broken nipple

[towelie]

Was just bleeding my brakes, did the rears fine, tryed to do the front nearside and the bleed nipple was seized tight.. long story short i sheared the bleed nipple off :wallbash:

questions are:
1. is the car still drivable? thinking it will be, but would like to check it is safe first
2. whats the best way to extract the screw, thinking an ezi out is the best option, but how difficult is it and whats the likelihood i coud F the caliper?
3. whats the closest recommended specialist near the wirral, if my car is drivable?

any help much appreciated !

[MX-5 Lazza]

I can't help with removal but I can tell you that it is not driveable. When you push the peadl you will just squirt fluid out of the remains of the bleed-nipple!

[jammy_basturd]

MX-5 Lazza said:

I can't help with removal but I can tell you that it is not driveable. When you push the peadl you will just squirt fluid out of the remains of the bleed-nipple!

If the nipple hasn't been loosened at all, won't the tapered end of the nipple still form a seal with the caliper?

I agree with Lazza though, I certainly wouldn't want to drive a car with one broken brake nipple.

[towelie]

it wasn't untightened at all.. its not leaking when i pump the brake pedal, but as i you said i wouldn't like relying on that when braking very hard!

[odyssey2200]

if it hasn't moved it is drivable.

if you can get hold of some easyouts you might be able to get it out
I did say might though

[hidetheelephants]

jammy_basturd said:

If the nipple hasn't been loosened at all, won't the tapered end of the nipple still form a seal with the caliper?

I'd say if it sheared off without moving the bit left in the caliper, the brakes are as functional as they were before your mishap; the fluid seal is formed by the taper at the inner end which won't have been weakened by the loss of the bit sticking out. If there's no fluid loss you should be perfectly safe to drive a short distance to a garage. Just test it by standing on the brakes with the engine running(assuming MX5s have a servo?), if there's no leakage you're good to go; just drive gently and be ready with the handbrake if the pedal goes to the floor.

[jammy_basturd]

Personally, I would remove the caliper and get it to an engineering firm. Last bleed nipple I had drilled out cost me a tenner.

[hidetheelephants]

If you're after a DIY route, a left-handed drill could be a good bet. I'm not keen on e-z outs, they are so easy to break off leaving you worse off than when you started.

[towelie]

dunno whether i trust myself to have a go at it tbh, don't want to end up having to buy a recon caliper! other front is seized tight aswell..

[JFReturns]

Apologies for going OT and for the noob question, but how does e-z out work? I had dreadful problems with seized screws
on my '5 and still do on my s2000...

[odyssey2200]

JFReturns said:

Apologies for going OT and for the noob question, but how does e-z out work? I had dreadful problems with seized screws
on my '5 and still do on my s2000...

they are a LH thread that will "bite" into the outer wall of the hole in the middle.
either of the nipple or you can drill a hole in a snapped off bolt

tap them in and turn the end anti clock wise

as it does so it grips and undoes the outer part/bolt/nipple

[towelie]

odyssey2200 said:

they are a LH thread that will "bite" into the outer wall of the hole in the middle.
either of the nipple or you can drill a hole in a snapped off bolt

tap them in and turn the end anti clock wise

as it does so it grips and undoes the outer part/bolt/nipple

will it leave swarf in the caliper itself?

[odyssey2200]

towelie said:

will it leave swarf in the caliper itself?

Probably not.

The bite into the metal not remove it like a drill bit would

[snotrag]

I have to say - by far the easiest way to fix it will be to get yourself another second hand caliper, and fit it.

Then you'll have a working car, and you can remove the nipple and replace and then sell your caliper on and make back most of the cost.