broke the freakin bleader valve !!!

[bobbyspider]

Arty and i replaced brake lines on a car this week and when i went to bleed the rear brakes it was so rusted that it was seized and snapped! +what do i do now ? Thanks

[MasterTec]

Re: broke the freakin bleader valve !!!

You can drill it out and try to extract it but it's usually easier just to install a new wheel cylinder.

[Festy46]

^ What he said. The rear wheel cylinder is only a few dollars and you'll save yourself a lot of grief. And the best part, you'll have a new wheel cylinder to go with your new lines. Every Festiva I ever put on the track got new calipers and wheel cylinders regardless of their condition.

[georgeb]

Bleed it by cracking the brake line open. It gets most of the air.

[WmWatt]

Yes, I did that and still used it. The wheel cyclinder was full so all I had to do was bleed the line above it. Brakes were good and drove it for a couple years until I re-built the front end with new calipers. In future use a lot of penetrating oil and a wire brush. If that doesn't work heat with a blow torch and ease out. Dont keep trying to turn after it cools and stops turning. That will break it. Reheat and turn some more. Repeat until out. When heating with a torch I hold up a piece of sheet metal (eg flattened or cut open tin can) to protect any rubber and the fluid from the heat.

[TominMO]

You can order some one-man speed bleeders to replace all four bleeder screws. They have a one-way valve in them that lets air out, but then closes when you let off the brake pedal so it doesn't get back in. Lets you bleed brakes alone and works great. I have them on both my cars.

www.speedbleeder.com The specific part # is SB8100 (M8 x 1.0). They come in packs of two.

[bobbyspider]

Yes, I did that and still used it. The wheel cyclinder was full so all I had to do was bleed the line above it. Brakes were good and drove it for a couple years until I re-built the front end with new calipers. In future use a lot of penetrating oil and a wire brush. If that doesn't work heat with a blow torch and ease out. Dont keep trying to turn after it cools and stops turning. That will break it. Reheat and turn some more. Repeat until out. When heating with a torch I hold up a piece of sheet metal (eg flattened or cut open tin can) to protect any rubber and the fluid from the heat.

So as long as the valve didn't open I should be able to loosen the line and bleed it through there? I used heat and penitraring oil and all but it was rusted so bad that there was no hope.

You can order some one-man speed bleeders to replace all four bleeder screws. They have a one-way valve in them that lets air out, but then closes when you let off the brake pedal so it doesn't get back in. Lets you bleed brakes alone and works great. I have them on both my cars.

www.speedbleeder.com The specific part # is SB8100 (M8 x 1.0). They come in packs of two.

Sweet! I'm getting these, I can't believe these arnt not on cars from factory. Its such a good idea.


Thanks all for the input and info

[MasterTec]

Sweet! I'm getting these, I can't believe these arnt not on cars from factory. Its such a good idea.

You can't drive with those installed. You install them in lieu of the bleeders, bleed the system then put the bleeders back in.

As far as bleeding it through the line - yes it works but it still won't get all of the air out. You'll still have a low pedal and irregular braking issue and at best this would be a temporary "fix" to get you by until you replace the wheel cylinder.

[bobbyspider]

You can't drive with those installed. You install them in lieu of the bleeders, bleed the system then put the bleeders back in.

As far as bleeding it through the line - yes it works but it still won't get all of the air out. You'll still have a low pedal and irregular braking issue and at best this would be a temporary "fix" to get you by until you replace the wheel cylinder.

lol oops yea i guess i cant leave them in

at this point i just want to get some fluid and pressure in there to make sure there are no more leaks for now.

[TominMO]

You can't drive with those installed. You install them in lieu of the bleeders, bleed the system then put the bleeders back in.

Absolutely not true. My B6 Festy has had them for a couple years now and it brakes fine. The brakes feel real hard, no air in the lines at all. My fronts are Capri, with the rear Festy beam BTW. To bleed with them, you loosen them a little so the one-way valve can work; then when you get nothing but clean brake fluid with no bubbles, you tighten 'em down.

The speed bleeders also come in stainless, I forgot to mention.

[bobbyspider]

^ even better! thanks tom

[Bert]

I hate it when rust-seized parts break! I always make a point of lightly greasing every nut and bolt and bleeder screw before it goes back in and for a long time this has been cheap insurance against having it happen again.

[Movin]

That is pretty cool! For years I have put a vacuum cap over the bleeder screw. I use a razor blade to put a small slit in the end of the rubber cap. It works like a one way check valve. If you pump the pedal too hard it will blow off unless you put a couple wraps of mechanics wire on it like a hose clamp.

For the time and effort spent just throw in a new cylinder!

[bobbyspider]

uggghhh! so now the brake line wont budge from the back of the drum because its seized up too and will prob break also if i push it to hard. any suggestions? thanks

[DON SVO]

First: PB Blaster is your friend. Hit the nut 3 times over 10 minutes and go have a beer to cool off.

Second: if the nut to the brake line is seized, MAKE SURE YOU USE BRAKE LINE WRENCHES:



Third: use Vice Grip pliers and turn the bleeder out. Yea it's trashed but hey. It's out. BTW... have a box for the bleeder screws. $#!T happens, I always keep a few on hand