Broken break bleeder….

[Fredensborg]

Well I got my new master cylinder in, but when I went to bleed the breaks, the bleeder nipple broke off in the caliper…can I do anything about this? Or do I now need new calipers?

 

[MikeGriese]

It can be drilled out and replaced. Any machine shop can handle it.

 

[Sheriff41]

You should be able to use a bolt extractor to remove the broken bleeder screw. See if your parts store has replacement bleeder screws or go with the speed bleeder screws.

 

[Mac]

Well I got my new master cylinder in, but when I went to bleed the breaks, the bleeder nipple broke off in the caliper…can I do anything about this? Or do I now need new calipers?View attachment 65446

Get a small, maybe 3/16" dia left hand drill bit and see if you can get the broken threaded bleeder part to back out as it is a right hand thread.

 

[Fredensborg]

Get a small, maybe 3/16" dia left hand drill bit and see if you can get the broken threaded bleeder part to back out as it is a right hand thread.

So did I break it because I was trying to go “lefty-loosy”??

 

[Mac]

So did I break it because I was trying to go “lefty-loosy”??

No, left to loosen. Probably frozen due to age. Suggest putting a small dab of "Never Seeze" on new bleeder threads before installing new bleeder into caliper housing.

 

[DAverkamp]

Well I got my new master cylinder in, but when I went to bleed the breaks, the bleeder nipple broke off in the caliper…can I do anything about this? Or do I now need new calipers?View attachment 65446

Easy out it. No biggy.

 

[Bentworker]

You could ship it to me.

One of two things will happen
1) I’ll get it out.
2) I won’t get it out.

Based on the crud in the center of the bleeder I would suggest rebuilding the calipers.

 

[Hemikiller]

If the caliper is old enough to have the brake bleeder rust into place that securely, I'd just replace them.

 

[will e]

If it broke due to being seized an attempt to use an 'easy out' or other bolt extractor may prove unsuccessful. For the price of a replacement caliper I would opt to replace it. And do get the speed bleeders, makes it so much faster to bleed the brakes.

 

[Idaho Chris]

Rebuilt calipers from Rock Auto are cheap. Last I checked about $20.

 

[Fredensborg]

Is it worth hanging onto my original calipers? Or let them have them for the core charge?

 

[Billw69]

I’d hang on to everything…… rock auto or local parts store items come from all over the world, and while a close reproduction it seems none are perfect.
Comes down to what you want for your car.

 

[mrgmhale]

For the folks who suggest just replacing the calipers because they are relatively inexpensive, I am in agreement. Sure, the broken off part of the nipple bolt can be drilled out, EZ-Outed, etc. But, for the grief why bother with calipers that are available for such little bucks? But, when installing the calipers be careful which way the new bleeder screws are pointing, as the calipers can be put on the incorrect side of the car. If they are on the wrong side of the car they will never bleed correctly (see the attached JPG image file for details).

Also, when replacing the brake fluid do not introduce any water or petroleum oil into the fluid or you will end up with a lot of internal corrosion from the water, as well as a lowered point point, and for petroleum contamination the internal rubber seals will swell up and become useless. One other thing to consider, when I do brake repairs I like to do everything in matched pairs on both sides of the vehicle. Were this my vehicle, I would likely replace both calipers, "just because." But, the calipers are not really wear items (at least as long as the slide contact areas and caliper guide pins are lubed with a thin amount of wheel bearing grease). So, if you were to replace just the one affected caliper I would not be throwing any rocks at you.

Finally, although you could flush the hydraulic system and use DOT5 brake fluid and be just fine. But, because the parts are designed for DOT3 brake fluid that is what I suggest using. It is perfectly fine as long as there is no petroleum or water contamination. Be careful to not let the brake fluid touch any painted surfaces, as it is a very effective paint stripper <g>.

 

[mrgmhale]

Is it worth hanging onto my original calipers? Or let them have them for the core charge?

It would not be a bad idea to hold onto them. In the meanwhile it might be fun to learn how to rebuild them once they are off the vehicle. Calipers tend to have very long lifespans, so it is entirely possible you may never need to use them once they are rebuilt. But, for the gentleman who advises replacement calipers can be made in any number of places and might have varying levels of quality. There is indeed something "magic" about having the original parts. Bragging rights if nothing else. So, I would likely hold onto them, rebuild them, and hope I never have to replace the ones on the car again.

If you have never rebuilt a brake caliper before I see a lot of decent looking videos on YouTube showing how to do it. It really is not that hard to do when you have the right equipment.

In another post in this thread I mention how you need to be certain to not put the calipers on the wrong side of the car (it can be done), as it will cause problems when it comes time to bleed the hydraulic system of air. It is worth repeating that admonition, so I will The attached JPG file shows how getting it wrong can make things difficult for you.

 

[piper62j]

IMHO, it's worth removing the broken bleeder to retain the originality of the existing caliper. Just a few minutes of hands on work and minor tools would save money and time.. I've done this work many times in our shop and had great results and happy customers..

 

[basstrix]

If it broke due to being seized an attempt to use an 'easy out' or other bolt extractor may prove unsuccessful. For the price of a replacement caliper I would opt to replace it. And do get the speed bleeders, makes it so much faster to bleed the brakes.

+1 on the speed bleeders....makes those vacuum bleeders work like they're supposed to.