Today he claims to me that you can't heat up a seized brake caliper bleeder screw to remove it, because there are rubber seals that will be damaged. Your only option is to replace the caliper if you can't get the bleeder screw off with vice grips.

True or Un-True?

 

there are rubber seals.
destruction, t or f? not sure. but calipers are cheap from a junk yard.

 

PB blaster + caliper bleeder wrench no work?

 

i've never heard of that... but even with the vice-grips as tight as you can possibly fasten them, you can't get the sucker off? as said above, just hit that thing with PB blaster twice a week for a couple days and then try the vicegrips again. by then matt93se will have answered with one of two responses:

1) he's full of crap, just be careful where you point the flame and you'll be alright
or
2) yea he's right. if you get the bleeder too hot, the heat will start to melt the seals. don't ask how i know

 

depends on how bad the bleeder is beat up you should be able to pound (careful not to hit it sideways) a 3/8 in. irrc socket on and use that to get it off being careful not to break it by twisting to hard. as far as heating a little will be ok but heating it to much will melt the piston seals

 

oh yea even if you snap off the bleeder you don't need to get a new one if you have a drill press or a real steady hand and a drill you can drill it out like a broken bolt just be sure not to go to deep and mess up the taper that the tip of the bleeder sets into

 

it's a 10mm, in metric. i thought the 'rubber seals' were in reference to the bleeder itself, not the pistons seals deeper down in the calipers. but yea you definitely don't wanna melt those

 

Spray it(PB) and lightly tap on it with a hammer it and it should loosen rather easy! No heat needed!

 

it is a 10mm but if the corners have been rounded off on the nut part a 3/8 is just slightly smaller and can be pounded on. I have never seen seals on a bleeder all the ones that I have ever dealt with have a cone on the end that goes inside of the caliper with holes on the sides, so that when it is screwed in the holes seal against the cone shaped hole on the bottom of where the bleeder goes in
| |
\./
\ /

something like that now if there was a seal in there I would think it would be a O-ring that could easily be replaced

 

yes that helps but have you ever worked on a car that comes from a area where they salt the roads heavily the salt water gets down in the bleeder hole and rust from the inside out along with the outside it sucks bad

 

i mean....if you really have to get a new caliper....

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php

it's only $33 + shipping but then shipping your old one for core charge (every store will have a caliper core charge). So i woudln't REALLY stress it. My guide pins were stuck on the caliper bracket and i couldn't get that sucker out..not matter how hard i banged that bolt...vice grip..anything....so instead of just getting a new bracket and guide pins i just got new calipers with new brackets with new guide pins and everything (no bleeder screw cause i got speed bleeders for the 4th gen) for about $12 more...so if the pb blaster really doesn't work..and heat doesn't work...someone probably stripped that screw in pretty bad....

P.S. did you try putting the caliper back on the car and THEN taking the bleeder screw out?? Its kinda hard to get enough leverage while you have one hand on the ratchet and the other hand holding the caliper.....

 

my bad i used ambiguous wording..

i said: i thought the 'rubber seals' were in reference to the bleeder itself" -> "i thought the mechanic was saying something about rubber seals in the bleeder itself... which if he is, then he's full of crap cuz there aren't any"

 

dude if u dont believe that mechanic then why r u even at his shop?....either u do wat he says or throw some WD-40 on that bleeder and wait for like 30 mins then try to take that off with vice grip if it still doesnt come out then HEATING THE BLEEDER is the last way for u if it doesnt work either then try to take that bleeder off with force ( break it ) and get new bleeder and install it thats it....while heating it jus be careful where to put the flame and u will be alrite and dont forget to put some WET RAGS full of water on the side of the caliper while heating it up...

if u still think hes jus BSing then u better find some good AUTO TECHNICIAN with alot of experience

gud luck

edit: and ya there aint no seals in bleeder..

 

why not use REAL penetrating oil? WD-40 is about as useful as you














sorry man i had to say it

 

With the rear calipers, there's a lot of crapola in the back of the caliper for the parking brake assembly. it's a bit close in physical proximity to the bleeder, so I'd be wary of torching it.

If you can't pull it out with wrench/socket/pliers and then you can't vice-grip it off, then it's pretty much done. I wouldn't try to drill it out either because of the risk of getting metal shavings inside the caliper. once you do that, the rest of the caliper's life will be short and ugly.

If you can't get it out with force/penetrating oil/whatever, then just buy another caliper. torching it or drilling it out will cause enough damage to the guts that the caliper will be compromised.

