. Does that help you at all?
Great instructions.Trouble is, one of the rubber seals broke when trying to take it off the plunger. Not available as a separate part so I had to the complete assembly.
Hello and thanks for watching and commenting! Yes, from time to time it can happen. Did you already order it? I have plenty of spares I am sure I can send you some if you like. Thanks again for watching! I always appreciate the feedback.
Great tutorial. Now they have titanium piston replacements. No more modifying the piston.
Yes I know and I have seen these and they do work although I just came across another TH-camr who installed some and the seals leaked. I guess the quality on the seals are questionable! So I hope your levers have you back on the trails!!
Saved my vacation…:) only issue i had was to get the 9 torch.
Glad to hear that you were able to fix it! And of course have a vacation! Thanks for commenting!
Brilliant! Thanks for this. My guide RSC has been feeling rubbish for months before locking completely. Now it feels like new!
By the way I reassembled using a 10mm socket with a flat-blade screwdriver through the middle. It was pretty awkward but got the job done.
Tom Nelson thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! Glad it helped you and your back on the trails again!
@@ragedracer does the 10mm socket and flat driver replace the sram tool?
Morten André Vinter Tom Nelson can you describe how you used the tools to make this work.
Morten André Vinter I have never done this procedure with just those tools. I have asked him to describe how he did it and hopefully it helps you.
@@ragedracer So, first up, this was a total bodge. If you haven't started the project yet, go find the SRAM tool because it'll make the whole thing much easier. I'll try to explain what I did, though.
Basically, you need to turn the screwdriver head on the 'inner' section of the securing assembly (I'll call this 'A' - the piece removed at 3.18 in the video), which is engaged into an outer collar B (you see this at 3.08) which in turn screws into the reach adjust dial C.
The problem is, the whole assembly is spring-loaded by the piston spring, and it's very hard to get the screw threads on B to engage onto C. So you need to maintain forward pressure against the spring (I did this with a 10mm socket which happened to be a good size) at the same time as turning A using a flat-blade screwdriver (that I slotted in through the 10mm socket).
So, as I said, get the tool :D
Here’s a link to the SRAM Guide tool for $5. Figured I’d post this for other riders like me who might not have all the tools. Well worth it to fix your own and get them functioning again.
SRAM Tool Internals Guide Lever www.amazon.com/dp/B00TQ43B3Y/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_tai_cBhoAbBA0CPA4
I have a little bike workshop and this is very helpful for mi. Thank you so much.
No problem at all! Happy to help and try to keep an investment out of the trash! Thanks for commenting!
Great video. Do you know if the contact adjustment wheel is supposed to click when you turn it? I have a brand new bike with these brakes, my front brake clicks when I turn the wheel but my rear brake doesn't click when I turn the adjustment wheel.
Rodolfo Rodriguez thanks for watching and commenting! So yes they are supposed the heat the “click” there is a ball bearing on the inside part of the contact adjuster dial. It’s held in place by the reservoir cap screw closest to the lever. There is a spring in there and it holds pressure against the ball bearing. Usually depends on the rider and environment that dirt dust will build of in that ball
Bearing area and you won’t hear that “click” if you contact adjustment doesnt move I would not really bother with it. If you want to tear it down and make it click then just undo that screw and clean out that screw hole. Be careful that the ball bearing and the spring are very very small! Hope your brakes are doing good and any problems feel free to message again!
@@ragedracer thank you for replying so quick. The wheel does move and it's not stuck. Maybe because it lacks that retention contact with the ball bearing, when I'm riding quite fast over bumpy terrain the wheel moves out of place, therefore I have to adjust pad contact wheel several times during the ride.
Saludos desde la CDMX
Hey bro are you still watching this comment section?? Im really interested in doing this. However, i did find aftermarket metal plungers for my Codes. So i just need to swap them out. You made it look pretty easy so once it warms up im gonna give it a go!
Hey Jonathan! Welcome and yes I still keep on track with comments and help were ever I can. The codes are relatively the same process. Either the R version or even the RSC. Keep in mind Jonathan I am no pro but well experienced in these brakes... so I probably could do them with my eyes closedown this point. I am constantly working on them so the issue has not been resolved but less common lately. The metal plungers are great and do work. I have swapped out a couple already and they work really well. Now my only word of caution is just to have patience, I really can’t stress this enough. I know what to expect and some comments you will see that the seals are tricky to remove if your not careful and can tear them. If your plungers come with seals then more power to you! Good luck to you and thanks for subscribing! I hope to add to my tutorials with some code levers soon. If your “stuck” no pun intended but any issues arise feel free to shoot me a message I should reply relatively quick. Thanks again!
@@ragedracer awesome great to hear about you putting out a new video with Codes! Yes the plungers I got already have the seals in place. I love my Codes just want that taken care of
@@jonathanangieri153 yes like most brakes there is wear and tear and maintenance but overall the Juicy/ Guide brakes are all pretty similar in maintenance. Best to use 5.1 DOT fluid and can be purchased relatively anywhere and cost is bout the same in some cases. Being here in Az our temps are hot so I go to 5.1 fluid for all my brakes.
@@ragedracer I have a question about the tool you used. Will that tool work with the Codes?
@@jonathanangieri153 so it’s odd I don’t know if SRAM changed or what but the tool I used to unscrew the retainer that attaches to the dial is different now. It was once universal so I could use it on various rsc, ultimates etc. I did improvise and used a broader tip flat head to fit within the retainer and unscrewed it that way. It’s still made out of plastic so make sure you don’t cross thread when you put it back together.
Process went smoothly except for my plunger was nearly impossible to get out of the cylinder. I am pretty sure I widened the gap on the lever arm from hammer it out. Do you think it is ruined it hole on the hose end has been widened?
Hey Henry! Thanks for watching and thanks for commenting! If you are referring to the hole on which the brake line attaches too I would not worry if it’s open more. If anything it might improve response because of moving move fluid quicker.... that’s might take on it.
Would this be related to the firm lever engagement when it’s to hot out?
Yep! That is exactly the issue. Hope this helps out.
@@ragedracer thank you, going to follow your advice.
@@josiahmedina4972 sounds good! If you have any questions feel free to message me I will be happy
To help.
