Front Brake Bleeder Screws
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,690
Likes: 6
Front Brake Bleeder Screws
Front brake hardware including the cylinders is relatively new. Few years old but low miles for what that's worth. Bled then back then.
Now neither of those damn screws will budge and it's not the most accessible place on earth. I totally stripped the hell out of one of them. So what do you guys use besides the run of the mill 10 mm combo wrench?
Now neither of those damn screws will budge and it's not the most accessible place on earth. I totally stripped the hell out of one of them. So what do you guys use besides the run of the mill 10 mm combo wrench?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,396
Likes: 4
From: Cupertino
The damage is done.
Try squirting some penetrant onto the bleeders for a few days. Then try to grab them somehow, with vise-grips or an undersize socket.
Not the end of the world: replace the wheel cylinder with ones that have screws that loosen- at the counter. You are out an hour and a half next Saturday, worst case.
Semper Fi
Try squirting some penetrant onto the bleeders for a few days. Then try to grab them somehow, with vise-grips or an undersize socket.
Not the end of the world: replace the wheel cylinder with ones that have screws that loosen- at the counter. You are out an hour and a half next Saturday, worst case.
Semper Fi
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 brake fluid is synthetic. Penetrating oil is petroleum-based.
If the penetrating oil gets inside the wheel cylinder (and it will --it's penetrating oil. That's what it does), it will attack the wheel cylinder seals and cause them to swell, causing them to leak/fail.
Wheel cylinders are fairly cheap if you can't get the bleeder out and replace it with a new bleeder. It'll just be the hassle of having to swap wheel cylinders out, if this is the case.
IF you manage to get the bleeder out and replace it, put a THIN layer of Anti-Seize on the replacement bleeder screw threads --leaving the first two leading threads of the bleeder uncoated.
IF you have to replace the entire wheel cylinder, take the new bleeder out of it, before installing the new wheel cylinder, and coat the bleeder with Anti-Seize, as described above.
This will keep you from having this problem in the future and be sure not to over tighten the bleeder.
If the penetrating oil gets inside the wheel cylinder (and it will --it's penetrating oil. That's what it does), it will attack the wheel cylinder seals and cause them to swell, causing them to leak/fail.
Wheel cylinders are fairly cheap if you can't get the bleeder out and replace it with a new bleeder. It'll just be the hassle of having to swap wheel cylinders out, if this is the case.
IF you manage to get the bleeder out and replace it, put a THIN layer of Anti-Seize on the replacement bleeder screw threads --leaving the first two leading threads of the bleeder uncoated.
IF you have to replace the entire wheel cylinder, take the new bleeder out of it, before installing the new wheel cylinder, and coat the bleeder with Anti-Seize, as described above.
This will keep you from having this problem in the future and be sure not to over tighten the bleeder.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
Yep. I have them on my truck.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
Likes: 82
From: NorCal
Well there's the problem! Our trucks are SAE!!!
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Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
When stuff is made over seas, you're subject to get anything. I put some new replacement rear wheel cylinders on a '67 Mustang that had metric bleed screws in them.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 20,678
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From: NorCal
Granted, there are a few concession to metric like the 18mm rear bumper to bracket nuts on my 73 which came from an 80s Bronco... The console to floor attaching bolts are 10 mm but will be replaced. The battery terminals on the LBB require a 10mm wrench.
I carry a 4-in-1 ratcheting box wrench.. it has saved my azz a coupla times like when getting the Lincoln fan.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,355
Likes: 4
From: Western NC
We're working on the front, right? I feel your pain, qman. The location of those '72 bleeders makes it next to impossible to get any kind of decent wrench in there, be it SAE or metric or whatever. They've never made a pipe wrench small enough to get in there that I have seen. My advice would be to try a 12-point closed wrench, or similar, or buy a cheap open-end wrench (or two, or three) that is too small, and carefully grind it to fit. Then once you get the bleeders out, replace them with the same type thing, or whatever other item you want, provided that it will fit into that incredibly small amount of space you have to operate in.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,690
Likes: 6
10 mm isn't the issue. That's what they are.
As for speed bleeders. I already have a check valve in a piece of tubing for that. Bought it years ago.
RedTaurus94 feels my pain and that was my original question but let me clarify. If I hadn't stripped one bleeder (the other is not stripped) what do you use to loosen that damn screw. There's no way I'm the only person with this problem.
What type of wrench do you use?
As for speed bleeders. I already have a check valve in a piece of tubing for that. Bought it years ago.
RedTaurus94 feels my pain and that was my original question but let me clarify. If I hadn't stripped one bleeder (the other is not stripped) what do you use to loosen that damn screw. There's no way I'm the only person with this problem.
What type of wrench do you use?
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,399
Likes: 40
From: El Dorado, Arkansas
Sometimes the best things to do aren't always the simplest, easy things to do.
If the wheel cylinder is still on the truck, and you can't get to the (explitive) up bleeder screw, the smartest solution I can offer is to disconnect the brake hard line from the flexible brake line, unscrew the flexible line from the wheel cylinder and then remove the wheel cylinder from the drum backing plate.
With the wheel cylinder off the truck and on the work bench/vise, you can work on it without obstruction.
Or, you can keep fighting it, waste more of your time and get madder in the process. (Hey, I understand frustration. It happens to me too).
If the wheel cylinder is still on the truck, and you can't get to the (explitive) up bleeder screw, the smartest solution I can offer is to disconnect the brake hard line from the flexible brake line, unscrew the flexible line from the wheel cylinder and then remove the wheel cylinder from the drum backing plate.
With the wheel cylinder off the truck and on the work bench/vise, you can work on it without obstruction.
Or, you can keep fighting it, waste more of your time and get madder in the process. (Hey, I understand frustration. It happens to me too).
Lead Driver
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,592
Likes: 10
From: **** hole San Jose ca.
Any threaded bolt will come out easier by tipping on it's head with or with out when applied most any lubricant to the threads. Hit helps loosen the rust with in it's threaded bore.
If you just pick at it may not be enough. A number of harder hit may be the way to get with a small pipe wrench has always worked for me.
If you don't get it out when you pull the whole wheel apart to get the cylinder out.
With a nut apply a lube and use two small hammers and hit bolt sides at the same time will aid in removing a stuck nut.
Do this to all sides of a nut and it comes off.
Orich
If you just pick at it may not be enough. A number of harder hit may be the way to get with a small pipe wrench has always worked for me.
If you don't get it out when you pull the whole wheel apart to get the cylinder out.
With a nut apply a lube and use two small hammers and hit bolt sides at the same time will aid in removing a stuck nut.
Do this to all sides of a nut and it comes off.
Orich