Titanium Bleed Screws - Yes or No?

Titanium Bleed Screws - Yes or No?

Author
Discussion

ukkid35

Original Poster:

6,351 posts

188 months

Wednesday 29th April 2020
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Although I have been fitting new bleed screws as a matter of course if there is any sign of corrosion, I have started using Titanium in both Brembo and AP calipers where the caliper threads are damaged

However I've been told that Titanium is more likely to cause galvanic corrosion with the aluminum caliper body

So should I stick with steel even though they can shear?

stevieturbo

17,781 posts

262 months

Wednesday 29th April 2020
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If they're installed with some anti-seize and looked after...they should never come anywhere near shearing off.

sliks

79 posts

90 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
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Go with standard brake nipples. I have had nipples break on me but that is when I would try to open them with a spanner. In recent years I have always used my impact wrench to give out 1 impact only (not to wizz them out). Not all impacts do this, the 12v cig lighter ones can. Therein you can actually continue to use the same nipple and I have not had one break after undoing it previously.

I have seen dis similar metal corrosion and it really needs to be avoided. Besides if it was to occur you either wouldn't be able to undo the nipple or the caliper would disintegrate. I don't know if titanium would do that but imo standard nipples do a reasonable job anyway and it's not worth the risk.

E-bmw

11,099 posts

167 months

Friday 1st May 2020
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Stick with new standard ones & apply grease & always remove/slacken with full hex tools & you will never have an issue.

HustleRussell

25,629 posts

175 months

Friday 1st May 2020
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What’s the performance benefit of titanium supposed to be? Don’t say weight!

Chris32345

2,137 posts

77 months

Friday 1st May 2020
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HustleRussell said:
What’s the performance benefit of titanium supposed to be? Don’t say weight!
Stronger then the steel ones and doesn't rust meaning they round off after a few years of removing

stevieturbo

17,781 posts

262 months

Saturday 2nd May 2020
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They're only bleed nipples....they should never be so tight there is any risk of a spanner damaging them.

They only need nipped up...

Boosted LS1

21,199 posts

275 months

Saturday 2nd May 2020
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And not with a 3 ft spanner.

darreni

4,207 posts

285 months

Saturday 2nd May 2020
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HEL do stainless ones on their website. I think I paid less than a tenner for 4 for my M3.

Edited by darreni on Saturday 2nd May 23:14

The Wookie

14,151 posts

243 months

Saturday 2nd May 2020
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Stop overtightening them

14Nm is our spec.

Chris32345

2,137 posts

77 months

Sunday 3rd May 2020
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stevieturbo said:
They're only bleed nipples....they should never be so tight there is any risk of a spanner damaging them.

They only need nipped up...
Except for when they haven't been touched for 5 years and are rusted so just chew up as soon as you touch them

HustleRussell

25,629 posts

175 months

Sunday 3rd May 2020
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It’s not a problem I’ve ever encountered. I think Steel is the right material for the application. A lesson learned from many years of DIY spannering is that if a fixing looks manky, give it a good clean up with a wire brush before having a crack at it so you can see what you’re dealing with. They only need nipping up with fingertip pressure on a ring spanner.

sliks

79 posts

90 months

Thursday 14th May 2020
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Just been working on FiL little yaris this last week. It had standard steel bleed nipples but they had caused galvanic/dis-similar metal corrosion. The nipple was well stuck and once released the threads on the rear brake drum cylinder came off with the nipple (due to the dis similar metal corrosion)

Even if these threads had not come off like they did they would have had severely weakened sub structure and the cylinder would have needed replacement.

The cylinder was aluminium alloy - these suffer greatly when in contact with steel, the cast iron calipers however are different - never had this problem with them