Anyone have a PROVEN way to getting them to loosen? I doused them with WD40 a while ago. What else?

What would cause them to break off sooner - using a impact wrench or a constant force on a ratchet?

The ones on both calipers are seized, despite looking very good (as in not rusty) and having been loosened 4 years ago. This stinks...

 

Rob,

I had to hammer a socket on mine in order to tighten them 1/8 of a turn to break the rust. I think WD-40 and maybe a little bit of heat will do the trick.

 

Just had the same problem when I converted over to disc!!!!
I used PB Blast and my torch, worked on 3 after breaking 1 before!!!! lol

 

I did this when disassembling my car
- Soak w/ PB Blaster
- tap on wrench /w hammer
- wait a few hours to a few days
- repeat steps above until loose

Although, on one, I ended up having to cut the line (was replacing anyways) and hammer a socket on it & use a ratchet to get it out...

Edit: I just realized that I should read the topic before responding.....der de der

The above was for line fittings. Although, I did do a similar procedure with the bleeders when I had to bleed the brakes after I dragged it out of storage. I was worried about snapping one off so I went very slowly & used minimal torque on a socket.....

 

I think I used a metric wrench on mine. It's tighter. I also loosened the wheel cylinder so it could get a good angle on it.

 

I have luck with heating it up with a fire wrench and then blasting wd-40 then turn seems to shock the two and lets loose . Good luck

 

Ohhh man... I just went through this. PB Blaster did the job for me. Lots of spraying and waiting and tapping and spraying, but they did eventually loosen up. I thought about using the torch, but the Blaster handled it after a few days of spraying.

Replace them with new ones when you are done the job. The old ones will seize up again quickly, from what I have heard. Plus, new ones are cheap.

 

I just buy 2 remanned GM calipers at the zone for $24, or 2 new wheel cylinders for $22 and don't even F with that old crap.

I suppose if the end was nigh, there were no more parts, and I needed the car for an apocalyptic getaway car, I might think about it.

 

Agreed!!!!

 

I believe you would have better luck using an impact gun vs a wrench/ratchet,just let the impact GENTLY rattle it out.good luck.

 

The left side finally broke free after a couple hours of WD40 soaking.
I used a 3/8" 6 point socket on a quarter drive ratchet and tapped it with a hammer. After a dozen light hits, it began to turn!

That procedure did not work for the right.
Therefore, I sprayed it again with WD40 and waited another hour.
I put the heat gun on it on low for about 5 -6 minutes just to where it was too warm to touch. After another 10 light hits, it came free!

I would have been pretty POed if they broke, as I had just spent a lot of time and effort restoring the old ones. Also, these are not cheap. 45 bucks was the cheapest from RA and then I woulda had to send the cores back for 15 bucks and wait and later they deny the core charge since the bleed screws were busted off in there.

Thanks for the suggestions! I never thought about the hammer hits as they looked too delicate.

 

Yes, its as simple as applying heat, not even enough to see red, then cool with water. repeat this several times. They will come loose with ZERO effort. The heating and cooling is the key, been a mechanic for 16 years, never let me down.

 

Ironically, the rusty looking dirty nasty rear cyl bleeders came undone with some simple pressure ont he little ratchet. Go figure...
Nice - disaster has been diverted (for now...)

 

Greetings from a new member...thank you for your willingness to share your knowledge and experience, it is appreciated! Olds in the past...none at present...maybe one in the future.

A poster on a different site offered a suggestion that could be added to the list of tips, insert the largest diameter drill bit that will go into the bleeder hole so that the screw will not be hollow and will have less of a tendency to twist off to one side. Haven't tried it yet but it makes sense.

Using a "T" handle on a deep socket instead of a standard ratchet/wrench/breaker bar will also help keep the torque on center.

Thanks again!

 

After all the drama, I replaced my bleeder screws with new ones, and applied silicone grease to the threads and a light film to the tapered sealing surface. Any time afterwards, I always removed them and re-greased rather than just opening them to bleed the brakes.

 

You can buy replacements cheaply at most auto parts stores, however, you get what you pay for. Cheap Chinese junk cylinders. I used them on a car once, and the next morning, I found that they leaked all the brake fluid out. Returned those, and went looking for a pair of NOS aftermarket cylinders. Found them on eBay, and I just took them apart, cleaned with brake cleaner, and reassembled with brake assembly fluid. No more problems. I keep all the old parts in case I can't get a new part that is suitable. I have used Sierra Specialty to install new inserts in my old cylinders, and they will last the cars life. Good people that know what they are doing when it comes to brake hydraulic rebuilding.

 

Thank you and welcome!
Neat tips - yes they do make engineering sense!
Hopefully I will not need to bleed brakes again for a while...