Froze caliper bleeder screw

Brian, I have done brake bleeding via loosing the brake line going into the caliper and using it as the bleeder. Use a flare wrench as these can be easy to round off and then you end up with another head- ache.

chuck

Brian Morgan wrote:

You can heat it a torch. Plumbing propane torch may not be hot enough. They do sell diff gas (hotter) that can be fitted to your existing torch head.

Paul

Have you tried repeated applications of a good Penetrating Oil ?

Lg

If he can't unscrew the bleeder screw he sure as hell won't get the hose loosened.

========= Harryface =========

I always like the little tip on the OA torch. Heat the tip of the bleeder screw to a bright red, and swat it with a hammer, then put the vice grips on it and out it comes - better than 90% of the time. Then get a new bleeder screw and a bit of nickle anti-seize - just a tootpik tip's worth.

|I always like the little tip on the OA torch. Heat the tip of the |bleeder screw to a bright red, and swat it with a hammer, then put the |vice grips on it and out it comes - better than 90% of the time. Then |get a new bleeder screw and a bit of nickle anti-seize - just a |tootpik tip's worth.

I would only worry about annealing the caliper metal by heating it. Especially in the case of a brake caliper. That isn't a metal part you want to fail under high mechanical stress.

Indeed, if there is some glue holding the screw, the heat will melt it and make it easier to get the screw out. I only would approach this with high caution for the above reason. In fact, I have a variable torque impact wrench, that has broken loose all kinds of *stuck* bolts, by incrementally destroying the glue and/or rust.

If you have a caliper fail by breaking under stress, or bending under stress, you're in trouble Sir.

Lg

The orginal post was about heating the tip of the bleeder screw to bright red. If this is done quickly, very little heating of the caliper will occur.

As a mechanical engineer, I can state that this will not cause any problems with the caliper for a few reasons. First, all the calipers I've seen are cast iron. It doesn't tend to anneal. High strength alloys yes, cast iron, no. Second, on most alloys, appreciable annealing will only occur afer the metal is visibly hot (at least dull orange), unless heat soaked for hours and hours.

I like the approach of heating the nipple & banging with a hammer.

-jeff Deeney-

If u haven't got it out yet, use a small hammer-actuated impact tool with a tight-fitting socket and "impact" it slightly at first, both cw and then ccw. As u alternate directions, slowly increase the hammer force being used. Kinda like rocking a car to get traction in order to get it out of a bog. Works quite often on stuck bolts; I'd expect the same on a caliper. Good luck, sdlomi

|The orginal post was about heating the tip of the |bleeder screw to bright red. If this is done quickly, very little |heating of the caliper will occur. | |As a mechanical engineer, I can state that this will not cause |any problems with the caliper for a few reasons. First, all the |calipers I've seen are cast iron. It doesn't tend to anneal. High |strength alloys yes, cast iron, no. Second, on most alloys, |appreciable annealing will only occur afer the metal is visibly |hot (at least dull orange), unless heat soaked for hours and |hours. | |I like the approach of heating the nipple & banging with a hammer. | |-jeff Deeney-

OK, Jeff, if you say it is OK on cast iron calipers, it is OK. I am _not_ an engineer. I'll keep this in mind if I have to do any brake work myself, although I tend to dislike brake work so much I have a tendency to just let someone else do the work. I don't have the _equipment_ to turn rotors, and as such, I don't do the work.

Lg

You could either purchase the 40.00 caliper, or heat up the bleeder screw area a bit, and use beeswax on it. Just heat up the bleederscrew, and press the beeswax over the screw (so you are immersing the screw in the wax). I've used this many a times to remove seized bolts.

The caliper is cast, so annealing is not a serious threat, particularly as you are heating only the bleeder - and the caliper itself barely gets too hot to hold if you are quick about it.

Never had one give a problem yet, and I've done hundreds.

The rotors are so cheap now, it's usually cheaper to replace them yourself than to pay someone else to machine them - not to mention when they need turning, they are usually not worth turning any more.

|>If you have a caliper fail by breaking under stress, or bending under |>stress, you're in trouble Sir. | |Never had one give a problem yet, and I've done hundreds.

Sure, only your customers that LIVE can come back and tell you what a great job you did on their car.

I know of lots of dead people because of failed brakes. Entire families. Their own fault for not maintaining them properly, I suppose.

You have done hundreds of them, I have done a few. You win.

Lg

|The rotors are so cheap now, it's usually cheaper to replace them |yourself than to pay someone else to machine them - not to mention |when they need turning, they are usually not worth turning any more.

This is a good tip. I'll keep that in mind if I need another brake job. I just had new shoes put on the front of my 97 Merc Tracer 2.0 Liter. The guy who supervised the job insisted that the rotors _must_ be turned whenever new brake pads are installed.

Anyhow, it is easy enough to use vernier calipers on the rotors to see how much metal is left for turning. But if they are as cheap as you suggest, new ones sound like the best idea.

Lg

Here is a new approach you may want to try if the heating technique fails. Remove the caliper completely block the piston to the in position a piece of wood or some other appropriate sized hard material usually works I have used c clamps. Rotate the caliper so the line is the highest point (all air will rise to highest point) loosen the brake line bolt and bleed through the brake line it is a much more time consuming and meticulous way of doing it but in a pinch it has worked for me also tap the caliper while bleeding to release any air trapped in chamber the key here is not to force to much fluid into the caliper while bleeding forcing the air back down into the chamber. This technique really sucks but has worked for me

mike