Firm up a Magura brake without a bleed kit

[TDA78]

I put a couple drops of mineral oil in the reservoir fill hole and vigorously worked the brake lever until it disappeared. Repeated this about 10 times and now the front brake is firm like the rear. No guarantees this will work for every situation but it's worth a shot.

This method didn't work in the long run as the brake went soft again. The syringe method pulled out a stream of bubbles. The syringe does need to be a luer-slip type capable of accepting a hypodermic needle. The fit is unmistakably tight when you have the correct syringe.

Don't forget to level the brake handle before removing the fill plug. Also, only tighten the plug with your fingers spinning the shaft of the Torx key. It's very easy to strip the plastic threads.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I put a couple drops of mineral oil in the reservoir fill hole and vigorously worked the brake lever until it disappeared. Repeated this about 10 times and now the front brake is firm like the rear. No guarantees this will work for every situation but it's worth a shot.

Don't forget to level the brake handle before removing the fill plug. Also, only tighten the plug with your fingers spinning the shaft of the Torx key. It's very easy to strip the plastic threads.

I did my front brake on our tandem and the mechanic had tightened the screw so much my hex stripped it and its metal.

 

[loamoaf]

I've done both the Magura 'official' method & the vacuum purge method multiple times on my MT7's and it took probably 5-6 times of the 'official' method to get the rear firmed up to where I'm unable to make the 1-finger lever touch the grips without feeling like I'm gonna pop a tendon. Still need to do the front one, I'll have to give this a try. The vacuum purge method I never got a good enough seal on the reservoir to get a good vacuum.

To get solid results from the official method, I had to cycle having the lever titled down, level, and titled up while filling from the caliper & tapping the line & master with a screwdriver handle. I hate how messy mineral oil is, I ordered a gallon of 99% iso specifically for bike stuff it's that annoying

 

[TOOSLOW]

Go to magura.com, check out fast bleed.
Simple, easy, quick, etc. All you need is a syringe, drill a small hole following magura's instructions, and mineral oil.
Very little mess at all to bleed.

If after a ride, you still have a little bit of a spongy lever feel, do it again. Once again it is super easy so a repeat of the bleed process is not all that of a inconvenience.

Magura reservoir's tend to trap air so sometimes a repeat of the bleed process needs to be done.
My MT7 brakes needed a couple attempts but with the fast bleed process, it is pretty easy.

 

[loamoaf]

The 'fast bleed' is what I meant by 'vacuum purge method' - unfortunately my syringe doesn't get a good enough seal in the reservoir and draws some air in at the joint. If Magura made a syringe with a threaded tip that sealed up nicely into the reservoir I would pay a handsome sum for it - these things are a monster pain to bleed but they are ridiculous with the 220 rotor up front & 203 in back & the 8.S pads. The alternating the tilt-angle of the levers while bleeding is what others on mtbr suggested with great success to get the aforementioned trapped air bubbles out of the lever if you're unable to get the seal you need to do the fast bleed technique

 

[TDA78]

I initially tried the vacuum syringe method too but couldn't get a good seal and actually made the brake worse. Working the brake lever to draw in oil was a last-ditch attempt and I'm surprised it worked.