Brake fluid flush question

Today I was doing my every-2-year brake fluid flush on my BMW. I had finished with the two back wheels, and was starting on the front passenger side wheel, when I sheared off the bleed screw on the caliper DAMMIT! So, now, there's no part of it above the caliper housing as it sheared evenly at about the housing level. What really annoys is that I was leaving for Florida in the morning in the car, but I wanted to finish the flush first. I'm gonna try to find a shop that'll get the thing out and put a new one in in the morning but may be unalbe to on such short notice. (I tried for a while doing this myself, but have finished with that attempt.)

This may seem like a stupid question, but it's not something I've thought much about: If I use the car for a couple of weeks with the front lines un-flushed, would the fluid in those lines affect the nice clean fluid in the lines to the back wheels? IOW, if I flush the front lines in a couple of weeks, will it be as good as if I'd been able to do them all today? Thanks.

Reply to
floresrikitic
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If a BMW has only one reservoir for the fluid, then it will eventually mix. Crack the line at the caliper and bleed it that way.

Reply to
« Paul »

You know, I don't think it will at lest not very quickly, it mostly travels up and down in the same spot.

We had to drill out and use an "easy out" to remove the broken bleed screw on my E36.

-Russ.

Reply to
Somebody.

I'd just drive the car and not worry about it, but when you do get the bleeder screw fixed might as well flush the system completely.

Theoretically the only intermixing of the fluid would happen way up at the reservoir, but it doesn't take that much more time...

just curious, does your BMW have those little rubber caps on the bleeders? I've found those to be quite useful; at least I've never owned a car that still had them that I had any problems bleeding.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

I think you already know the answer or you would not have asked the question. You will need to re-do the rear lines because some of the old fluid will mix with the new fluid given enough time and braking cycles.

Reply to
Fred W

I would *not* attempt to bleed the brakes by opening the brake line at the banjo bolt. It's hard enough to get all the air out when done correctly. Why not just fix the broken fitting and do it the right way?

Reply to
Fred W

Success depends on the amount of common sense of the person(s) doing the = bleeding.

Reply to
« Paul »

why not try using an ez-out tool?

mho v=83e

Reply to
fiveiron

I'm not saying that something went wrong when I used an ez-out, but is there such a thing as an ez-out ez-out?

Reply to
Norm De Plume

a small drill bit, and a smaller easy-out tool might work.

mho v=83e

Reply to
fiveiron

Yep Nate, that's exactly what I did. I'm back now after

10 days of no Web access and no phones...bliss.

I couldn't find a shop that could fix the thing on short notice, but now that I'm back, I'm thinking of trying to get it out myself. I've got a drill, but I need a little bit that will bite into the metal, just enough to perhaps makes a couple of little notches so I could try and use a little screw driver to back the bleeder out. It's hard to believe I put it in so tight 16 months ago when I replaced pads and rotors on that car. The bits I have supposedly can be used with metal, but I can't get it to bite at all. Are there any special bits I could get that would bite?

Another thing, this bleeder is officially called a "ventilation valve" and is VERY hard to find. Dealerships don't carry them and I haven't found any on line after briefly searching. I'm surprised that they're not needed enough for them to be in stock.

Yes, they do have those little rubber caps. I guess they are to provide redundancy in case a bleeder somehow got loose, causing no brakes without one. I think that's the cause of my problem. Even though I thought I was being careful not to overtighten those little things, I did. I always have this nightmare thought of one coming loose while driving.

Reply to
floresrikitic

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