Hello i ordered some new alloy pistons, but when i took both levers apart the rear lever internals are different to the front one. Plus a shorter spring, and a washer type valve that clips to the far end of the spring? Any clues A Castro,CHEERS. I got the bike brand new.
ste sand thanks for commenting! As for the question.. you have me wondering. I know there are different plunger/ pistons on the market and also through Sram. Do you mind sending a pic if it to my email ragedracer@gmail.com ? I know there is a small washer tip on some of the later made levers to work with the “stealth-a-majig” olive attachment. Some levers even say under the rubber cap that it will work only with those olive and barb (stealthamajig) attachments. I want to make sure if this is what it is or maybe something else.
Thanks!
@@ragedracer thanks for the response
@@ragedracer yes my rear does say stealth ect on it but my front does not. prob go for the sand down method
Just had to do this on my guide r rear. Didn't have much luck with sandpaper so put it in the lathe went carefully, just taking a tiny shaving off. Seems ok so far. The trails will be the test 😁
Ash B brave soul! I can see taking too much off with those but as long as your careful and are handy with it then proceed with caution! Worse case scenario you have to buy a new plunger right? Good luck and hope your way works out for you! Thanks for watching and commenting!
hi, great video. i would like to know is there a DOT compatible grease available from auto supply stores. something like "red rubber grease" will work on the guide brakes??? i dont have the avid one. thank you
heti hetio hello! Thanks for the feedback and commenting! As for a “grease” you can still assemble the seals and plunger with the DOT fluid. It will still work, I use to do it that way when I first rebuilt juicy levers and they still will work fine. I just like to use the grease now.
yeah, thankyou very much dude, we really apreciate your help...by the way, maybe you have already watched it but there is a similar video on youtube explaining how to do this fix. on the comment section of that video the SramTech crew reply this: "Please do not do this. If you increase the extrusion gap too much for the primary seal by manually distorting the internals, the brake can fail catastrophically. You risk serious injury with this procedure. If you have this issue, the lever internals will need to be replaced. There is an updated service kit available. Please visit your local bicycle dealer to have your brake serviced properly." what do you think about it? Have you ever hear about a "catastrophically failing brake" as they said by doing this mod??
heti hetio no I have never seen this happening with any brake that I have rebuilt. I am still using a set that I have done this rebuild on over a year ago. Maybe SRAM wants you to replace the plunger with their products which is fine but I had one of these “fixed” plungers swell on me too. Always have your local shop check it out first! They maybe able to warranty your levers and you will get the levers replaced with the proper fixed plungers. Thank you again for commenting and I hope your levers get fixed and your on the trails soon!
i actually purchased the "2nd generation internals replacement kit" for one of my brakes. I noticed three main upgrades in the 2nd generation internals: 1) the pivot bushings are now made of aluminum, 2) the piston sleeve are also now made of aluminum instead of plastic. 3) and the main change is the plunger diameter, which is now 9.25mm. After replacement, I measured the old plunger diameter which is 9.44mm. In conclusion, those 0.19mm less between the new and the old make all the difference between a sticky brake and a good feeling brake, so i think that the fix that you make in this video is totally accurate, secure and cheap. i will not hesitate to make this hack on my other brake, thanks again Adrian.
heti hetio thank you very much for that input! I know a lot of readers and TH-cam viewers wanted to know this info so I appreciate you taking the time to post this! I hope these internals will work best for you, where did you order this? Thanks for your update and comments I always enjoy the feedback!
Thanks man, you saved me 200$. Awesome video.
Lawrence Layacan thanks for watching and glad my video helped!
Does this fix a spongy soft level feel I don't have any air in my lines so it's got to be this issue
Hello and thanks for reaching out! Usually the fault with a spongy lever is too much air in the line. The other thing to consider is that DOT fluid is hydroscopic meaning it will and can draw air into the fluid. I am sure you will see when you bleed the system to draw back on syringe to get negative pressure you will get big air bubbles but also consider the very microscopic air bubbles too. Try to use new fluid when you can, also make sure you look at the gasket/ seal on the reservoir cap and make sure it’s making a complete seal. Hope this helps you!
Thanks again
I also tore the gasket closest to the spring, not sure where to get one of those....Thanks for the video!
bozemangnar well I can say it does happen and it sucks because you need to completely buy a complete kit in order to get that one simple gasket. If you email me your address I can check if I have spares and send you some. Ragedracer@gmail.com
Thanks for watching and commenting!
What makes the white plunger swell to the point it sticks? Shouldn't the plunger be sized accordingly, and the seals span the gap?
Ken Nowakowski you would think that this was planned accordingly but I am sure the plunger was measured with tolerances of not allowing the the plunger or the lever itself to expand and contract with temperature increase ( heat ). Sram realized there was a problem which is why they offered to fix this issue with no charge. I was just recently told that Sram is no longer offering this fix anymore so hopefully this tutorial will help those who didn’t get in the chance to have it done.
@@ragedracer This bike was hung up for about a year with no use. It worked fine before being hung up. It was hung up horizontally in an insulated garage. I have yet to disassemble.
Ken Nowakowski crazy as it is this will happen too if not used. In older Juicy series levers I noticed that levers that we’re not in use the brake DOT fluid would crystallize and lock up the lever too. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to do a break down either way.
@@ragedracer Got the rear lever disassembled. The piston was really stuck. My problem now is that the shaped seal in the leading groove on the piston broke on removal, so a new lever is needed.
Ken Nowakowski what version or style of guide do you have? Is it an RSC? Or R, RS? I have plenty of parts. Feel free to email me at ragedracer@gmail.com
Hi what is the cream that you put on it ?
Hello!
It’s Sram or Avid DOT grease. Can order it online, I don’t think it’s available at LBS but never hurts to ask or check out.
@@ragedracer wow tnx for answer so fast :)
@@dude-mg2fv hey I have been there many times in this type of situation and the quicker the reply was a better outcome on brakes. Just an FYI too you don’t need the grease.. it’s very helpful but if you saturate the seals you still will be fine to fix this.
Just trying to make sure I understand, do I drain my entire brake line first before I do this? Does that change the bleed procedures I need to follow when I fill it back up with DOT fluid?
Ian Silver-Ramp no need to drain the entire line just make sure the line is not able to drip fluid on your frame once you disconnect the lever. Try putting a zip loc baggie on the end to make sure nothing drips out. Once you rebuild the lever just reattach to the line and do a blend. Hope this helps you! Thanks for commenting! Good luck!!
@@ragedracer Do I need to drain out some fluid? It looks like there isn't any fluid in the lever in the video, is that right?
