Rust-frozen brake bleeder screws

I want to thank all y'all. It looks as if I've been going about it correctly. Fortunately, the rubber caps on my bleeders are all intact, as for the ATF/acetone penetrating oil aka Ed's Red, over the years I've heard nothing but great things about it but have been too lazy to mix up a batch, I guess it's time I did. I loved the SPEED BLEEDER suggestion for future fluid changes. I didn't know what speed bleeders were but a quick stroll down google lane quickly brought me up to speed.
Thanks again all y'all for your wisdom and insight.
Steve

I used the PB Blaster, tap, try with a 6 point deep socket; repeat daily for 2 weeks method and my 18 year old, live in New England bleeders finally loosened and came out with no rounding or major thread issues.

You could add SPEED BLEEDERS to make it easier to change brake fluid.

Heat, PB Blaster, heat, PB, pound on the end with a hammer... hard enough to ruin the end (if necessary) and as B....Bill said, tighten first with six point socket.

smkettner wrote:
When all the above fails just crank on it and keep some money in the budget for new calipers.

Any tips on prevention?

Once you get them loose you can remove them. NAPA sells a set of rubber plugs you can stick in the hole once the bleeder is removed. Then clean the rust off the screw threads with a wire brush and give them a light coating of anti seize. Be sure to keep the anti seize away from the fluid holes.

Also some of the racing supply websites like Summit Racing sell stainless bleeder screws. You'd have to do some research and get some measurements to see if the ones they sell will crossover.

When all the above fails just crank on it and keep some money in the budget for new calipers.

Any tips on prevention?

I'll have to try the acetone/tranny fluid mix.

I have used PB Blaster in the past. After spraying give it a couple of taps right on the end to set up a vibration. Repeat this for several days. I then use a six sided box end wrench, you don't want to round the corners, to work the bleeder back and forth. Sometimes I tap the wrench with a hammer, just trying to break the hold not force the bleeder out. More PB Blaster if required. Working slow and just tapping with a hammer will eventually win out. Don't worry about the bleeder you'll be replacing it anyway.

I don't want to get off subject or highjack this thread I would like to know what type ATF? does it make a differance in this mixture? Thank you for the info

Try a 50/50 mixture of acetone and trans fluid. A search will show that this mixture has some superior rust busting ability. Soak well several times a day for a week. Taking apart 20+ year old 'Vette suspension has convinced me that long term soaking is time well spent. Much less chance of breakage than heat.

Good Luck.... :) :)

Steve,

Being a lifelong coastal and rustbelt resident, I have developed a few (and just a very few) successful habits. Brakes and the bleed screws is one of those areas.

If you were also a resident of the metalworking groups on the web, you might have read a rather interesting study a couple of years back. One of the magazines wanted to do an scientific evaluation of the penetrating in lubricants that are available. They needed a control to compare all of these. So, someone knew of people that use a 50% mix of Acetone and ATF. They decided to use that as the control.
Problem....
In all and every test, the control was the most successful at reducing torque required to break away regardless of the fasteners age and condition. So, mix up some and put it in a pump oil can. Don't get a flame near it, but the ignition temperature is still pretty high and there should not be much there.

Before you get too far, assuming you get bleed screws open at all, drain the system. Use a small piece of clear tubing into a glass jar so you don't make a mess of things and can easily dispose of the scrap fluid. If you are going to pressure or vacuum bleed, you can use that equipment for this. If you are planning to gravity bleed, you can do that also, but it will not clear the system all that well. This will also make the next step much simpler and WAY cleaner.

When (If) you get your bleeders loose take each out and wire brush it clean. Then, either put a serious coat of teflon based pipe thread sealant on the thread or use two wraps (right hand) of teflon tape on the threads. (Now, someone is reading this and thinking "What kind of a bozo is this guy. Those thread don't seal anything! And, he is mistaken. Those thread have to A: seal the highly hydroscopic (soaks up water) brake fluid leaked at bleeding from helping the threads corrode again, and B: Keeping the outside water, salt or whatever from coming in from the top and corroding the threads - again.) There is the added benefit that if you are vacuum bleeding, you can get to clear fluid much sooner as no air will get sucked in the threads.

If you are planning to pedal-pump bleed a vehicle that old (well new from my point of view), resist the temptation. The extended stroke required will take the master cylinder seals places that they haven't been in years. This CAN (not will) damage those seals. If this can be avoided, you can put off replacing or rebuilding the master cylinder.

Lastly, but no less important, replace the little tiny rubber caps on the bleed screws. You never saw them? Well they were probably there once and then they either aged out and cracked and fell off, they got brake fluid on them and cracked and fell off or some ham-fisted mechanic didn't bother to put them back on.

Does all this stuff matter all that much? Well, it does to me, but then, I have a coach that is a little older than yours.

Matt