Best Procedure for broken or rounded brake bleeder screws?

[RedBKM]

I went to bleed the brakes and found one bleeder screw rung off flush with the caliper (front axle). The second bleeder screw is rounded off in the back plate of the rear drum brake. I haven't taken off the other two wheels to look. The truck is a 80 F150 4x4.

I tried some PBB and some heat on the rounded one with no success. I've seen a special gadget and heard of using candle wax. What is the secret to these things? I think I'll be pulling them both off the truck for better access.

 

[e-rockin-it]

There's a few different secrets that apply to most stuck or broken bolts. When its broken of flush, the easiest is usually to find a nut that just fits over the broken off part and weld it to it, then just use a socket or wrench to turn it out. The heat from welding will help loosen it and the nut gives you something to grab. Just don't accidentally weld the screw to the caliper, ask me how I know:lol_hittI. Otherwise screw extractors, drill, etc. I've gotten rounded ones out in the past using a small welding torch top and heating the bleeder screw, then use vice grips to crush it while its hot for something to grab. Don't heat too hot or you will boil the brake fluid and blow out the rubber line. Don't have to worry too much if its off the truck.
Candle wax trick works really well too, heat the bolt red hot and shove the candle on it, it cool shocks the bolt and the wax goes into the treads and acts *** a lubricant. Other magic fluid I use that works really well is a 5050 mix of acetone and power steering fluid. Best penetrating fluid I've ever used. (read that one in a machinist magazine where the tested the torque to break a bolt with a bunch of different fluids) best of luck.

Eric

 

[finn]

Rock auto has Delco Calipers for $12.65 plus shipping for a 1984 F150 (I looked up the wrong vehicle). Look up a code online and another 5% will come off. They will be at your doorstep in one or two days, in my experience.

Why mess with old, rusted calipers when clean (not rusted slides, new seals, etc) are so cheap?

 

[sberry]

Straight jaw vice grips.

 

[srmofo]

Replace, Time Is Money And IDon't Work For Free

 

[theknurl]

replace, time is money and i don't work for free

+1000

 

[jim faston]

I'd just go with a replacement, but Thexton makes a bleeder screw repair kit. I've never used one and I don't know if it would work for your application.

http://thexton.com/index.cfm/pageid/23

 

[Rodhotz]

I will be willing to bet their is rust and **** in the calipers, and the pistons will be hanging soon enough, plus with the rust the calipers get bound up and won't slide on the bracket and will cause pulling to one side or the other and uneven pad wear. As cheap as rebuilt ones are no reason not to replace them.

 

[RedBKM]

I love a good challenge but you're right. $16.99 per caliper at my local Advance is a much faster fix. I'm going to replace both at that price.

What about the drum brake though? Is it correct to call this the backing plate? What do I ask for at the parts counter? It will take a lot more time to get this devil apart.

 

[jaymz1967]

The bleeder for drum brakes is in the wheel cylinder. Not much fun to replace usually but I've never had much luck removing a rounded or broken bleeder.

 

[NHBandit]

I love a good challenge but you're right. $16.99 per caliper at my local Advance is a much faster fix. I'm going to replace both at that price.

What about the drum brake though? Is it correct to call this the backing plate? What do I ask for at the parts counter? It will take a lot more time to get this devil apart.

You ask for a rear wheel cylinder. An old trick I have used in the past when changing them when the brake line wants to twist off is to unbolt the wheel cylinder, hold the brake line with the tubing wrench, and turn the wheel cylinder to unscrew it rather than trying to turn the fitting. Sometimes there's no room for that and you end up replacing the line. Of course if the line is really rusty it's best to replace it as a matter of course. They are dirt cheap and you'll need to bleed the brakes anyway so it's a good time to do it.

 

[srmofo]

Drum brakes are easy, but experience helps. Only take one side apart at a time and dont use needle nose pliers to stretch the springs. I stabbed my lip and blacked my eye when I was first learning. After that little life lesson I ponied up the $10 for the right tool and everything was so much easier.

