i was trying to get the brake bleed screw off my rear calipers. and i had a 10mm socket on it, and sprayed penetrating lube on it. and let it set, and sprayed it some more. and then i tried to get it off.. and i broke the bleeder screw. it just like twisted in half right about the threads... so i tried drilling it out and using a bolt extractor thingy.. and with that i broke one drill, and the other drill isn't powerful enough (4 amp drill). it just groans and the lights dim.. bolt doesn't move.. i tried more penetrating lube and tried heating it several times. but its not coming out.. i don't have $80 for a new caliper. so i was wondering what i could do. can i drill it out and retap the holes for bigger bleeder screw? do they make bigger bleeder screws??

 

Hey dude, FYI, go to pepboys or autozone WITH your caliper... new one's are only $12 with the core exchange... not $80. Believe me, I just got one from pepboys a week ago. $12.

 

if the replacement caliper is out of your price range textron makes a repair kit for broke bleeders. all it is is a pipe plug with a bleeder screw in it. just drill and tap it for NPT and you're all set.

 

Or, if the bleeder screw broke before the screw backed off (so it won't leak), you can reassemble the brakes and use the brake line fitting to bleed the rear line. It's a little unorthodox, but might get you by until you can line up a replacement caliper or repair kit.

Obviously, a new bleeder is the correct repair, but you'll probably have to remove and disassemble the caliper to repair it correctly.

 

well i am rebuilding the caliper anyways. im gonna try to back the screw out one more time with a large wrench or something. if not then i brought new bleeder screws today and ill play around with those. im only woried about if i drill and tap out a new hole and see if it leaks or not..

thanks guys.

 

ahhh. im trying to tap the hole but the freaking thing tap wont start.. like i put it in, push down on it and try to turn it, but it wont catch, it just spins.. now i have never used a tap before. but i don't think it should be this difficult for me!!! im using a 7\16 tap and a 3\8 drill bit. isn't that the way its supposed to be done? I know i should of practiced this before. but since im probably gonna get a new caliper anyways. i guess it kinda is practice..

 

make sure you have a starting tap and not a plug tap ,might want to break the edge at the top of the hole with a 1/2" drill bit or chamfer tool

 

The tap says on it what size drill to use... 3/8" for a 7/16" thread, whether std or fine, sounds too small to me. But I'm to lazy to get up and go look at a tap to see.

 

Listen to Stingraye

4mula88 and I spent the better part of 3 hrs trying to get that damn bleeder out of his RF caliper. He had the same mindset you do. He didn't want to spend a lot of money on a new caliper. So we kept going and going trying to get the POS out.

It was 10pm on a Sun night, so NO parts stores were open. We finally said fooey on it. The next morning he went to AutoZone and bought a rebuilt one for $13.

If you're doing it just to play, then have fun.

BTW, My tap and die set (Craftsman) doesn't say what size hole to drill. I wish it did.

AJ

 

$13??. i wish the REAR calipers were that cheep.. (sorry i don't think i specified that earlier ).... $60 for a bare caliper...!!! i broke down and am waiting on the parts store to get the caliper in... i hope i can get the other side bleeder screw out..