[Chevy350Sb]

The brake caliper bleeder plug (nipple?)on my 98camaro camaro was/is shot totally stripped.. I tried vise clamping it and putting all sorts of tools and vise grips, channel locks..the damn thing wont budge..im sure im going the right way...righty tighy lefty loosey.. all the other ones came off fine....im to the point where im going to cough up for a new one but the rubber boots on my passanger side are ripped so at 40 a peice its not gonna be cheap concidering I need various other parts...couldnt fine them at the junkyard...any ideas?

[merlinsoars]

well the option is at this point drilling and using an easyout, but you would have to disassemble the caliper to get the crap out anyway, get a rebuild and use that one for a core.

[cobalt327]

Originally Posted by Chevy350Sb

couldnt fine them at the junkyard...any ideas?

Use PB Blaster as a penetrant. Nothing better.

Take a piece of round stock to insert into the end of the nipple to add strength (keeps it from crushing)

A drill bit works good, just so it's a nice tight fit.

Using vice grips, and using a *pop* from the heel of your hand (not a slow, steady twist), see if it will now come out.

The option if it breaks off is the easy out routine.

EDIT- I just re read that the other side will need replacing. In that case, it's good practice to replace the calipers as a pair.

[malc]

Caliper $41.95 at Summit.

[sqzbox]

Or, cheaper as a rebuilt at the parts store and you don't have to wait for shipping and pay the extra fee for Fed Ex!

[DougMN]

Vise grips and a torch

[eloc431962]

Originally Posted by DougMN

Vise grips and a torch

Don't use a torch to heat it up, Never use one on a caliperJMO. You can do more damage then good you will get the bleeder out but at a cost.JMO. Either buy new or do what Cobalt said with the PB-Blaster IMHO.


Cole

[poncho62]

Loosen the hose connection and bleed it there........

If the bleeder is that seized, a new caliper is probably needed anyways.

[302 Z28]

I had this happen to me on one of my polished billet Willwood 4 piston calipers. I tried everything mentioned above to get it out. Finally came down to driving one of those Easy Out's into what was left of the bleeder screw....and broke it off flush Solution was a new caliper to the tune of $150+.

Vince

[Torque454]

Just get a new caliper. Ive never had any luck getting a seized bleeder screw out.

[fastgti]

I come across this a lot on the military vehicles. If you use a torch than do not over do it. just enough to heat it up to get what is esazing it to loosen. if that does not help than cut the tip off and drill a small hole in it than use an extractor to get it out. i beleave some people call it easy out. it looks like a drill bit but in revires and small on the tip and gets bigger on the top. i have never had any problems getting stripped stuff out but when i do it i use a little heat, some times i use a cigarette lighter and that does the trick too! IMHO. but if all else fails get a new caliper. lol

[redsdad]

Things I learned doing it for a living:

Use a 6 point wrench on the bleeder. (Obviously, if already rounded off, use Vice Grips).

If it doesn't move, hit the bleeder with a hammer. The hit must be square on the top of the bleeder. Hitting it to one side or the other risks breaking it off. Smack it until it just deforms.

If that doesn't loosen it up, get a junk, deep six point socket which doesn't have a land which prevents it from resting on the caliper, not the bleeder. Smack that a couple times with a hammer. The idea is to deform either the threads on the bleeder or the threads in the caliper so the threads "unlock."

Use a hammer with a brass drift to hit the side of the caliper where the bleeder screws in.

I know it is controversial, but we did locally heat the caliper in the thread area. This was only if we were rebuilding them.

[DougMN]

Originally Posted by eloc431962

Don't use a torch to heat it up, Never use one on a caliperJMO. You can do more damage then good you will get the bleeder out but at a cost.JMO. Either buy new or do what Cobalt said with the PB-Blaster IMHO.


Cole

I have done this dozens of times and it works for me.

[eloc431962]

Originally Posted by DougMN

I have done this dozens of times and it works for me.

Yea if you know what you are doing it will. But most tend to use to much heat. JMO


Cole

[39 OLDROD]

Had the same problem and bought a larger vale w/bleeder and drilled the caliper and taped it and replaced it cost about $3.00

OLDROD.