Your bike is dead. Don't cry or yell at me

I have like 5 sets of xts. I replaced one caliper for a stuck piston a couple years ago but the rest have been perfect

Must be pretty hit and miss. My 3 sets of Shimano hydros (including one pair GRX) have not given me that problem. Even on the Fatback that sits idle most of the year.

Or have I just cursed myself to squeal hell…

Update: I did a lever bleed and it bubbled for like five straight minutes of lever pulling and hose tapping. Now the lever feels firm and the brake is 10x powerful. Seemed to squeal less too.

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I think it’s mostly an issue with newer calipers. Had another one yesterday on the grx 12 speed group.

Tech at TRP claims Shimano changed their formula and it’s no longer approved for use on TRP brakes as it can mess with seals. So maybe something funky is going on beyond just poor QC.

It’s generally easy to troubleshoot at least. The tell is the ring of oil on the back of the pads.

Did they change the formula to seal better or is the change making brakes leak?

No idea.

Gotta break out my 5 year vintage oil and see if it makes a difference

Oh, you mean this ring?

Also, WTH this is my third rim to crack at the eyelets!

If the ring is wet with oil that caliper is fine for. If just marks from the piston it is probably ok.

Formal leak check:

Wrap a blue shop towel around a bleed block and put it in a cleaned caliper. Rubber band the lever down and let it sit a bit. Then inspect the towel for signs of a piston leak.

Also with a bleed block in reef on the lever and look closely at the caliper seams fittings.

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I’m just gonna replace the caliper. It was pretty wet when I pulled it out but dried as I attempted to get my phone to focus on it.

Do you ride in places with road salt? Looks like oxidation around the eyelets. How are your winter bike wash practices?

Yes.

Like, not great. The bike lives in an unheated garage with no water so i can’t do much more than just wipe it down periodically. I give it a good scrub down in the spring.
I’ve never been good about it but this has never happened to any other bike and now this is the third rear wheel in three years that has failed this way under the Bullitt.

I know nothing about hydros but have them on one bike. I refuse to acknowledge differences in mineral oil and will use them interchangably. The red and blue combo inside my Magura system has been fine for the 3 months it has been installed so science has proven me right.

But seriously, cmon. Why cant hydro stuff be more cross compatible. Makes me want to go back to cables.

I recall you mentioning this before, but is there a revised version of Shimano mineral oil that might corroborate their claim?

They did revise their SDS sheet in 2022. The previous one had been issued since 2012.

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OK y’all, I connected the newer SLX caliper to the older XT lever. Seems fine. Works MUCH better than the leaky XT caliper, we’ll see how long that lasts.
It’s still not quite as powerful as I’d like. I can’s skid the rear tire without also employing the front brake.

My cranks PASSED INSPECTION!? Picked the wrong shop…

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Which shop?!

Obviously not outpost

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