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

|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-

|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

I've never lost a customer either. And the hundreds are likely closer to thousands .25 years worth.

At the dealership where I was service manager we checked the brakes twice a year.On every regular customer's car. It was part of the scheduled maintenance, and it was done. Over 650 active customer files that I saw at least 4 times a year.Ten years at that one dealership, which grew from myself and one apprentice to 6 mechanics in that 10 years - which was less than half my years in the business.

What I found works is close to your solution. Put a "c" clamp on the caliper and extend the piston to the point equivalent to a fully worn set of pads (using the pedal), then crack the line loose and squeaze the piston back in. ALL air in the calper goes bye-bye.

|I've never lost a customer either. And the hundreds are likely closer |to thousands .25 years worth.

many many many very many people whose car is out of warranty or such will stop going to the Dealer to have their autos serviced. In my case, my Dealer is 1/2 hour or more away. Furthermore, for what he charges for 1 hour of labor, I can about do an entire tune up on my car in parts.

Dealer is too expensive for most people. Only the rich can afford to go to Dealer Service Dept. every time vehicle hiccups.

What do you think these n/g forums are for anyhow. So everybody can help everybody else repair their own vehicles, rotating the Dealer with his overpriced labor and overpriced parts out of the picture.

Yes you have better tools, all the parts, but you COST TOO MUCH for the average Joe.

Average Joe Lg

Apply a little trans fluid and let it sit for a couple hours. It's a trick I've used in self-serve salvage yards for years; they usually don't allow torches in, but they are notorious for never completely draining the wrecks. A little heat would of course speed things up. It's made the difference on more than one occasion between getting skunked in the 'yards or going home with that Dana 60 or 9".

Mark

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

Catastophic brake failure directly resulting in the death of a vehicle occupant is so rare now as to be statistically insignificant, at least in the South. Unless you are one of the few. Brakes are just that good, and better car control - suspenions, tires etc - take care of most of the remaining failures. You REALLY would have to abuse and neglect a modern brake system, then drive way over your head to get in serious trouble.

Is it any different in the Rust Belt?

Rex in Fort Worth

That only makes way too much sense to use the piston to bleed the reservoir I will try that next time