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I recently tried a trick to free stuck bleeder valves (brakes) that I found on the internet. If you only have a propane torch you can do this.
1. Being careful not to heat where rubber is, heat the area around the stuck bleeder (you will obviously get the bleeder hot as well). Heat it pretty well. (about 2 minutes or so.)
2. While it is hot, stick a candle on it as close to the joint as possible. Let the candle melt in there for a while.
3. Take your wrench and carefully loosen it up.
I was amazed how well this worked. Used it on two stuck bleeders.
I had previously broken off the pinch bolt for the damper fork on my 99 Civic. Common problem. I bought a replacement from a salvage yard and had the one with the broken bolt sitting in the garage. For the hell of it I tried to get the frozen bolt with the broken off head out of the damper fork by using the candle method. I cut a slot in the protruding end with a hack saw so I could get a screwdriver on it. Then I heated it and put the candle on it and tried using a hand held impact driver on it with a flat blade screwdriver bit. TO MY AMAZEMENT IT CAME OUT. Folks this works like magic. Just wanted to share that.
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This technique is one that works on stuck fasteners however, it’s not advised that you heat any liquid in an enclosed space such as brake fluid.
+1. Also heating a caliper can damage the piston seal and boot. To use this technique on a stuck bleeder, the caliper should be removed from the vehicle, the piston, seal, and boot removed, then remove the stuck bleeder, and reassemble caliper using a new bleeder with anti-seize, and a new piston seal and boot.
I have a dirty old mangled candle that’s been in my toolbox for years. This is one of the methods I try in the opening stages when dealing with siezed fasteners, before things escalate to brute force and profanity. To be honest, I’ve never had much success with it. Still, it’s an option I keep trying, optimistically.
[quote=”hans.pcguy” post=139936]You really don’t get it that hot. I did it without any problems.[/quote]
You may not have gotten it very hot, but someone else may… the caution is still advised.I was told use an impact, it will shock the taper and break it loose. A ford senior master tech actually told me that. He gave his candles to his girlfriend.
[quote=”Pitt” post=140507]I was told use an impact, it will shock the taper and break it loose. A ford senior master tech actually told me that. He gave his candles to his girlfriend.[/quote]
I’d be nervous putting an impact on a stuck bleeder screw, seems likely to bust it off.
The way he explained it was putting a wrench on it can actually increase the chance of rounding the nut, the shock of an impact would break the nut loose. The quick short bursts of an impact is less likely to round the bolt off. Eric touched on this in his fix it forward Chrysler video.
Torch on the brake system isn’t a great idea. That said I use oxy-acetylene and wax with a 6 point socket and ratchet. Its probably 50/50 on getting them out. Always put a new bleeder in afterwards. If anyone attempts this, just know as a professional I highly recommend not doing it and don’t hold me liable for any damages or injuries. As Eric said its a bad idea to heat the brake system.
I agree with the shock forces from an impact being good, but I like the manual feel and ability to work it back an forth with a ratchet.
I broke off a bleeder screw that wouldn’t come loose. A friend had a person in his shop mig weld a nut it to the bleeder screw after I had broken off an ease out in the bleeder screw (it wasn’t one of my days) to take out the old bleeder. I don’t like leaving broken parts. I thought I was nearly done on replacing all four brake hoses. One to go. When the bleeder screw didn’t move on the last one, instead of forcing it, I used the propane torch method of heating the bleeder screw pretty hot and then pouring very cold water over it. I did not use a candle in this process. I did it 3 times without getting everything else very hot – just the bleeder – and the bleeder was easily turned on the third time. I did not, however, have any brake fluid coming through the new brake line and out of the bleeder screw. Tomorrow, I will remove the hose and while someone is pumping will see if it’s the caliper. I suspect it failed before I heated the bleeder screw to loosen it. The old hose looked like it might have a bulge on it. I was glad I was replacing the line and found the problem.
I understand the heating method is not recommended or endorsed. I spent a lot of time looking at various options. They ranged from placing something inside the bleeder so that it would not twist like a straw like a small drill bit or nail and then use a socket wrench over it; the impact method described earlier, etc. I concluded that heat was my best solution given what I was up against. None of this is recommended, suggest or endorsed. Just sharing what I did. You can see that my next step is most likely caliper replacement with a rebuilt one.
Another way is tap the side of the brake caliper with a hammer,have removed bleeder screws out this way without breaking them off.There is an air hammer attachment a company makes that comes with their brake bleeder screw kit.I get lucky on a few,tapped on a smaller sized socket if rounded off badly and comes right out.
Last time I had a bleeder that wouldn’t come out, I did not have to use heat. I got out a six point socket, put a thin shop rag in there to help reduce slip, and hooked it up to a 12′ breaker bar. I then tightened it a little, then pulled sharply and it broke loose. I did not use any penetrating oil. Bright side was I was able to reuse bleeder after soaking it in methylated spirits and cleaning the threads using a home made thread chaser.. Yes, the bleeder worked after I replaced it.
Stuck brake bleeder valves seem to be one of the most common issues in the entire automotive servicing world. Both professionals and DIY’ers seem to regularly snap off bleeders that are rusted/seized in place. Watching a seasoned pro like Eric snap one off in his Fix It Forward video brought that home to me.
Which raises the question: Isn’t it about time to get the automotive engineers involved in this issue?
It seems to me that either the design of bleeder valves themselves needs to be changed – so as to make them less likely to round/shear off. Or we need to change the way they are serviced: regular application of some sort of anti-seize agent. Increase the service interval. Periodic bleeder replacement.
I recognize the fact that bleeder valves live in a hostile environment. Underneath the car, exposed to the elements, road salt, heat, vibration, and screwed into a rusty hunk of cast iron.
But humanity has solved thornier problems than this. Its time for us to come up with cost-effective solution that won’t make pretty much every brake service procedure a crapshoot with the demons of auto disaster.
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