Ian Silver-Ramp your right! once you disconnect your lever, your just better off draining all fluid out of the lever. When I did this rebuild the fluid was drained out to better deal with rebuilding it with no fluid that way your not making a mess and of course that fluid is almost like paint stripper if it’s left long enough on a painted surface it will strip the paint. Any other questions feel free to ask!
Cool video I ordered the tool and I’m going to try to do this myself. Do I really need assembly grease? Or can I just use brake fluid?
LASTTOPGUN LASTTOPGUN thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! So this is a common question and to be honest it helps but not necessary. Those o-ring seals only have so much give and when you use the grease it helps them glide over the plunger easier. When I first encountered this problem and fixed it I used only brake fluid and it worked fine as long I was careful... BUT I will admit that I have them (o-rings) break when I used the grease too. So be patient and as long as your careful and keep the seals and the plunger saturated with fluid, you should be fine. Hope all goes well and good luck!
Adrian Castro I did it without the special sram tool. Just used a flat blade screwdriver
LASTTOPGUN LASTTOPGUN glad to hear you could do it without the special tools! Thanks again for watching and commenting!
@@ragedracer 35 I think 🤔 has dr rf for t tvtg5g 540_4'3/435_'&&0:'9#$'&9$&- & 99999898989889899888888:'&&&54__4:' _/::'....' 4,$ $:::'&:' $*3'**&:/19!
@@ragedracer wpp ss
I have a set of SRAM Guide RSC and I want to change the pistons in the levers for the updated generation 2 pistons. One of the levers is the stealth-a-majig version and I was wondering if you know if a standard piston can be used in it or can it only be used with the stealth-a-majig piston?
Stephen Mccormick I have done rebuilds with regular and second generation internals ( plunger/piston) and I have dealt with the stealthamajig lines and it makes no difference. They are compatible either way. Hope this helps you and good luck on your rebuild!
Thanks for the reply I wasn’t sure as if you look on SRAMs diagram for the 2017-2019 Guide RSC it shows the standard piston and stealth-a-majig piston which seems to be slightly different as the stealth-a-majig piston has an extra part on the end of the piston assembly. I was wondering if this piston and extra stealth-a-majig part can be removed and replaced with a standard piston or is the lever itself different?
Stephen Mccormick it does have this small cone like tip some have been black, the ones I have seen a just bare metal silver. To be honest I didn’t see or feel much of a difference of having this “piece” in. I am sure some R&D dept said it improves reaction but I didnt notice anything.
Yeah on my lever it seems to act as a non return valve and only allows the lever to be pulled when the brake hose is inserted, I don’t think it does much else. If it can all be removed I will just swap it with the standard Gen 2 piston
Stephen Mccormick your right, so to me it didn’t make much sense wether or not it was there or not. Thanks again for commenting and bringing this up. Not many people have encountered this piece or part so I do appreciate you writing bout it!
So I completed this but can't get the contact dial knob to turn like it used to turn. It now very difficult to turn the contact dial. I tried replacing the plunger with an aluminum one and also replaced with the same plastic one after sanding. still hard to turn the contact dial. Thoughts?
chris g this is pretty common problem and easy to remedy. When you put in the parts and twist to screw it on, that part that screws into the lever and the dial controls just needs to be loosened a bit and that’s it. Unfortunately I have done this in the beginning or rebuilding these and it turns out I was just tightening too much. Hope this helps you
chris g your plungers are more than likely fine wether aluminum or the plastic one. It’s the part that hold the plunger in place that most has a tendency to over tighten. Once you loosen it bout a half turn and reassemble the lever on you should notice a difference.
@@ragedracer thanks. i've done this so many times tonight I can now do it with my eyes closed :) The last attempt worked a little better. Great lever return with the alum. plunger and the dial does turn. I still have to do the other lever. I will make a note not to over tighten with SRAM lever tool and see if that makes a difference. Thanks, Great video by the way. very helpful!
chris g thanks for watching and of course commenting! I do appreciate the feedback on those aluminum plungers. I think almost everyone who has used them and mentioned it are pretty satisfied. Thanks again and enjoy the ride!
Great video!
I have SRAM Guide RS and the lever is stuck like in your video.
I normally do mechanical bike maintenance on my own, but this is the first time dealing with hydraulic braking system.
Can you please advise what tools to purchase (to bleed and open the lever)?
Appreciate it!
Sunny Arjakusumah hello and thanks for watching! I did make another video that lists the tools I used and where to get them. Most are available on Amazon now but at the time I made this video I got most tools at harbor freight. I didn’t want to make this a big expense since I figured most people would only do this once! Hope that helps you, if you have any more questions feel free to message again I will be happy to help.
Thanks again!
Hi Adrain. Thank you so much for this DIY tutorial. I purchased the internals and about to start this fix. I read through the comments and also noted that using DOT fluid to lube the seals is acceptable if I do not have DOT grease. However, I have a tube of Sram Butter, Slick Honey, and 9point8 P10L grease. Can any of these be used as an alternative lubricant? Or am I better off just assembling with DOT fluid? Honestly, I just don't want to spend $10. for a dab of DOT grease.
miloboy1211 I don’t know the chemical breakdown of the Sram butter or slick honey or the others mentioned and I am sure there is a compatibility compound that is ok with DOT fluid. Just to be safe I would just assemble with the DOT fluid. I have done many like that prior to the Sram dot grease and still the brakes do fine. Hope this helps you in your fix! Thanks again for commenting!
Do you need that special tool for the standard guide r brakes. Is it pretty much the same process apart from the swinglink
Chad Briggs I did do a rebuild on guide r in another upload. The only thing that helps is some deep reach snap rings which another you tuber informed me you can get at a local Home Depot, utilize them and return them so it’s nothing really out of pocket.
What a helpful video.
Thanks from japan.
Shin Hiro thank you very much for watching and commenting! Glad it helped and hope your on your bike soon!
Thanks again!
I've been let down by a shop that listed seal kit as in stock when wasn't, and then went did sent standard shipping not priority as selected at check out, ordered to weeks ago for not to arrive,
But I'm flying for riding in France tomorrow, is it possible just to push the piston back with out dismantling to get running again? As the brake was working fine, just bleeding it up I accidently knocked the lever making the piston stick so need to unstick it, but the sram tool comes with the seal kit.. So don't have the removal tool
Matt Toll sorry to hear bout all this! Unfortunately the only way I know to unstick it is to disassemble the brake line from the lever and insert a firm Allen wrench and push. You would still have the problem and you will still need to bleed the brake. Maybe a local shop in France can help you with tools and maybe with the video get you up and going? As you can see you don’t need a new seal kit and if you read some comments you will see some people got it to work with without using the Sram tool (maybe a local shop might have it) They just used an Allen tool inside the metal lever pushrod and the coupler with sleeve. I am sure it will work but it might be more tedious to do it, just be patient! I hope this does not ruin your ride time in France. Good luck!