The top one
http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdbrak03.html
Many pliers now have that tool built into the handles but I have yet found a use for the pliers portion of the tool

 

[isaac338]

You ask for a rear wheel cylinder. An old trick I have used in the past when changing them when the brake line wants to twist off is to unbolt the wheel cylinder, hold the brake line with the tubing wrench, and turn the wheel cylinder to unscrew it rather than trying to turn the fitting. Sometimes there's no room for that and you end up replacing the line. Of course if the line is really rusty it's best to replace it as a matter of course. They are dirt cheap and you'll need to bleed the brakes anyway so it's a good time to do it.

To hell with that trick - if the line wants to twist, cut it off and replace it with the wheel cylinder. If it's rusted that far it's gonna break soon anyways.

 

[Mr.N]

To help from rounding off I always use a six point short socket on the blender screw. Then the typical 24 hr soak with penetrating oil if its rusty.
I've had a few round, but got them out with a tight big vice grip.
If it breaks, time for a new caliper.

When putting in a new blender screw, coat the threads with brake fluid. Also spend the money and get it a little hat. Usually the brake bleeder screw caps are a few dollars.

I am NOT a fan of the speed bleeders if you get any mud or other **** all over the calipers. It gets inside and rusts out the spring.

Since the bleeder screw is that bad, I would guess it been a while since you bleed the brakes. I would suggest replacing all the brake fluid.

 

[rodknocker]

Don't ever try to weld a nut on a caliper or wheel cylinder, they will explode in your face, heat and hydraulic fluid don't mix. Look for youtube videos for the repairs there are tons of them out there.

 

[outsider347]

SRMFO....
I thought that I was the only one to make that (NN pliers) mistake......... Then to the E.R for stitches
Here in the land of taxes because I was working on a car, my auto insurance had to pay the ER bill & I was hit with a claim

costly, dumb *** mistake

 

[dwp99]

This doesn't work for the one that is broken off flush with the caliper. However it works great on the one that is so tight that you think it's going to break off. it's the Vacula VAC12-080-1000. When I first saw it I thought ya right, but it does work. Tool-Topia has them for $48.74. http://www.tooltopia.com/vacula-12-...m_term=VAC120801000&utm_campaign=shopzilla_r1

 

[knightda8]

I second the Vacula tool, though replacement might be better in your case. I regularly use mine on the fleet of Ambulances I maintain. It doesnt work EVERY time, but it works most of the time. A bleed fitting for $2 dollars and a couple of minutes is better than a caliper for $75 and more time for my application.

 

[Wood'nMetal]

Plus one on rebuilt calipers. I just replaced them on my full size Cadillac....$15 at autozone! That's not worth screwing with a frozen bleeder in my opinion.

 

[Ign]

The truck in question will have a 9" rear and I'm not terribly familiar with the drums, but I can tell you from experience it's quite easy to drop in a new wheel cylinder on the later 8.8s with minimal disturbance of the shoes and no need to disassemble everything.

Now if there's still some bleeder left sticking out, I'd at least try the Craftsman bolt-outs if they make one small enough. Otherwise you'll find a new wheel cylinder is around $10 for a Raybestos, er again that's 8.8.

 

[crewchief888]

i recently went through the typical GM brake disaster,
rusted brake lines from the MC to the ABS module.

front bleeders had never been touched, and were completely rusted and flush with the caliper.

a little concentrated heat from the torch and a small ez-out was all it took, had them both out in less than 5 minutes


most older vehicles calipers and wheels cylinders are relatively inexpensive.

 

[theknurl]

Drum brakes are easy, but experience helps. Only take one side apart at a time and dont use needle nose pliers to stretch the springs. I stabbed my lip and blacked my eye when I was first learning. After that little life lesson I ponied up the $10 for the right tool and everything was so much easier.

