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Magura Brake Hacking

Started by Jester2000 · · Last activity · 14 posts · 662 views

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rec.sport.unicycling
Published
29 August 2006
Last activity
13 March 2008
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Jester2000
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  1. So I decided to save some money and not buy new cables for my busted
    Magura HS-33. I also lost my adjustable red knob at Moab this year,
    and I have been wanting to get a replacement for that.

    Only my crossover cable was ripped, but I was looking into steel
    braided cables (to replace both crossover and main line), and that
    costs about $75 pre-shipping. No LBS's seem to ever carry anything
    Magura (none had any replacement cables). Magura USA would sell me a
    new plastic crossover for $8 pre-shipping.

    I called around, and a found a somewhat local tube supply store, and
    bought a couple feet of plastic tubing for a $1. It was tough to heat
    it up to the right temp. and get it solidly on the metal couplers, but
    I did it eventually.

    The other "hack" is a die instead of buying a new knob. It's pretty
    sweet.

    LINK: http://www.unicyclejester.com/gallery/uni/equipment/

    There's the galleries, that are pretty much tutorials.

    Oh yeah, the brake got bled yesterday, and everything works great!
    Thank you, Nathan 🙂.

    -Jess

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  2. Jess If your still home in G.B. you can take a look at some line I have
    for the hydraulics but I dont have any connectors
    Robert

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  3. Nice going! It's cool to see people's creativity.

    In the future, if you want to go back to Magura parts, 'I do service '
    (http://tinyurl.com/kp7e9)Magura brakes with plastic or stainless steel
    cables, with 90 degree connectors or not.

    --
    U-Turn

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  4. i think you need a new lbs mine sold me like 10 feet of magora tube for
    like 3$. also another tip dont heat the tube heat the fiting it makes
    it easer cuz the tube dosint get all flexey

    --
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  5. Dealing with the fittings sizes for switching to a braided line
    cross-over is tricky. The brakes have two different size threads for
    the brake line (different thread size and different thread pitch). The
    Magura branded braided line fits into different holes on the brakes
    than the plastic line. The result is that you cannot use the Magura
    braided crossover hose in place of the plastic crossover hose. You
    have to replace both the crossover and the main hose with the Magura
    braided hose to get it to work.

    You can go after market for a replacement braided crossover hose. A DH
    or freeride oriented bike shop will have have hydraulic brake fittings
    and hose. With luck they'll have the fittings that will fit the Magura
    rim brakes. Have them build you a custom braided crossover. They can
    mix and match fitting sizes to get it all to work. So you can have a
    plastic hose going from the brake lever to the brake and a braided
    crossover hose.

    The custom hydraulic hose and fittings from the bike shop should be
    much less expensive than the Magura branded braided hose. It probably
    won't be as flexible as the Magura branded hose, but it will be
    flexible enough, and stronger and more kink resistant than the plastic
    hose.

    --
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  6. Jess,

    Make sure you give us a follow up as to how your creative mod has
    worked out.

    john_childs said:

    Dealing with the fittings sizes for switching to a braided line
    cross-over is tricky. .

    John,

    My last experience with a bike shop was not good when i changed over
    from the plastic lines to the braided lines. It was the beginning of
    the end of my brakes.

    I have since replaced the old brakes entirely and am now using an
    almost new replacement magura brake (HS33) with plastic lines. I want
    to go back to the braided lines mainly for durability.

    Can you tell me if I can just swap out the plastic lines and fittings
    and just replace it with the braided crossover and main lines? Do I
    need olives or anything for the braided lines?

    The braided lines were originally bought from UDC two years ago in a
    kit that they offered. So, I think all I need to do is remove the
    plastic lines with connectors to the brakes and then just thread the
    braided lines into the brakes - right? Finally, refill with Magura
    blood.

    I am debating whether or not to make the change before California
    Mountain Unicycling Weekend or run with what I have. The brakes work
    great right now, almost hate to tinker with them.

    thanks

    --
    teachndad

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  7. teachndad said:

    Can you tell me if I can just swap out the plastic lines and fittings
    and just replace it with the braided crossover and main lines? Do I
    need olives or anything for the braided lines?

    The braided lines were originally bought from UDC two years ago in a
    kit that they offered. So, I think all I need to do is remove the
    plastic lines with connectors to the brakes and then just thread the
    braided lines into the brakes - right? Finally, refill with Magura
    blood.

    I am debating whether or not to make the change before California
    Mountain Unicycling Weekend or run with what I have. The brakes work
    great right now, almost hate to tinker with them.

    If you switch out both the brake lever hose and the cross-over hose at
    the same time to Magura braided hose you'll be fine. It's the mix and
    matching plastic hose with braided hose that gets complicated.

    The braided hose is all different fittings than the plastic hose. The
    braided hose does not use olives. The fittings are completely
    different.

    When replacing the hose just pay attention to the fitting sizes and
    thread pitch. Make sure you put the correct size fitting in the
    correct size hole.

    You can use 'Finish Line Shock Oil #5'
    (http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/shock-oil.htm) instead of Magura
    oil. It's cheaper and easier to get. See 'The Magura Cult'
    (http://www.execulink.com/~dtierney/wmc/Magura/contents.htm) pages on
    rim brake setup for more info. The Magura Cult is where the
    recommendation to use the Finish Line Shock Oil is from.

    Then you'll need a bleeding kit. It's a big syringe with a short
    section of hose attached and a fitting at the end. You might be able
    to use an old piece of hose (with fitting attached) from your old
    brake. Then it's a challenge to find a suitable large syringe. Maybe
    a bike shop will be able to point you in the right direction. I have
    the Magura bleeding kit and didn't roll my own setup.