What did you spray on the sandpaper?
Craig Crider it’s just water. I used 400 grit wet dry sandpaper and using water it helps the plunger be smoother action in the lever
@@ragedracer Hello Adrian, In your video at about 5:44 you spoke using 800 wet or dry. In your text above you spoke 400 wet or dry. Have you recently changed the process?
I have had problems with Guide R since 2015 when I bought a new bike that had them. When it got hot here in AZ both rear and front stared locking up. Generally the front was always really nasty in Summer heat. SRAM replace about four 'R's and finally sent a "RSC'. It worked well through two Summers but this year Black RSC has locked up, first ride, at 92°F (33°C).
When I returned to my residence I put a Frozen Bead Cold Compress around the body of the locked brake and within three minutes it had relaxed to fully functional. Glad to have found your video and will be purchasing the installation tool and DOT fluid & seal Grease to rework my Black Guide RSC & R per your process. I own two Silver RSC's on a second bike and wonder if they will be affected by heat also. Find out soon because this Black RSC is not fun full to use and bike is grounded.
I really like the Guide brakes modulation and feel except for this one problem.
Thanks again for the video.
Harold Fateley hello and thank for watching and commenting and more importantly asking this question. I am currently still fixing these brakes on a weekly basis with brakes from here in Az to Virginia and so on. I have played around with grit and 400 works and seems to work a bit faster than 800. Nothing is wrong with using the 400 vs 800 it’s just that I would check the plunger more frequently to make sure there is no resistance after a few sands, and of course use the wet dry paper and use plenty of water.
I still like these brakes too even though a lot of people hate them, like I have said before I have no hate towards other brands I just wish that if a problem happens I know I can look online and see it’s something “I” can handle and do. Best of luck and your rebuild and feel free to ask and comment some more if you have any more questions!
Thanks again!
Harold Fateley where are you located in Az?
@@ragedracer Mesa
So helpful. You ROCK!!!!!!! Totally fixed my brake. No problemo. Woot woot
Thanks for watching and commenting! Glad to hear you fixed it! Happy pedaling!
Thank you for the great video! My problem is where the lever attaches. There are two bolts holding the lever in place, well the bearings that the bolts go through broke. I purchased replacement bearings but don't know how the get the remaining bearing out and the new ones in. Please advise
Hey Jarrett thanks for commenting and I always appreciate the feedback! As for the lever I have only done it once so lets hope this will work out for you too! If you have a bench vice it will work best, maybe a c clamp but have yet to try that also need a Bolt same thickness as the opening of where the lever goes but big enough to allow the bearing through and a 6mm socket, also a toothpick (optional but helps). Place some cloth on the vice (dont want to mark up the lever) and place the socket on the outside of the lever over bearing and slide the toothpick in through socket and in the center of bearing opening. Slowly clamp on the lever and the socket should push through the bearing. Repeat process on other side, I hope you understand what I am saying through all this. If anyone else out there reads this and knows of a better method please feel free to comment!
It worked!! Thanks a million!!
I actually used an old shrader/presta adapter and a pair of channel locks (with some cloth to prevent scratching) to press the old bearing out and the new one in. It worked surprisingly well. Thanks!
Jarrett Doorentz awesome! Glad to hear this worked... or actually your method! I can see where the adapter would work that’s a great idea too! Thanks for sharing what you did!
Is it okay if i try this method on my avid elixir 3? My brake stuck lever and not automatic back.
Robert Angelo hello, yes you can. In your version it might need just a good cleaning. The older elixir and juicy levers did have this issue but I found in most cases it needed a good cleaning out. Remove plunger and clean debris out. I would always see crystals from the dot fluid usually over time and cause the plunger to get stuck. I have also seen the plunger swell too so it’s not a bad idea to tear it down and clean it and examine it. Good luck and thanks for commenting!
My mechanic says we should change the rubber seal and i don't think so if that's the rubber seal when i see this video haha. What do you think bro should i change the rubber seal or my mechanic lol!
Btw. Good video i'll subscribe you now and i wish more video to come.
Robert Angelo well the seals and and the plunger usually come in the rebuild kit with the guides. You might just tear it down and see if you can do it. The seals might be built up with grime and debri but I rarely see the seals the problem. Usually if the seals are bad you have a soft lever and it’s leaking fluid.
Robert Angelo thank you! Btw most mechanics I know will say to buy new brakes instead of rebuilding them. Thanks again for commenting and hope it all goes well with you and your lever.
Great! It is a common problem on Sram brake lever. Maybe Sram needs to review the design......using a aluminion piston, maybe
José Luis Garcia Martinez thanks for watching and thanks for commenting! Yes it is a common problem
And SRAM did warranty these levers too. I don’t know if people are using the aluminum piston or not I only had one person mention it. If you try the aluminum one let me know how it goes. Thanks again!
My RSC front brake lever is not stuck but does not return fully which seems to cause severe rotor drag. Would this procedure fix it? Also, does the system need bled afterwards? Thanks and great video!
Brad Dedman thanks for commenting! So yes this is a preliminary sign of your plunger starting to “swell” and thus causing the lever not to retract and drag on the rotor. This fix will help to cure that, you probably don’t need to remove much material since it’s not caused a “stick or stuck” lever yet. When you do this fix yes it’s always required to bleed the system and remove as much air as possible to get the best brake response. Hope this fix helps you out and if you need anything else feel free to comment! Thanks again
Great tutorial thanks. You should upload it in highier quality it's somtimes hard to see the small parts.
petsamere yes it’s my biggest complaint and I still cant seem to get it to upload in a better quality. On my phone it’s great, I have cable internet too so I don’t know what gives on the upload. Thank you for watching and the feedback!
Does this apply to the code rsc as well?
duncan wilson yes it does... I have been meaning to make a new rebuild video regarding the new version of code rsc and code ultimate levers and they are the same problem and the same process of a rebuild. I am assuming it would have been the earlier version of these models since the newer ones as in the ones built within the past 8 months I have not seen any issues with. I hope this helps you. Thanks for asking this and I hope to do a rebuild on these soon.
