How long do brake bleed nipples take to seize?

How long do brake bleed nipples take to seize?

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Discussion

saladdays

Original Poster:

127 posts

80 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
Quick question for mechanics. How long do brake bleed nipples take to seize? I'm thinking of changing the fluid to prevent the nipples from seizing. How many years if driven a 3000 miles a year in Suffolk (not much rain). How many years is the question.

PS. I've changed discs, pads and fluid on a bike, never on a car.

LarJammer

2,335 posts

225 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
Impossible to answer. What are they made from? What are the calipers made from? What are they torqued up to? Do they have protective caps? Have they got really hot?

saladdays

Original Poster:

127 posts

80 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
It's a Skoda Karoq, driven very sensibly. The nipples have rubber caps. Torque is 10Nm

Demelitia

683 posts

71 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
So the only reason you’re thinking of changing the fluid is to make sure the nipples aren’t seized...presumably to make it easier to change again at some point in the future?
It’s an impossible question to answer with so many variables.
If you got told they’d 100% l, definitely be seized, would you be leaving the brake fluid in and not changing it?

E-bmw

11,094 posts

167 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
saladdays said:
Quick question for mechanics. How long do brake bleed nipples take to seize? I'm thinking of changing the fluid to prevent the nipples from seizing. How many years if driven a 3000 miles a year in Suffolk (not much rain). How many years is the question.

PS. I've changed discs, pads and fluid on a bike, never on a car.
I will confidently predict it will be somewhere between 1 month & 87 years, but can't be any more specific.

If that is the reason why you are changing the fluid I will ask where you got that suggestion from?

If your fluid needs changing change it, if you are worried about bleed nipples seizing then grease them when you change the fluid, the rubber caps don't stop anything seizing as they don't cover/protect the threads.

Evoluzione

10,345 posts

258 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
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10 years, 7 months, 5 days, 11 hours, 37 minutes and 45 seconds in my experience.

saladdays

Original Poster:

127 posts

80 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
The Skoda book says brake fluid every two years which is now. My brakes are in perfect order, not soft at all. I did a test emergency stop the other day with little brake pedal travel.

If next year my brakes still work well then why change the fluid? To stop the nipples from seizing.

LarJammer

2,335 posts

225 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
If the engine still runs, why bother changing the oil...

Tony1963

5,696 posts

177 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
LarJammer said:
If the engine still runs, why bother changing the oil...
To be fair, there are manufacturer recommendations for engine oil and brake fluid changes. But strangely, not for brake bleed nipples!

stevieturbo

17,781 posts

262 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
saladdays said:
It's a Skoda Karoq, driven very sensibly. The nipples have rubber caps. Torque is 10Nm
Well if you're already had them apart to know what they are torqued too, surely you would have put anti-sieze compound on the threads when it was apart so there is little to worry about

stevieturbo

17,781 posts

262 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
saladdays said:
If next year my brakes still work well then why change the fluid? To stop the nipples from seizing.
Are you on drugs ?

thebraketester

15,050 posts

153 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
LarJammer said:
If the engine still runs, why bother changing the oil...
To stop the sump plug from seizing up apparently.

RichB

54,108 posts

299 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
Mate, simply slacken them off a turn and tighten them up again. You'll soon find out of they're seized.

saladdays

Original Poster:

127 posts

80 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
I thought one of you would come up with an answer. I've decided to change the fluid every three years. Hopefully that ensure that the nipples don't seize. A new caliper is £130 + labour.

Also, I change my engine oil every 5000 miles, about 18 months.

t400ble

1,804 posts

136 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
RichB said:
Mate, simply slacken them off a turn and tighten them up again. You'll soon find out of they're seized.
This

steveo3002

10,882 posts

189 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
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saladdays said:
in Suffolk (not much rain).
almost like arizona isnt it

underwhelmist

1,943 posts

149 months

Saturday 16th January 2021
quotequote all
I thought the reason for regular brake fluid changes is that brake fluid absorbs water from the atmosphere over time. The water in the brake fluid can start to cause corrosion in the caliper & on the piston (not make the bleed nipples seize though), and when brakes get hot the water can boil, leading to a spongy pedal and reduced braking.

like the OP I've done brakes loads of times on bikes but not on cars, planning to change the fluid in the cars soon, especially as one will need new rear pads soon.

edit: I'm hoping I remember to give the bleed nipples regular squirts of GT85 or similar for a week or so before I try to loosen them.

stevieturbo

17,781 posts

262 months

Sunday 17th January 2021
quotequote all
underwhelmist said:
I thought the reason for regular brake fluid changes is that brake fluid absorbs water from the atmosphere over time. The water in the brake fluid can start to cause corrosion in the caliper & on the piston (not make the bleed nipples seize though), and when brakes get hot the water can boil, leading to a spongy pedal and reduced braking.

like the OP I've done brakes loads of times on bikes but not on cars, planning to change the fluid in the cars soon, especially as one will need new rear pads soon.

edit: I'm hoping I remember to give the bleed nipples regular squirts of GT85 or similar for a week or so before I try to loosen them.
Yes, it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with whether the nipples seize....although it is one of the most humours reasons I've ever heard for changing brake fluid.

Like really...if you don't want them to seize...open them, remove them, grease and refit. It's not rocket science.

Before you do undo, a little penetrating fluid may help, but also a good dunt directly down onto it with a hammer cam help loosen them a little too before actually trying a spanner.

Krikkit

27,455 posts

196 months

Sunday 17th January 2021
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Perhaps unsurprisingly the nipples won't seize if you do the brake fluid changes on time. hehe

rustednut

807 posts

62 months

Sunday 17th January 2021
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Brake nipples always seize when they need to be undone and replacement parts or tools needed are not immediately available.

Plan the work and have all the parts and tools needed and they won't seize.