Brake caliper bleed screw stripped
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 3
From: colchester CT
Brake caliper bleed screw stripped
I had bought some front calipers from a forum member and finally got around to putting them on but one of the bleed screws was frozen. had to take off the caliper and soak it and finally got it out. It was all rusted and bent a little. I put a new one in, re-installed the caliper and when i went to bleed it, it just keeps spinning. wont tighten up. How can I fix this? will a Heli coil work? I tried retapping it but no dice. These are the upgraded calipers with the Corvette script on them. I still have the old ones but these look better. Its a 96 lt4. any suggestions would be great and does anyone want to sell a front left caliper with the corvette script on it in case I cant fix it? always something. Thanks guys
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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I had bought some front calipers from a forum member and finally got around to putting them on but one of the bleed screws was frozen. had to take off the caliper and soak it and finally got it out. It was all rusted and bent a little. I put a new one in, re-installed the caliper and when i went to bleed it, it just keeps spinning. wont tighten up. How can I fix this? will a Heli coil work? I tried retapping it but no dice. These are the upgraded calipers with the Corvette script on them. I still have the old ones but these look better. Its a 96 lt4. any suggestions would be great and does anyone want to sell a front left caliper with the corvette script on it in case I cant fix it? always something. Thanks guys
I only asked because I have a pair of NOS C4 GS calipers I've been holding and I believe I'll likely sell them but your alternative is to try and use a 1/8 NPT bleeder repair package, that would give you 1/8 NPT bushing that is bored for very small bleeder screw. 1/8 NPT is slightly larger than 10mm and maybe you could just use the fitting and not need to drill it. I don't believe you could drill it. There is a 10mm x 1.0 sleeve that is offered for Performance calipers that maybe you could insert and use red Loctite or another epoxy to secure it.
Here's the 1/8 NPT: https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pr...asp?RecID=5210
Here's the 10mm x 1.0 sleeve: https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pr...asp?RecID=9836
I've never considered or attempted such a fix but I can't think of another option. I'd like to think someone has a better option!
Last edited by WVZR-1; Jul 10, 2013 at 07:35 PM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 3
From: colchester CT
they were painted red and they came with the correct brackets. the pins came with them and so did the bleeder screws. I am not sure what to call them. The only difference with them is that they have the word "corvette" on the side that you can see through your rims. I dont think they are c5. Maybe J55 or from the collectors edition lt4's. They member that I bought them from had them on his 95 i think. I painted them gold and the script is black so they add a nice touch over the stock 96. hopefully I can salvage it. any ideas? wondering if I can tap it out to the next size bleeder screw. I think this one was a 10x1.25. I dont know anything about sizing for the bleed screws.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25,406
Likes: 2,744
they were painted red and they came with the correct brackets. the pins came with them and so did the bleeder screws. I am not sure what to call them. The only difference with them is that they have the word "corvette" on the side that you can see through your rims. I dont think they are c5. Maybe J55 or from the collectors edition lt4's. They member that I bought them from had them on his 95 i think. I painted them gold and the script is black so they add a nice touch over the stock 96. hopefully I can salvage it. any ideas? wondering if I can tap it out to the next size bleeder screw. I think this one was a 10x1.25. I dont know anything about sizing for the bleed screws.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 3
From: colchester CT
yes, it is 10 x 1. I guess I am a bit nervous about using a sleeve because if it fails then it could be pretty dangerous. To make things worse, my parking brake doesnt currently work so I have some trepidation here. My thought was to go to a 10 x 1.25 or 1/8 like you suggested. just wish I could hear about someone else doing this successfully. also, now that I think about it, these are the GS calipers. How much would you want for yours
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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yes, it is 10 x 1. I guess I am a bit nervous about using a sleeve because if it fails then it could be pretty dangerous. To make things worse, my parking brake doesnt currently work so I have some trepidation here. My thought was to go to a 10 x 1.25 or 1/8 like you suggested. just wish I could hear about someone else doing this successfully. also, now that I think about it, these are the GS calipers. How much would you want for yours
My calipers are NOS and I sold my others for $307.40 shipped with $500 insurance. You can find the post in the "for sale". These have never been installed.
Last edited by WVZR-1; Jul 11, 2013 at 10:23 AM.
