Shimano M775 caliper with M988 lever

[gnarly]

Hi all,

Has anyone out there successfully mated an XT M775 caliper with an XTR M988 lever? I was under the impression that most shimano brake bits were interchangeable but I can't get these two to work properly.

No matter how much I bleed them, I get masses of lever travel before the pads contact the rotor. Then they're really spongy. It's like there's air in there somewhere but I can't find any evidence of it. I've bled from the top, bled from the bottom, left them overnight with the lever tied back and the reservoir open... No improvement. I'm using the newer BH90 hose and brand new olives etc.

Am I missing something or do these two just not work together? I'm sure I've seen posts saying they do...

(note: with the old, crash-damaged 775 lever they were rock solid, so the caliper isn't borked)

Thanks,
Olly.

[sub]

What did you end up doing with the lever/caliper combo?
I've got a similar problem and am having a hard time finding any info.