Living in the Rochester, NY area. Vehicles rust, and parts are dificult to remove. The threaded pins for GM front brakes are often miserable to remove. The threads are dificult to get to, and tend to rust and lock up.
What's some of the ways to prevent the rust? And what are some ways to remove rusted ones?
In the last day or two, I've been helping work on a friend's car. The T-50 socket tip removed one pin. A metric allen wrench removed another. And vise grips for yet another.
Buy new bolts. Or a caliper rebuild kit and heist the new bolts and sliders. I use anti seize, and put it in the threads of the holes. And dont over tighten them .Most people do if they dont have a torque wrench. And I generally change them if they even think about stripping out. Beyond that. Ive got them out with vise grips. And Ive removed them with vise grips and a propane or cutting torch to apply heat. You have to be pretty quick so you dont melt the rubber sliders . Then i pour water on them quickly .
Buy new bolts. Or a caliper rebuild kit and heist the new bolts and sliders.
CY: yes, he did buy new bolts.
I use anti seize, and put it in the threads of the holes. And dont over tighten them .Most people do if they dont have a torque wrench.
CY: Did that. I snugged them in to see they were seated, but didn't crank em tight.
And I generally change them if they even think about stripping out.
CY: yes, these pins been replaced a copule times.
Beyond that. Ive got them out with vise grips. And Ive removed them with vise grips and a propane or cutting torch to apply heat. You have to be pretty quick so you dont melt the rubber sliders . Then i pour water on them quickly .
CY: One time, I slotted the head of the brake pin, using a dremel and cut off wheel. And then beat the pin out (twisted it out) with a hammer and cold chisel. Propane torch is good, if you can get to the threads, they are burried behind everything else.
I'm 4 hours east so BTDT.
I usually pull the pins, clean up EVERYTHING including the inside of the rubber boots and then install new pins. The new pins get a coat of Sil-Glide which is a high temp waterproof grease. The threads get a coat of never seize and once it's installed I use a dab of RTV and coat the outside of the head and bracket. I also clean the inside of the caliper very well and make sure the rubber boot is tight and clean.
Then I yearly check them out as well.
I remember Scott put a dab of Neversieze on the heads of the pins. I was trying to think of a way to waterproof the end, where the torx wrench goes in. I wonder if silicone caulk would do the job. Might need heat to get it out of the hole where the socket goes.
I use a cheap piece of tape over the socket, then brush the RTV on the outside.
Oh, bother. Why didn't I think of that. Electrical tape more or less takes the shape, and could seal the top of the pin.
Well I've only been under the hood for around 30 years and I still learn new tricks on a regular basis. Some of them make you look in the mirror and say "You're an IDIOT for not thinking that one up"....
Or the more Homerish thought... DOH!!!!
And, forums like this are where we find such ideas. I painted the ends of my brake pins with red nail polish. Not sure that helped, but it gave me the "I did something about it" feeling for a moment.
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