Bleed Kits for Shimano

Mineral oil bleed kits for flat-bar and drop-bar Shimano levers

Shimano hydraulic brakes run on mineral oil and bleed through a funnel that threads into the lever, so they need their own kit. The Basic Shimano kit carries the lever funnel and a caliper syringe for flat-bar brakes. The Workshop kit covers flat-bar and drop-bar levers in one box, and the Premium Road kit has the brass adapter that drop-bar levers need. Bleedkit.com GOLD mineral oil comes in 100 ml and 500 ml bottles.

The method is in how to bleed disc brakes. For the newest road levers, check which bleed kit fits first.

Frequently asked questions

What fluid do Shimano hydraulic disc brakes use?

Shimano brakes use mineral oil, not DOT fluid. Use only a Shimano-compatible mineral oil such as BleedKit.com GOLD/RED or an equivalent mineral brake fluid. Never put DOT fluid in a Shimano brake — it swells and destroys the seals and can cause brake failure.

Which Shimano bleed kit should I choose — Basic, Workshop, or Premium?

All bleed Shimano's mineral-oil system; they differ in tooling. Basic covers occasional home bleeds, Workshop adds durability and capacity for shops bleeding regularly, and Premium includes the fullest set of funnels, fittings, and fluid. Pick by how often you bleed and how many brake models you service.

Will these kits fit the 2026 Shimano R9300 and R8270 levers?

Those 2026 levers moved to an M7 funnel thread from the older M5 standard, so confirm the funnel thread before bleeding. Many existing kits ship with the M5-era funnel; check the kit's funnel size or look for an M7 adapter so the funnel seats correctly on the new levers.

Do I need a special funnel for a Shimano bleed?

Yes. Shimano bleeds use a funnel that threads into the lever's bleed port rather than a syringe-only setup. The Shimano-specific kits include the correct threaded funnel and stopper, which is why a Shimano kit is not interchangeable with a SRAM DOT kit.

Can I use one bleed kit for both my Shimano and SRAM brakes?

No. Shimano uses mineral oil and SRAM (Code/Level/Guide/AXS) uses DOT 5.1, and the two fluids must never share tools. Keep a dedicated mineral-oil kit for Shimano and a separate DOT kit for SRAM so fluids and syringes never cross-contaminate.