Okay thank you there only about 1.5 years old
duncan wilson yep it certainly sounds like you got the “first” generation of these which unfortunately had this issue. I have had to rebuild 3 sets like these so far but the most recent like I said in the past 8 months I haven’t seen an issue. Hopefully the R&D department got it right this time! Thanks for commenting I do appreciate it! Hopefully the video will help you, it certainly has sparked my interest to do a rebuild
On the newer version!
Adrian Castro yep thanks for the video
Can I do this without the special tool?
Chris Beindorf thanks for watching and of course asking questions! Well the tool is helpful in aligning that internal retention dial/ screw. You can probably do a long pair of needle nose pliers and it should might help. It will be some fiddling cause you have to compress at the same time turn that retention screw. I hope this helps. Where abouts are you located?
Denver
Chris Beindorf gotcha, your profile picture looked like a desert so I was curious if you were in town ( Phoenix ). If you manage to get it fixed cool, if not please let me know I can send you this tool. Thanks again
Adrian Castro I actually am eligible for warranty replacement I found out this morning. Didn’t think I was. But thank you.
Chris Beindorf well that’s even better. I know earlier on a year or so ago they were pretty backlogged with repairs/ replacements but I think now I have heard less than a week in turnaround. Thanks again for watching!
Hey Adrain --- awesome video --- plunger moving smoothlly however i tore the gasket closest to the spring --- do you know where i can buy one????
superwillied well where exactly are you located? It’s hard to find just that specific gasket/ seal. Depending on where your located I maybe able to help you.
im in Savannah GA --- if you have them id be happy to buy some from you - i bought a rebuild kit and i tore that one also - i was trying to do it with the samw pick you used but ill be damned the brand new one tore also
my email is superkitewdg@gmail.com thanks adrian
superwillied cool I will be in contact with you. Thanks again for watching and commenting!
Adrian Castro, I also tore the gasket closest to the spring. What does it take to get one of those? I assume it won’t work with the tear. Thanks for guidance!
Just got mine back from sram two brand new levers which are new design internals...... all good.
Good customer relations all work done for free even though they were out of warranty. As they should do as it’s a Sram design fault !!!!
Pat Mitch Mitch exactly! It is their fault and sucks you had down time but very happy to hear they followed through and you got them warrantied! Have fun out there!
Ugh. I just bought shinanos cause I was saying screw it. Maybe I’ll get mine warrantied and sell them on ebay or something. What a joke
Mike Chivy definitely worth the little trouble to find out and get them warrantied! If you get them fixed it will be worth to just sell them on eBay or Pinkbike.. ( no fees to list on their)
Can you get away with reassembly without replacing the olive? Or was this done for the sake of keeping the video short?
Great video btw!
When you say “olive” are you meaning the olive and barb on the actual brake line?
@@ragedracer yes, exactly. I thought they needed replacing whenever the hose is removed from the lever....but I hope I'm wrong! 🙂
@@benborrie2221 no need to replace unless you damaged it on removal…. But it’s relatively hard to damage it so you should be fine to put it back on and bleed the system.
That's great to know - Thanks!
Have the same problem with Level TL. My local brake shop (also a local SRAM dealer) did not know about this, they didn't even know that Level TL lever can be disassembled, which is kind of hilarious :D
Wow! that is hilarious! Yes you can break them all down, a bit tedious for first time but can be done! Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for the video! I am now trying to get my levers replaced through warranty. If I won't succeed, I'm gonna try to repair it using your solution. I think it should not be much different from Guide and a bit of sanding will help.
It's not really, I did do this repair on a set of level ultimates and the process was all the same. This RSC has the dial to deal with, I did do a break down of the other guide lever and posted. That one might work better on your application but in general they are all bout the same. Good luck with either way you go and feel free to update me on what happens I am sure either way you tubers would like to know if warranty works out or if this tutorial was beneficial! Thanks again!
There’s a company online that makes a corrective plunger from aluminum that aren’t susceptible to swelling and sticking like the original plastic ones. Just ordered a pair for mine, maybe they will fix my sticking issue.
Hey Justin, thanks for commenting. I always appreciate the feedback. Yes there are a few places online that have the aluminum plunger with seals that work really good. I have installed a fee of them and all seem to work with no issues to sticking. Now I will also mention that I have had a couple that the seals were not the best and allowed the fluid to leak beyond them which caused a huge mess. So if you go with the aluminum plunger make sure you save the stock seals cause you might have to reuse them. Thanks again!
Think I have this problem on my 2018 Guide RSC. Thought it would have been fixed on 2018?
Magnus Nilsson I believe they started trying to fix this problem in the beginning of 2018 because it was a huge problem. Sram was warranting the levers so they would just replace the levers. So start by contacting your bike shop or SRAM to see if they will fix your levers. I know by mid 2018 the brakes were fixed.
I do the maintenance to my brakes but the brake still losing Dot 5.1 fluid.
Maybe the chamber has a fissure inside.
Ismael Burdiles Arriaza your losing fluid? Or
Losing pressure? Is the lever spongy?
Hi, is it possible to rectify this by just disassembling, cleaning and regreasing with the sram dot grease?
Blair Kemp, well you will be able to tell upon reassembly that the plunger will be difficult to reinsert since it will be difficult to take out initially. So if you already have it apart to the extent of regreasing it you might as well do the extra step of sanding it down...know what I mean?
Yeah, I'd just feel like I'd 'bodging' a fix which for me is fine, on the less important components of my bike. No discredit to you or you method I'm sure it works flawlessly for many people, but I won't want to risk anything on brakes, which we pretty much trust with our lives, (very poor show on srams part) i am no longer a fan. Seems I'm going to have to dish out on a new plunger kit! Next step will be to sell them on and buy hope tech brakes that I can trust! Cheers!
Blair Kemp I agree with you completely! This has been a problem with Sram brakes with different models ( juicy, elixir, code, level, guide) but it was more of a problem with their level and guide models. I understand the trust on your brakes let alone trusting yourself that they won’t give out on a trail! I know rebuild kits run 30 US dollars and buying 2 well at that point you could just sell them as is on eBay or pinkbike and save yourself some possible headaches! On a side note the hope brakes I heard are fantastic but just like Shimano not much on rebuild friendly if something goes bad. Thanks commenting and good luck with either way you go! Cheers and happy trails!