The top one
http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdbrak03.html
Many pliers now have that tool built into the handles but I have yet found a use for the pliers portion of the tool

go for the pliers;
http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdbrak04.html#298

it will remove and install the springs too and the handles have the same tool ends

 

[signcrafter]

This doesn't work for the one that is broken off flush with the caliper. However it works great on the one that is so tight that you think it's going to break off. it's the Vacula VAC12-080-1000. When I first saw it I thought ya right, but it does work. Tool-Topia has them for $48.74. http://www.tooltopia.com/vacula-12-...m_term=VAC120801000&utm_campaign=shopzilla_r1

Is there any difference between these kits? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0038R6L5A/?tag=atomicindus08-20, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GCWDF4/?tag=atomicindus08-20, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00267I6JW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[dwp99]

Is there any difference between these kits? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0038R6L5A/?tag=atomicindus08-20, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GCWDF4/?tag=atomicindus08-20, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00267I6JW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Sure doesn't look like it. There are 3 different size tips for the tool for different size bleeders. I only see one in the photo of the BrakeQuip Bleeder Buster Tool Kit from Amazon, don't know if that would be a problem.

 

[TOOL MASTER]

mouse milk..

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

Change the caliper.... Don't gamble with this

Adam

 

[Mr.N]

Plus one on rebuilt calipers. I just replaced them on my full size Cadillac....$15 at autozone! That's not worth screwing with a frozen bleeder in my opinion.

After going down this route for a few years and the calipers having issues shortly after...

I now pull OEM calipers from the junk yard and rebuild them with quality seals.

 

[Jazz]

Unless it is a really special vintage vehicle and original parts aren't available there is nothing to be gained from saving brake calipers or drum pistons. You will spend more trying to save them than they'd cost to replace.

 

[signcrafter]

Sure doesn't look like it. There are 3 different size tips for the tool for different size bleeders. I only see one in the photo of the BrakeQuip Bleeder Buster Tool Kit from Amazon, don't know if that would be a problem.

I've always thought about getting one of these kits. Figure if you use it once and it works it's paid for.

 

[ArkTinkerer]

I agree that they need to be replaced. To remove them I have a very small (6" overall length) pipe wrench. That little tool has been VERY handy for rounded nuts/bolts.

 

[RedBKM]

Replaced both front brake calipers to be safe. The drivers side had a brand new bleeder installed which means they probably gave up when the other broke off.

Yes, the axle is a 9 inch and the bleeder is parallel to the ground pointing at the leaf spring perch. I've soaked it with PBB each night for 5 days. I have a Craftsman set of bolt-outs but none fit very good.

Where do you find the tiny pipe wrench? I've never seen one.

 

[RedBKM]

$10.99 for new wheel cylinders at Advance Auto. Came with bright and shiny bleeders. On the Ford 9 inch you can pull the cylinder without removing pads, springs or anything else. Took longer to free the drum.

I worked on the old for another hour because I love the challenge but still had no luck. I hate the defeat but it has to end somewhere.

 

[Squankum]

I recently rounded a bleeder screw and had good luck with cold spray, which is now getting cheap ($6.99ish?) for a big can at AutoZone. It's got a penetrant oil in it, too, but the main feature is, it makes things cold.

Same principle as heating stuff up -- dissimilar rates of expansion, fracturing of bonds between surfaces, etc etc. I think it worked esp. well in this situation, I sprayed it at the bleeder valve, which make it smaller, in an otherwise large piece of metal that didn't change size much.

I also had good luck with the spray on some engine block drain plugs.

 

[terry603]

on the rounded screw put a drill bit into the bleeder end,then use vise grips

 

[03protege]

There's a few different secrets that apply to most stuck or broken bolts. When its broken of flush, the easiest is usually to find a nut that just fits over the broken off part and weld it to it, then just use a socket or wrench to turn it out.

THIS x 1 MILLION!!

I dealt with this the other day and it is rediculous, I broke all kinds of bolt-out bits and then cut a slot in the broken bolt-out bit and used an hand impact and broke more bits.


Save your self the troube and just weld a nut on it, it took me over and hour messing with these other methods and it took me 10 minutes to weld on a nut and remove the bleeder.

 

[Kevin54]

Put on new ones, but when you do, take the bleeder screw out and put some Teflon tape on it. The next time you have to bleed them, or the grandkids have to bleed them, they will come loose.