Any tips for removing stuck bleed nipples?

[Pope1]

I'm in the process of changing all my brakes hoses and renewing the brake fluid. As usual, there's one miserable sod that is refusing to co-operate. I'm now at the stage where the caliper is off the car, the bleed nipple edges have been completely rounded off and I still can't get enough grip with a pair mole grips to turn the nipple. Short of drilling it out, does anyone have any tips that might help please?

[A1.6HPE]

Hello Chris,
I have had success twice by heating them with a blowlamp. Position the calipaer so tha the bleed nipple is uppermost so that heat transfer is upwards away from the piston seal (and remove the rubber outers). For obvious reasons the calipaer and seal can take a bit of heat so reasonably safe. If you are replacing the seal then no problem.

Lots of heat.

Leo

[Charley]

Try this stuff.It's a great rust penetrant called "Free All" .The stuff is awesome,it will literally eat rust!You can get it online at www.gasoila.com

[Pope1]

Hello Chris,
I have had success twice by heating them with a blowlamp. Position the calipaer so tha the bleed nipple is uppermost so that heat transfer is upwards away from the piston seal (and remove the rubber outers). For obvious reasons the calipaer and seal can take a bit of heat so reasonably safe. If you are replacing the seal then no problem.

Lots of heat.

Leo



Thanks Leo, I tried a moderate amount of heat but chickened out. I really don't want to have to start delving inside the calipers at this stage if I can help it and don't have any spare seals either. The car is still in Barbados and I am in the land of sunshire for a month to take care of packing and shipping things to the UK. I'm hoping my VX will be one of those things. I have to use it as my regular driver while I'm here and wanted to get the hoses swapped and the system bled today. I've left it soaking with the only penetrating fluid that I have here and will have another go tomorrow.

Charley, seems as if I really need some of that other stuff you mentioned. Sadly there's no time for that. If I can't get it free tomorrow, I'll have to take it to an engineering shop on Tuesday and get them to do the honours.

[Pope1]

Well it's out now but it also took the surrounding thread in the caliper with it. :(

[Hamish]

Chris,
I have several spare calipers going a begging - might have one that's stripped down which might be easier? You cover postage costs and it's yours ;)
That said, I simply re-tapped the bled nipple threads on calipers on my old Spyder for something more "agricultural" :o

[Pope1]

Hamish, thank-you that's very kind of you. I'll drop you an e-mail.

[Fingers]

Bugger! You may be able to get to a hardware store or engineering company or even auto accessorie shop and get a helicoil thread insert and a new nipple, they work well if installed properly. Not looking forward to doing mine now.

[Pope1]

Bugger! You may be able to get to a hardware store or engineering company or even auto accessorie shop and get a helicoil thread insert and a new nipple, they work well if installed properly. Not looking forward to doing mine now.


Paul, that's exactly what I'm going to try today. Time is of the essence for me right now. Don't let it put you off, out of 6 nipples only 1 has proved to be difficult.

[Fingers]

Ok, I want to get it done before the end of April, we have a club day at the local race track coming up, don't want any more fade. Oh and I've just bought a 72 Fulvia coupe 1.3s on a local auction site for restoration, it will arrive in a weeks time.

[Pope1]

Good luck with the brakes and the club day and congrats on the new toy. Restoration? Ker-ching, I hear the sound of cash registers ringing with glee at the propect of another Lancia to gobble up some spare cash ;D. Please post some photos ASAP and let's have a look at your latest acquisition.

[Pope1]

Thanks again for all your suggestions. It's been sorted now, bar the bleeding itself. Had to get a threaded insert fitted and used the same size nipple as before.

[Jim Keller]

Great to hear! :) I can hardly contain myself waiting on my last few parts from Betaboyz to get mine back on the road, :( I will be so happy when it's time to enjoy the fruits of this labor myself, 8) and bank account draining of corse! :'(
We have really been working and spending hard over the last month or so, I just hope it's close, (not expecting exactly), like "ZAGMAN", I just want it much better than the stock in handling, braking and comfort, like my old 82 was ;D I am not getting it to perfection this year, just nice, it took 6 years to get our last one real nice but way not perfect, so for now, just nice and reliable for this summer, I'll worry about perfectipon starting next winter! ::)
Enjoy it! We always have! ;D

[Maigret]

Try a basic cam type stud extractor. E.g.

http://www.tooled-up.com/artwork/ProdImage/14156.jpg

[chrisc]

More persistant than I was.. After trying the blowtorch and snapping some tools in half trying to undo one I got a new caliper :)