    If you have never bled brakes before it will probably take you two or
    three tries before you get it right with no air in the line.

    You can download the 'Magura tech manuals'
    (http://www.magura.com/7thsenseCMS/index.php?id=80&L=1). They'll tell
    you what you need to know for installing the braided line. There is a
    tech manual listed as 'How to install the braided hose'
    (http://tinyurl.com/pxfv4) along with some other good tech manuals.

    The Magura Cult pages have all the info you'll need for how to bleed
    them and make sure there's no air in the line.

    --
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  8. Quoted message said:

    You can use Finish Line Shock Oil #5 instead of Magura oil

    mineral oil and watter also work (dont get the watter to cold)

    --
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  9. unicyclepa said:

    mineral oil and watter also work (dont get the watter to cold)

    Mineral oil is not ideal. Here is what The Magura Cult says about
    using mineral oil:

    Quoted message said:

    Emergency oil substitutes -
    Cooking Oil will get rancid and changes viscosity. Mineral Oil from the
    Supermarket is also not a good substitute. You never know what
    viscosity that stuff has. Mostly a weight of 30 is sold but again,
    nobody knows for sure, because of the different measurements in
    viscosity. For emergency work in the middle of nowhere cooking oil, or
    mineral oil will work....so does water but it all really needs to be
    flushed later.

    Probably the best emergency alternative is Sewing machine oil. It is
    available even in so-called third world countries.

    Use an oil that you know the viscosity of and that you know won't
    damage any seals in the brake. 30 weight mineral oil is going to be
    too thick. The brake will be sluggish. Finish Line 5 weight shock oil
    (for the front fork of mountain bikes) is easy to find at bicycle
    shops. No need to experiment with mineral oil from the supermarket.

    --
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  10. sorey jc but im going to have to disagree with you on this one you would
    never know the difrence with mineral oil. Ask aney trials biker they
    will tell you the same thing. In my trials bike magoras I run mineral
    oil in the winter and watter in the summer. mineral oil is cheap and
    easey to get and works exactly the same as magora blood, magora just
    dosint want you to know that

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  11. john,

    Thanks very much for the detailed response. It is extremely helpful
    and I know anyone ever going through researching this topic will find
    your response equally thorough and helpful.🙂

    Cheers!

    --
    teachndad

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  12. Here is the whole section on hydraulic oil from the Magura Cult:

    Quoted message said:

    Hydraulic oil
    Magura Oil, which is filled into the brakes in Germany is greenish -
    Shell Naturelle. Unfortunately Shell USA doesn't sell (import) that
    same stuff. Shell USA says that this (environmental friendly) oil is
    too expensive for the American market. Magura USA could get it in a
    special load (a boat load?) but it probably would last to the year
    3000.

    Magura USA searched high and low and ended up with Finish Line Shock
    Oil No 5, which is actually a mineral based synthetic oil and is of a
    reddish colour. Finish line shock oil is also environmental friendly
    and if you can trust the folks at Shell, it will mix with the original
    Shell stuff. It also has a better lubrication value than even the
    original German Shell.

    So....all brakes are filled in Germany with Shell Naturelle. All Oil in
    the bleedkits and separate oil bottles available from Magura USA is
    Finish Line No. 5 Shock Oil.

    The viscosity or weight is measured in different ways in Europe and in
    the USA (figures!) but the original Shell Stuff is about 8 weight. The
    Finish Line again is 5. ( The smaller the number the thinner it is)

    In case of extreme low temps, Finish Line No 2.5 weight is a
    temporarily accepted fix. It will make the brake levers return
    faster. Also 2.5 weight is Thorsten's personal choice for the rear
    Louise Disc brake.

    (Mike's comment: would the brakes tend to leak if using the thinner oil
    in warmer weather?)

    Emergency oil substitutes -
    Cooking Oil will get rancid and changes viscosity. Mineral Oil from the
    Supermarket is also not a good substitute. You never know what
    viscosity that stuff has. Mostly a weight of 30 is sold but again,
    nobody knows for sure, because of the different measurements in
    viscosity. For emergency work in the middle of nowhere cooking oil, or
    mineral oil will work....so does water but it all really needs to be
    flushed later.

    Probably the best emergency alternative is Sewing machine oil. It is
    available even in so-called third world countries.

    NEVER use DOT (Car/Motorcycle) Brake fluid. It will destroy the seals.
    DOT brake fluid will attract water which makes the boiling point go
    down quick. (That's why the folks with "other" disc brakes have to
    change the stuff every year or two). And it is environmental a
    disaster. Not to mention that it will eat paint for breakfast and the
    real damage it can do to Carbon and other frame materials is widely
    unknown)

    Make of that what you will. I would not use water. It has no
    lubrication and if you leave the water in during Winter it could freeze
    and break the brake.

    The Finish Line oil is reasonably priced. About $14 for 16oz. That is
    enough to completely flush the brake many times. More than enough for
    a unicyclist for several years or more.

    --
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  13. This is all good stuff. Thanks for the post Jess with the detailed
    photos. Since I got to see the setup last weekend I can tell you guys
    that Jess's die-knob came out great. Here's hoping it will work
    perfectly all through CMW!

    ---Nathan

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  14. I broke my main line a little while ago and have a triathlon on sunday.
    I want my break for the race but none of the bike shops here in PA or
    any of the ones in Saskatoon have Magura break line or olives.

    Would using plastic tubing like that work for the main line? Is the
    connection the same as on the crossovers?

    Thanks

    ERIC

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