Awesome, I'm the UK so basically if you buy a hope product you can directly contact them and they'll sort you out almost every time. There service is second to none. Unlike sram who don't deal directly, though lbs etc...
Thanks for you help!
Blair Kemp thank you for much for that info on hope brakes! I am sure other riders will be happy to hear that too! Thanks again!
Are you still available to fix some Guide RSC brakes?
John Inumerable I am always able to fix them unless someone really f’s it up! Feel free to email me at ragedracer@gmail.com
I’ve got the Sram code rsc and my contact dial adjuster is stuck on the rear brake. How do I fix it? Thanks.
ChedengMB you should be to remove the lever aspect and the pivot points within. You should have access to the inner area of that dial and be able to move it with some long nose pliers. Don’t try to move the dial with pliers on the outer part.. it’s very weak and you can easily bend it and if you do that it’s hard to get it back to a circle again. Hope this helps you! Any other questions feel free to message me.
Adrian Castro thanks. Do I need to bleed the brake fluid after fixing the dial?
ChedengMB no, unless the whole plunger comes out but if you just want to move that dial so it moves you are good because your not introducing air into the system- that is the only time you should bleed it.
Adrian Castro thanks again😊👍🏻
ChedengMB thanks for asking and commenting!! Good luck
Top guy, many thanks for my advice with in minutes of me asking 👍😁
ste sand thank you! We are all on the same boat, we just want to ride! Sucks with this problem but glad to know you were helped out and back on the trails soon! Thanks again for reaching out!
Finnaly someone that knows how to fix one little thingy without calling the brake garbage because he cant do it himself
Thanks for commenting! Hopefully this will help you out! Feel free to ask questions.
@@ragedracer i did it already before its working like a brand new some people say its band-aid fix for the lever but i had never ever had problems
@@rorosi4163 i can guarantee this is not a band aid fix! I live in Arizona and the heat here is constant. Never had any more issues after I did this. Good job on fixing it on your end!
@@ragedracer thats what im telling people but they still think those brakes a garbage like one guy on youtube said ive been fixing bikes for 20+ years and said it is garbage like what you have fixing bikes for that much time and you could not fix a damn lever
@@rorosi4163 yes every person has their own “like” I like only Sram stuff or I like only shimano blah blah blah. Every product has a pro and con. I like Sram
Brakes because I can work on them and fix them and Shimano…. NOPE. It’s ok, I am open to constructive criticism and go with it. Thanks again for taking the time to comment! I do appreciate it!
Can u do this without the sram guide internal tool ?
james creasy you can but it tends to be a little more tedious and you still have to be careful as the coupler is made of plastic. You will have to use the metal pushrod and unscrew it from the swinglink. Put the pushrod in the coupler and the sleeve installed and use your t9 torx and proceed to screw it in carefully. If everything goes as planned you should have no problems, that took just makes it more stable to screw it in. Hope this helps you and understand what I mean! Good luck and thanks for watching!
Adrian Castro thank u for the quick reply and very very helpful video
Thanks for the vid! Way to go, Sram! Maybe next time they will either use proper tolerances or materials or stand behind their flawed products... Haha
rallyrat I agree! Thanks for commenting!!
I don't have screws that hold the levers in, I have pins that can't/don't unscrew.
Hello, you must have the R or RS version of this lever. I did make another video with the rebuild of those. Hope that helps you.
You sir are the man
@@velidm hopefully it helps you! Any issues or questions feel free to ask.
I have lost the right beneath lever bolt of the rsc. I can see that the bearing above is also stuck. Is this bearing difficult to change? Philippe
No not hard at all to change, once you unscrew the internal set up where the plunger is. The turning dial will then come off and you can access the area where that small ball bearing and spring it. Make sure the screw that holds down the brake reservoir is taken out as well. Once those are off then you can push through the ball bearing and spring with a paper clip. I had a lever do the same thing and that's how I got it out. Hope this helps you.
Great videos man!
Thanks for watching! Hope your successful in fixing your levers.
you are a magician
Andy Suter you yourself are a perfect protégé. Thank you for the comment and of course watching. Anyone can do this and I hope this has helped you!
Hi, do you need to bleed the brakes after this procedure?
Br,
Toby
Yes you do, Normal bleed procedure and make sure no air and your good to go.
Whats that for a fat he use for the piston o rings ??
PHILIPPINES EXPAT GERMAN, I don’t exactly know what your asking. Are you asking what tool I used for the o rings?
Hey i lost the little ball and spring what now lol.... your video made this simple wish i would have watched before disassembly
Shane Haws ugh well that sucks BUT you can still make the lever function without it. It’s main purpose is to control that dial contact in, but if you manage to fix your lever and reassemble it, you should be fine with adjusting your contact point and then use tape.
Adrian castro hey so I used a drill I stuck the front where the spring slips over in the drill lightly and wrapped sand paper around it 20 seconds and it was ready works flawlessly thankyou
Shane Haws great idea! You do have to be careful on how much to tighten the drill chuck and I only say this in case someone reads this part. Thank you for contributing and your feedback! Hope you find a spring and ball that will work for your dial! And the thanks is to you for watching and your idea!
I really don't understand how this happened. How does the plastic expand so much that it is this jammed? And if it is an issue that thousands of people have experienced (myself included), why hasn't it been addressed?
Ira Dudley-Bestow yes that is exactly what happens, and yes it is an issue by thousands and yes it has been addressed by SRAM. If you want to have your levers fixed then contact Sram or your local bike shop and they can submit the levers in to have them fixed. At the peak of this issue, the wait time was bout 6-8 weeks. Nowadays I have heard the turnaround time is 5-7 days. I know they don’t charge for this fix so it’s just a matter of waiting, or you can fix it yourself. I hope this comment and video helps you and if you need any further help feel free to message again.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Good luck with either way you go.
Is this not something sram will cover under warranty? Or should I not even waste my time. I don't mind doing this fix but would rather just get it replaced for free. Mine are 2 years old
Hey petayV8,
The only way I know if maybe Sram having to cover under warranty is if you go through your local bike shop and they can let you know. Otherwise I think this fix will be your best option. Hopefully either way you go it will work out for you.
@@ragedracer I purchased the brakes from pink bike,they were a take off from another bike. So without receipts I'm wondering if it's a waste of time
@@ragedracer mine aren't terrible but the front only seized up after leaving bike in the sun at work (often ride after work) I bled it and got it working again but now the level doesn't feel smooth/fluid and the contact adjustment dial moves left to right slightly when using the lever. I re built my guides 4 years ago and figured sram fixed this problem buy now so didn't worry about leaving in 100f heat. Frustrating from $400 brakes.
