Sheared Bleed Nipple

[fliprio 9]

I have a rear calliper bleed nipple that has sheared off, it doesn't seem to leak after a good firm prod on the pedal - logic would say that it hasn't moved so its still seated and sealed and will be fine - what's peoples experience with this?

 

I have a sprint event on Sunday, so I'm just wondering if I should hunt down a new calliper tomorrow or leave it for when I do my beam rebuild........why do I always fiddle with things that haven't been touched in years before an event :-(

[Rams_gti6 12 1 Cars]

I did same to mine and did a trackday at blyton with no problems but that's just my experience I'd try for what it's worth to remove caliper heat it up and try remove it and fit a new nipple.

[Tom Fenton 1,536]

If it doesn't leak fluid even with a firm stamp on the pedal then it most likely will be OK.

 

As for getting it out, do NOT heat it up, as soon as you have got it hot once forget drilling it as the heat brings the carbon to the surface making it pot hard.

Instead you are better of carefully drilling it to 5.5mm then picking the remains of the thread out. Do NOT drill down to the nipple seat as if you do it will never seal again.

These calipers can be salvaged if you know what you are doing.

[Rams_gti6 12 1 Cars]

I heated mine up and managed to get mole grips on bit that was stuck out plenty of WD and a bit of heat helps break the seized parts apart slightly I always thought I'm not a specialist mind! Sounds like I got lucky maybe!

[fliprio 9]

Thanks, I will keep an eye on it and get the calliper off after the event to drill it out.

 

 

If it doesn't leak fluid even with a firm stamp on the pedal then it most likely will be OK.

As for getting it out, do NOT heat it up, as soon as you have got it hot once forget drilling it as the heat brings the carbon to the surface making it pot hard.
Instead you are better of carefully drilling it to 5.5mm then picking the remains of the thread out. Do NOT drill down to the nipple seat as if you do it will never seal again.
These calipers can be salvaged if you know what you are doing.

[fliprio 9]

I heated mine up and managed to get mole grips on bit that was stuck out plenty of WD and a bit of heat helps break the seized parts apart slightly I always thought I'm not a specialist mind! Sounds like I got lucky maybe!

 

Its broken off a bit further down, so you cant actually grab the end, drilled or extracted would be the only way

[pugsley 0]

Mine did it last night too. Just rebuilt the whole rear beam including brakes - bleed nipples were the only thing I didn't touch. Fuming!

 

Now there are different rear calliper manufacturers, do they both use different nipples for each supplier? The chap at Peugeot couldn't tell me, gave me a crazy price and had no stock....

[welshpug 1,646]

They all use m7 nipples, there are only bendix type fitted to the 205, later 106 and 206 used bosch which are nigh on identical.

[Davy 18 1 Cars]

Also agree with not heating anything up due to hardening, and also risking damaging rubber parts.

 

But, if worst comes to worst, and drilling / picking remains out doesnt work or you end up damaging threads, then you can still drill and tap them to suit 8mm bleed screws. I had one bleed screw shear off and the other bring the alloy threads out with it on a pair of 1.6 front calipers. As they were pretty tatty I thaught there was nothing to lose by trying to fit 8mm ones. They tighten up nice and firm and have shown no signs of weeping so far and it's reassuring having a fresh thread to tighten into. You just have to be careful when drilling, keeping it as concentric and true to the original bore as you can.

 

 

..p.s If you do try it, double check the thread pitch before you tap. (I cant remember if they were 8 x 1.25mm or 8 x 1.5mm)

Edited October 14, 2013 by Davy

[Tom Fenton 1,536]

You can enlarge them to M8, only thing to watch for is damage to the seat in the bottom that the nipple seals on. Nick or otherwise damage this seat and forget it ever sealing properly!

[fuji 0]

I'm about to do mine after the car had been sat off road and garaged for six years. Is there a way of preventing a sheared or fractured bleed nipple i.e. soaking in WD 40 for a few days?

[Rams_gti6 12 1 Cars]

Yeah keep giving them a squirt of WD a few days before doing them it might increase your chances of removing them intact!

[welshpug 1,646]

Try some penetrating oil, not water displacer...

[fuji 0]

I bought some Wurth Rost Off which is supposed to freeze the seized nut/bolt and microscopically fracture the rust particles. Currently wrapped the nipple in a small piece of rag soaked in penetrating oil and will try this together with Rost Off in a couple of days.

[farmer 327 1 Cars]

Once I got mind removed I replaced them as well.

 

I soaked mine in oil and it seemed to work a treat.

 

Any motorfactor should be able supply a new bleed nipple.

[Rams_gti6 12 1 Cars]

Wd40 is a type of penetrating oil isn't not the strongest I know but still..

[mrfirepro 127 1 Cars]

Hi Dan,

 

I have a rear caliper with a sheared bleed nipple, you can have it to practice on, for cost of what ever the post is. (£3-£4 at a guess)

[DamirGTI 340]

WD-40 is al but an bad penetrating oil ! as Mei said , WD stands for - "Water Displacement" .. it really doesn't do much as an penetrating fluid

 

Make some home brew stuff (i swear by this , it outworks 90% of the products available on the market) mix up - 50% ATF with 50% Acetone (Glass fibre resin cleaner/thinner contains 95-99% pure Acetone so use that not your GF/wife nail cleaning Acetone ! failing that mineral spirits can be used instead of Acetone but Acetone works best) .

Mix up smaller quantity based up on how much you'll need for the job (cos when mixed up and left for long time non used , the ATF tends to settle down/separate from the mixture forming some kind of "emulsion"..) find an bottle for the fluid and fill up , soak up sized/rusted fasteners , leave for a while and then try undoing (it works best if left for over a night - breaks the s*** of the hardest rust sized fittings)

 

Last few years i'm using solely this as an aid to free rusted-sized fittings/bolts/nuts (shame it can be filled inside a spray can it could be more handy) , it really works no doubt about it - try

 

D

Edited November 24, 2013 by DamirGTI

[fliprio 9]

Hi Dan,

 

I have a rear caliper with a sheared bleed nipple, you can have it to practice on, for cost of what ever the post is. (£3-£4 at a guess)

 

Thanks mrfirepro, I think I will just give it a go and see what happens but thanks for the offer.

 

.....anyway it won't be for some time as some kind person ran up the back of me at 30mph on my push bike on the way to work a few weeks ago and broke my back :-( so working on the cars will be off the cards for a few months