 

lol normal ppl use WD-40

 

Thanks Dudes:

Some responses to your post:

I tried the penetrant, hammer, and vice grips method back in the summer - no budge. Then I bought an el-cheapo oxyfuel torch kit and tried to weld a hex nut onto it - it couldn't do it. I also tried heating it up with that oxyfuel torch then the vice grips - no budge. This was all back in the summer. The screw(s) [Left Rear & Right Rear] is completely rounded into a perfect circle.

Is there some test I can do to verify that the rear calipers are working in the meantime? Is there a way I can 'turn off' the front calipers and just drive around the block slowly, to test the rears?

I checked out the remans calipers - I think that's the way to go. Even if I pay a mechanic to use a MIG to try and get it off - that money in of itself could just replace one side. I didn't know they were reasonably priced - I expected these things to be 160.00 each.

>My guide pins were stuck on the caliper bracket and i couldn't get that sucker >out..not matter how hard i banged that bolt

Immasquash, When I buy the new one - is it safe to apply high temp anti-seize to those parts so they don't seize on me in the future?

>if you have a drill press or a real steady hand and a drill you can drill it out like a >broken bolt just be sure not to go to deep and mess up the taper that the tip of the >bleeder sets into

Vernk, I thought about that - but I also considered if I try drilling them, and I fail - I may not be able to plug that hole with anything, then the car would be un-drivable until I got the replacement caliper - which will be located in Buffalo NY.

Most importantly for safety reasons now - can you suggest a test for the rears to see if they are working. I take it removing the wheel and just getting someone to visually look at the pads while I brake - isn't enough?

 

the handbrake lever... but that won't test the hydraulics. it'll just test the parking brake mechanism. on our cars, both mechanisms utilize the pads and rotors (unlike a 6th gen). but if you want proof that the back brakes are hydraulically fine... that i can't help you with.

 

Burhan - I periodically call or ask in person at auto shops for quotes on repairs or a question on repairs. It helps to give me an idea of what I'm getting into for my own attempt. This particular italian shop has been in business forever.

It's not that I don't beleive him, it's just that I know that even the most skilled and experienced people have faults, so I like to follow up on the ORG.

 

I thought about that, the parking brake works on very steep inclines - but it is the hydraulics that could be questionable.

Maybe severing the connection on the front hoses by disconnecting them and plugging them somehow? Sounds iffy - I wouldn't want to break the ABS Actuator somehow if I plugged the front, that pressure pushing on the plug with nowhere to go.

 

use actual brake caliper grease. I believe that is the high-temp grease. I was dumb and used regular grease before..LOL....call me stupid..i know...While you're at it..you might want to buy speed bleeders and put them on...(much easier to bleed) kinda worth the extra $12 you'll spend.

If you've heated them before and no luck...then someone probably welded the bleeders screw on But just get the a-1 cardone manufactured. at this point i would say screw it and save yourself the headache..

 

i wouldn't do that....just replace the calipers like i said wit hthe reman and call it a day....i guess that you can potentially "crimp" the rubber hosing (not the metal ones) but then you might cause the rubber hose to burst or leak since you have to crimp them pretty tight in order for no fluid to travel through that hose. even then, i would be afraid of the crimp falling off and hitting something in the hub area and possibly tearing your cv boot...

 

Calipers are cheap enough after the core charge. i never had a problem with mine because atfer i did the brakes my father being a 60s grease monkey made me coat the bleeders in heavy grease and put plastic covers over them, and it worked great ( if you dont mind having dirty grease on your hands when you bleed your brakes. thats my suggestion. but i have heard of the torching method and the guy may just be paranoid because he has the risk of something going wrong in his hands not yours, the CYA policy **Cover Your a****

 

Cool - thanks all. I'll just go with the A-1 remans, and forget about doing anything on these. I did measure the rear rotors & pads and they were within the wear limit - at least until I get the A-1's.

 

Where do you see a rear caliper for $33 + shipping? All the rear pieces I've seen listed are at least twice that.

 

yea just get some new ones, when you get them all in and bled be sure to put the little caps and or grease on them to keep them from rusting up again and maybe try to bleed them once a year just to make sure they don't rust on to much again

 

Are you sure you have calipers on the rear? I have a 93 GXE and the rear has drums, front has calipers. I know the SE's had discs all the way around, but you better double check whether you really mean the bleeder screw on your drum or is it really a bleeder screw on your disc caliper.

There will be a big difference if you go out and purchase replacement parts (new or used).

 

 

He has abs, all 3rd gens with abs have disc brakes all around..

 

he was quoting off the front caliper :
rear calipers: http://www.internetautosupply.com/ca..._137_4834.html