@@petayV8 where are you located? Starting around 2018 they tried to remedy the levers but I noticed even on those it still had issues. When you rebuilt your previous guides were they RSC or Guide R’s? RS? If they are not too bad you might just need a good bleed with 5.1 DOT fluid.
@@ragedracer the guides were RLs from 2015 they have been flawless since. Im in Boise, Idaho
Sorry for badgering you - can I put it back together without that reinstallation tool?
Dave T you can badger me all you want it’s an open forum! As for the tool it helps... ALOT. You can probably do it but it’s tedious and not to complicate even more is that coupler you screw in is made of plastic so if it’s inserted wrong you might strip that thread on it. I hope this helps you either way you go. If you manage to do it without the tool please share cause I am sure more you tubers would want to know! Thanks again
Hello I was able to reassemble without the tool. I set the threaded retaining|plunger piece in place. Then used a 3\8 socket to simulate the tool. I placed a 4mm Allen through the socket to just slightly depress the plunger. Then used the Contact adjustment the carefully seat the threads. It is awkward as you have to place pressure downward on the socket while simultaneously pressing on the Allan.
Continue to carefully use the contact adjustment to seat the threaded piece to the hilt.
Bike shops were of no help as I surmised one in my city would have the tool. All sent the brake master and lever out for service.
Mire Ven thank you for commenting! I am sure most bike shops will just try to send it out or have sram see if it covered by warranty. Great job on working on your lever and finding another way to assemble without the special tool! Thanks
what do you do when the contact knob doesn't turn
anymore??
Bernard Blackburn I think you turned it too much, keep in mind that coupler is plastic so if you over tighten to the slightest amount it becomes almost impossible to turn that dial adjustment knob with just your fingertips.
awesome man just had this with both mine hopefully can fix it now and save some $$
Good to hear! These brakes are great once they are working, thanks for watching! Any questions with the fix just message me, happy to help.
hi nice helpfull Video, i have everything here now to repair my 2016 Guide r.
Do i have to fully emtpy the dot befor i can disassemble the Lever, and how can i emtpy it.
Danie Matzani I do have the other video of the repair of the guide r. No you don’t have to empty all the DOT fluid. You will have some fluid come out when you take off the brake line and when you dissemble the plunger in the lever. If you wanted to take out the fluid you could use a bleed kit and just suck out the fluid from the caliper port. Hope this helps you in your rebuild.
Can i just use the syringe and press air into the Lever port , and with the other syringe i take out the DOT at the caliper port? Or what do u mean with suck it out.
Sorry first time ill try to repair Brakes, i just know how to bleed em but not how to empty the whole dot.
Danie Matzani yes exactly like you said, like you were going to bleed the brakes. Easy way to drain the dot fluid.
Thank you very much, im rdy to repair my breaks now
Danie Matzani no problem at all and happy to help when I can! If you have any other questions feel free to message me.
Hey Adrian, thanks for making the video. How can I contact you, I'd like to send you my brake for the repair.
Hey Steve,
Sure no problem at all! My email is ragedracer@gmail.com
@@ragedracer email sent, thanks
I sent you an email so we can get in contact about repairing the lever I have, please send me your contact info, thanks Adrian.
@@sgort2 I will be looking for it. Thanks for reaching out!
@@ragedracer cool, I sent it on the 24th, might have gone to your spam folder?
Hey! So i followed your steps, reassabled but now my contact adjust wont turn anymore. Did i do something wrong? Thanks!
Christoph W. First don’t try using pliers to turn the dial, that dial is very thin so you end up squeezing it and making it oblong. Second take off just the lever aspect and the first part mechanical aspect of the lever plunger. You should be able to insert a small flat head screwdriver and loosen it up so it’s not tight. So finger tighten is enough for it. Hope that helps you!
Christoph W. Btw you probably didn’t do
Anything wrong but maybe over tighten that piece
@@ragedracer oh thanks for the quick response! I used the assebly tool to tighten the black thing with the thread on it that goes through the contact adjust wheel. I didnt thighten it up a lot - bit more than finger tight i'd say. So you mean i should just unscrew it a bit?
Christoph W. Yes just use that tool and loosen it up where you can use your fingers to turn the dial and you should be good.
Bye the way and I am asking just to make sure you put the small ball bearing and spring back in under that screw for the reservoir. I have had people with issues on forgetting that ball bearing but the spring is in place so it binds up that dial.
240p only?
Gons yep 240p... one of these days I will redo this with higher definition. Unfortunately my original upload with my server did not help.
You'd be surprised how much hammering it took to punch out that damn piston on my Guide RSC lever. I'll know after the bleed.
Jason Thomas I am not surprised lately. I had some TLM’s that I had to put in the vice which is a first for me. Never had one that stuck before. I did fix them though! Good luck on yours and hopefully you didn’t ruin anything! Thanks for commenting!
I'd really like to do this to my problematic RSC but I don't have that sram internal tool.
Is re-assembly possible without that tool?
Thanks man, very informative video!
jhongsylva well you can try but it’s troublesome to hold that plunger and turn the dial to get it on. It’s a small part but it takes a lot of headache out for reassembling. Thank you for watching!
Errrrrr. What happens if I loose the tiny metal ball out of the reservoir cap?
Dave T damn! Well you can technically not install it, the only thing it does is keep that dial contact in place and it will not allow it to move while your riding. Just don’t put the spring back in cause that can cause havoc with that dial contact. Maybe tape down the dial to keep it in place.
Adrian Castro phew. Found it! Thanks for the quick reply.
Hope I can put all this back together again.
Piston was super stuck!
Dave T it’s pretty amazing to me how stuck these plungers get! Glad you found the metal ball and good luck on the rebuild!
Are you still fixing these?
Orlando Mendoza, yes I am. I get a brake or a set every week or so. Are you having problems with yours?
Adrian Castro not that i know of. I just got 1 Sram Code RSC brake system and 1 Sram GUIDE rsc for free. I plan on using them but they have no levers so i won't know till i try them lol.
Orlando Mendoza so you have lever bodies but no lever blades? They are both easy to work on ( but that’s me saying this!) but honestly the Sram code rsc are relatively new so I don’t think you should have any problems with that one, but for the guide rsc it all depends on how old it is.