Team Owner
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I actually thought about a TimeSert just because of the way they're inserted but it would seem that it would take a very talented person to control the boring and the insert. You need to preserve the taper that the bleeder seats against. You could bore it, TimeSert it and then use either the 10mm sleeve I linked in my previous post or if the 1/8 NPT also if you wanted. You could heli-coil or TimeSert it to any size you wanted so long as you use a union/bushing that will allow a bleeder to seat and seal. To use the what appears to be larger Dorman product I part #'d I believe you would have to do just what I described or you implied.
The bleeder inlet doesn't require a thread to the bottom but I don't even know if a 10mm x 1.1 heli-coil or TimeSert can be purchased short enough to accomplish the needs. The shortest TimeSert in 10 X 1.0 is 9mm long.
The bleeder inlet doesn't require a thread to the bottom but I don't even know if a 10mm x 1.1 heli-coil or TimeSert can be purchased short enough to accomplish the needs. The shortest TimeSert in 10 X 1.0 is 9mm long.
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 3
From: colchester CT
I have no idea. I am not much of a mechanic and I have never even used one so thats why I am not sure if this is a possibility. Just thought that this must have happened to somebody and hopefully they found a good solution and will share it. The heli coil is all I can think of other than taping it out larger and putting in a bigger bleed screw. I dont know if hydraulic pressure is too much for a heli coil. Nice to see a member fairly close by to me. havent been up to providence in awhile
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
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I have no idea. I am not much of a mechanic and I have never even used one so thats why I am not sure if this is a possibility. Just thought that this must have happened to somebody and hopefully they found a good solution and will share it. The heli coil is all I can think of other than taping it out larger and putting in a bigger bleed screw. I dont know if hydraulic pressure is too much for a heli coil. Nice to see a member fairly close by to me. havent been up to providence in awhile
Take your caliper to an automotive machine shop in the area. They should have the correct sized TimeSert or inserts that they use and they can advise you much better likely than we can here on the CF. Hands-on is what's needed now. Hydraulic pressure isn't your problem.
** there's only one way that you could consider this a DIY fix - if the 1/8 NPT tap will put suitable threads in the caliper to allow the install of that kit then it's maybe DIY. If not then you need the shop anyway - locate the Dorman kit #'s and take them to a shop for advice.
Last edited by WVZR-1; Jul 11, 2013 at 01:05 PM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,302
Likes: 3
From: colchester CT
are the threads supposed to run right to the bottom or do they stop short to create a seat for the bleed screw? When I finally got the old screw out, I ran a thread chaser in to clean up the threads. so now I am thinking that I may have ran it in too far and actually may have threaded the seat or stop. I cant really tell by comparing it to the other caliper but this seems like a good possibility. looks like I may have "screwed" myself on this one. Thank you for all your help. I am taking it in to a shop and let someone with some knowledge try and fix it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,094
Likes: 68
From: Providence RI
I have used larger (longer) heli-coils and just cut them flush with the top of the hole.
Since your threads are already trashed, use a reamer instead of a drill bit (the correct size for you 10x1.0 helicoil kits) so you do not hit the seat. Use a tapered helicoil tap to start the hole and when you are halfway down, take the tap out and turn it into a bottoming tap by grinding off the tapered "nose". Take this tap and thread as far as possible into the bleeder hole.
Install the helicoil as deep as it will go, cut off the protruding threads (above the top of the hole) with a dremel, then break the tang off of the helicoil and make sure you get that out of there.
I think that is the best fix at this point to save the caliper. Time serts depend on the depth of the threads and you cannot cut off the top as far as i know. Those other products may very well work but seem to be overthinking this problem at this point.
Hope this helps...
Mike
Since your threads are already trashed, use a reamer instead of a drill bit (the correct size for you 10x1.0 helicoil kits) so you do not hit the seat. Use a tapered helicoil tap to start the hole and when you are halfway down, take the tap out and turn it into a bottoming tap by grinding off the tapered "nose". Take this tap and thread as far as possible into the bleeder hole.
Install the helicoil as deep as it will go, cut off the protruding threads (above the top of the hole) with a dremel, then break the tang off of the helicoil and make sure you get that out of there.
I think that is the best fix at this point to save the caliper. Time serts depend on the depth of the threads and you cannot cut off the top as far as i know. Those other products may very well work but seem to be overthinking this problem at this point.
Hope this helps...
Mike
