Removing Snapped Off Bleeders?

[92saturnsl2]

Is there a trick to removing broke off brake bleeder screws? My first thought was heat and an easy-out (backwards drill bit), but I suspect heat might screw up the seals in the caliper. Should I just drill into the screw, lots of penetrating oil and remove with easy-out? Calipers are in good condition otherwise, so trying to avoid the expense of new calipers.

 

[ripcord]

That's how I do them. Drill, heat, quench with cold water and easy-out'em. Never had to replace a seal from heating the bleeder screw. I have bought a caliper after breaking off the easy-out in it.

 

[IMSA_Racing_Fan]

What is the cost of a remanufactured caliper for your application? Might not be worth the trouble, cursing, etc.

 

[IMSA_Racing_Fan]

Is it for the 1996 Grand Prix?

 

[Donald]

Drill with a left handed drill bit.

Seems you would need to disassemble & clean the entire caliber and clean out possible bits of metal from drilling. Then probably need a rebuild kit.

Time for a reman caliper.

 

[Donald]

The time to apply PB Blaster is the night before. Not after.

 

[Donald]

EZ-Outs are misnamed.

 

[Driz]

Always use some sort of penetrant at least a day prior to trying to loosen bleeders . In the Rust Belt I like to start a week or two prior. 12 point wrenches have no business around these little🤬. Somewhere along the decades I smartened up with these things that live in the caustic soup. If I found if the caliper assembly looked really funky it was easier faster and down the road better to just buy a rebuilt caliper and save the hassles that come from old rusty calipers post 100,000 miles.

 

[cjcride]

Originally Posted by Donald
The time to apply PB Blaster is the night before. Not after.

was told this about 20 years ago by a mechanic

 

[IMSA_Racing_Fan]

Originally Posted by Donald
EZ-Outs are misnamed.

LOL correcto

 

[IMSA_Racing_Fan]

A shard of steel might, no, will fall into the caliper.

 

[ripcord]

You obviously don't drill through the end of the bleeder.

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted by ripcord
You obviously don't drill through the end of the bleeder.

The bleeder screw doesn't have a through hole?

 

[IMSA_Racing_Fan]

Good luck with that.
When I restore/remake road worthy an older car I replace the brake system. Brakes are priority #1 IMO. Why mess around with a broken bleeder on a corroded caliper?

 

[92saturnsl2]

Originally Posted by IMSA_Racing_Fan
Is it for the 1996 Grand Prix?


Where did you find that price? The caliper pictured looks like neither the front or rear on this car (96 Grand Prix).

 

[ripcord]

Originally Posted by kschachn
Originally Posted by ripcord
You obviously don't drill through the end of the bleeder.

The bleeder screw doesn't have a through hole?

 

[Lubener]

Originally Posted by 92saturnsl2
Is there a trick to removing broke off brake bleeder screws? My first thought was heat and an easy-out (backwards drill bit), but I suspect heat might screw up the seals in the caliper. Should I just drill into the screw, lots of penetrating oil and remove with easy-out? Calipers are in good condition otherwise, so trying to avoid the expense of new calipers.

The fix.....New calipers or wheel cylinders.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Well I finally got them all out. Didn't have any luck with a handheld propane torch so I borrowed an oxy/acetylene setup from work. That seemed to do the trick, heat up the screw then quench it real quick.

Since you can heat the screw quickly to red hot, it actually heats the surrounding metal less than holding a propane/air torch over it trying to get it hot enough. Once I had the right torch the whole process took about 5 minutes each.

I'll have to replace one of the rear calipers, I wasn't centered well enough with the EZ-out and got into the threads on one side. I'll grab one from a pick & pull yard tomorrow.

 

[92saturnsl2]

Originally Posted by IMSA_Racing_Fan
Good luck with that.
When I restore/remake road worthy an older car I replace the brake system. Brakes are priority #1 IMO. Why mess around with a broken bleeder on a corroded caliper?


That's exactly what I'm doing, is going over the brake system. Doing brakes doesn't have to mean buying all new parts unless you have extra money to burn. This is 50+ year old technology, it's a brake caliper for crying out loud, not a rocket engine. To each their own.