Adrian Castro yep just the bodies with the lines and calipers. They look brand new but I have no idea of the history of them. Some lady gave me a box of goodies and they were inside. I hope I hit jack pot. How much is your service just Incase?
Orlando Mendoza wow what a score! Great for you! Even if you are OCD and want matching lever bodies you can easily sell one and it will cover some if not most of the cost of a matching brake. If you take care of shipping I can do it for about 20 bucks.... but as you can tell and read some comments you can see you can probably do this yourself! That’s why I made this video! Give it a good try with some patience and I am sure you can do it! If not just message on here and happy to help where I can!
Does anyone know if the Guide tool works with the SRAM Level model?
MrTurbobullet which level model? T, TL, TLM?
T
MrTurbobullet it does not need the tool, this plunger set up is similar to the guide r and the rs model. You need some deep nosed snap ring pliers. Once you remove the snap ring your able to access the plunger.
I did this and now I can't bleed, the liquid don't travel for a change ?
Arthur Poussardin hello! Thanks for watching and commenting! Can you disconnect the hose from the lever and see if fluid travels from the caliper through the hose? If so then see if there is any debris in the lever. Make sure you have no particles in the lever and that your fluid is clean. If the fluid is contaminated it might cause the bleed process to get plugged.
@@ragedracer thank you for your answer. I can bleed if i remove the lever (1st thing you do when desassembly) and the front brack work but the other don't. I will see if i can remove debris and i will notice you again if I have any problem
Arthur Poussardin thank you for updating me, make sure you also check and remove the reservoir cap to make sure no contaminates or particles are in their too!
Great video, but has anyone questioned sram on their terrible quality control? Seems like a ton of work for something that should leave the factory in perfect working order.
pete langevin thanks for watching and commenting! And YES! It seems some crew didn’t have their best team designing this but I will say like I did in my first tutorial video that the plunger dilemma was present before the Guides. I found it on every model so far, the previous codes, juicy’s, X0, elixir, you name it this plunger swelled but didn’t affect as many brakes as the guides did. SRAM is making good as I last heard and will warranty your levers, I am sure there is some details or specifics that you need to do to send it in. Crazy and yes a bit of work if you don’t know what your dealing with. I am still fixing these levers nowadays, takes me bout 4 minutes now to do it from start to finish. On a side note I do think there NEWEST lines of brakes are free of these problems.. codes and guides but I am sure this was a pain to deal with! Hope they learned! Thanks again for watching and commenting!
After Sanding the piston you need to clean before inserting inside..😥😥
Dhon Romero yes before inserting plunger make sure to clean it! Thank you for pointing this out! On my next video I will make sure to instruct better!
Thanks man!
A Buzz no thank you for watching and commenting! Hope it all helped out for you!
Doesn't SRAM recall or offer to fix this problem?
John Cruz yes they do and also at their discretion. It does require your local shop to do it. But I heard the turn around on this is crazy but maybe it has changed lately since it’s been a while since I did the video. I do mention that in my other video that before you get started on this to have your local shop check things out and see if it can be recalled/ fixed.
Thank you.
Bought rebuilds kits already Dam
Ok, hopefully this tutorial will help you with rebuild anyways. You can skip over the sanding down the plastic plunger.
@@ragedracer would have saved me $50. Update title to guide R too. Was looking for guide R repair
@@OtterMotoring I do have the guide r tutorial as well. Look at my other videos.
@@OtterMotoring it says Sram guide DB5, R, RS
Help me sir my sram brake kinda stuck
Ryan Morales have you watched the video or is this a brake you want to send to me? Thanks for commenting
What was this? Some sort of time trial service🤣only pulling your leg pal. Just had my bike complete stripped for paint. The front sram guide rs stayed on the front but I completely disassembled the rear leaving the rear lever complete but off the Bike...(cable out at lever end and caliper end also) went to reassemble today to Finnish the new build off and went out for a test....Bike felt so fresh having had all the pivot bearings done, bb, headset etc! Then after riding for about 5-10mins the rear lever locked solid in the fully open position....and I mean solid, couldn't move the lever at all. Released some tension off the cable on the lever end and it would free up again only to lock up after a few pumps! Repeated this process 4-5 times then have up....have you any idea what this could be? Never had an issue with these brakes before. Only thing I will note it I fitted a new pin and olive in the cable which looked slightly different from the original & it was almost 30'deg Celsius heat with us today! What could be causing this issue? My first thaught was I used the wrong shape or size olive and it is causing issues for me....some say that these levers are effected by high temps....went out to the alps two years ago in 30deg heat with zero issues....this has only occured since I stripped and rebuilt the Bike! I used dot 4 fluid which it sais is ok on the lever cap! Build has taken me months so I'm itching to get out on the trails...any help would be greatly appreciated buddy. Thanks🤙🏼
taffgriff69 of course this is only a trial service! Well it seems like what’s going on is what the problem is with these brakes. For some reason the plunger seems to expand with very minimal rise in temperature and makes it difficult for the lever to actually work. As to why it didn’t affect you before in the same temperature is odd but this problem affects These brakes wether they are new less than 10 miles and like you a couple of years old. You can try to use 5.1 DOT fluid and see what happens and see if it still has the same affect ( 5.1 fluid has a higher boiling point) when I rebuild brakes I only use 5.1 fluid. If the problem still happens I am gonna guess you need to rebuild the brake and that should resolve your problem. You can watch my trial service again and hope it helps you! 😆
Adrian Castro thanks for the reply dude....I did think of the dot fluid! It happened when I was bedding the brakes in so the oil temp would have arisen! Time to flush and try 5.1 if not I will do the same down fix....pretty good with tricky little rebuilds like that myself! Not at that speed though! U can tell uve done a brake or two in the past..🤣thanks man. Have a nice day
taffgriff69 thank you for commenting! Yes I have done this a few times now, I think I have done bout 60 guide r and rs levers and bout 70 guide rsc. I think I have gotten faster now! Ha ha ha I hope your levers will work with changing the fluid. If you have any more problems or rebuild questions feel free to comment! Good luck and hope your on the trails soon!
I have similar issues with SRAM Guide R. Looks like they are going in the bin. Awful brakes!
Dmitri Nesteruk I completely understand and like most people they want to as well. It might be worth to sell them ( pinkbike or eBay) as parts to someone who is willing to do the rebuild if you don’t want to.
240p? XD