stripped brake bleeder screws

[jgilbs]

anyone have any bright ideas to get the rear brake bleeder screws off of a first gen? I soaked em in PB, used a socket with breaker bar, that stripped it. so i took a sledge and hammered on a socket one size smaller. that also stripped. WTF! how can i open these things?!

 

[410Fortune]

VICE GRIPS

dont laugh.
When used properly vice grips are the only tool that will grab it hard enough to turn it, of course i helps when your buddy is 6'-3 275

next time be sure to use the right size line wrench on them and you wont strip them.
If you replace the wheel cylinder does the bleeder come with it? I can't remember its been so long since I had drums

 

[jgilbs]

vice grips wont even help at this point. that thing is like welded to the metal. Plus, there is a lip, so vice grips wont fit.

 

[EMG7895]

Are you sure you cant get vice grips on there? I just replaced all of my brake lines and all of my bleeder screws`were rusted very badly but i got them open with a big pair of vice grips and a hammer.
Also: taking the spare tire and rear wheel of makes a huge difference

 

[Ford_Racing_Guy]

vice grips do usually work,

although my dad and i are having the same troubles with the bleeder screws on the 90 f-150, its just plain rusted tight and the vice grips aren't working!!

 

[jgilbs]

i used 1/2 can of PB blaster on the MC screw, looks like im gonna have to use the other 1/2 on this screw!

EDIT: jeez, with all that rust on the wheel, im afraid if i get it down, ill break the cable and not be able to get it back up!

 

[DeRocha]

Vice grips rule

This cool little unit grips a nut or stripped anything with as much power has you can lock it in with. You then slip a little cheater bar over the unit and off comes the nut... It is one of my favorite got to have tools... Its great to use as it will not round off the fastener.. I have removed plenty of bleeder valves and found myself in your situation several times (that's why I got the tool)..

 

[jgilbs]

hmm - looks good. ill have to find one. right now im using the needlenose visegrips and they arent doing anything except bending sideways when i pry on them. i seriously think this bolt has fused with the metal because its NOT coming off! i got 2 new screws for IF i get it out, but ive been at it all day and nothing....

 

[DeRocha]

The vice grip in my picture was bought at Sears ($12 ish). Did you move the wheel so that you can get a good bite with your vice grips? You shouldn't be twisting them just pulling.

Air tools are even better... an impact gun is my best friend.. It hits the nut with so many impacts in a second that is just comes right off... the other day I was trying to remove an old grizzly grill guard that was heavily rusted and assembled with 3/16" allen bolts. I soaked the bolts with PB blaster several times and then tried removing a bolt with a 18" cheater bar over my allen wrench... the bolt didn't budge and ended up starting to strip out... I went to sears and picked up a 3/16" allen socket and chucked it in my impact gun. One trigger pull later (1/2 sec) the bolts came right out (all of them)...

 

[jgilbs]

dont have any airtools ......yet. What do you mean by "move the wheel" I have drum brakes and the bleeder screws are on the backing plate. it is a VERY bad spot for them to be in. there is about 3/16" clearance between the bleeder screw and the brake line fitting. so its damn near impossible to get any type of leverage in there. the axle and brake lines are blocking me. also, the backing plate has a ssort of concave shape, so there is like a lip thats in the way. its a total PITA.

 

[DeRocha]

Sorry, I was thinking front brakes for a minute Another good thing about the Vice grip is that you can have several different lengths of cheater pipes.

 

[Opera House]

Just get a rebuilt cylinder, these are less than $10. Of course, you probably won't be able to get the brake line off either.

 

[glfredrick]

I use a small pipe wrench (6") it works better than vise grips. The more force you apply, the tighter it gets.

But in this case, if it is rusted that bad, I would just go for the new wheel cylinder. There is one little bolt directly under the bleeder screw that holds it to the backing plate. It will probably break, but who cares, you are going to ditch it anyway.

I would also do a brake fluid change. Brake fluid tends to hold moisture and rust from the inside out. I use a Mity-Vac to suck it all out from the farthest place from the master cylinder first, then to the next place, and so on till it runs clear all over. It will take a quart or so to do the flush, but it is money well spent IMO.

BTW, little trick for the brake lines - try tighening them a little bit before loosening them - it helps to break them free. Use GOOD line wrenches. Cheap ones (and Craftsman) tend to spread open under any force. Spend the bucks and get a Snap On and you won't have issues with them stripping the fittings. You only need one...