Broken bleed nipple
Discussion
I would stop, remove the caliper and send it to a specialist to sort. Lots of places will be able to sort it, but you want to minimise and further damage. If it's an aluminium caliper the bleed nipple is likely corroded in, you won't shift it easily. Whatever you do, don't try an easy-out or equivalent. It will most likely snap too and then the caliper is pretty much scrap.
A mates snapped when doing new discs and pads. No way the car was going to run that day if we had to send it away, so I whipped the caliper off, got it home & on the bench, drilled it out a little then used a screw extraction set like this to get it out: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/6-piece-screw-extr...
Once it was out, I just cleaned the thread with a tap.
It was with his understanding that I may ruin the caliper, but meant the car was back on the road same day, so worth the risk
Once it was out, I just cleaned the thread with a tap.
It was with his understanding that I may ruin the caliper, but meant the car was back on the road same day, so worth the risk
Well done, but I would never use a tapered type extractor. If (if) they bite, you continue turning until one of four things happen;
i) the bolt/screw starts to move HOORAH!
ii) the extractor simply reams a tapered hole
iii) the extractor snaps
iv) the (hollow) bolt/screw splits and jams.
Far better to use a parallel fluted type extractor as it lessens the risk of splitting the bolt/screw.
But, as stated above, if it's an aluminium caliper, it's a whole order of difficulty worse.
OP didn't say what car, but reconditioned calipers are not expensive for most (non-exotic) cars, and offer a guaranteed quick and easy solution.
i) the bolt/screw starts to move HOORAH!
ii) the extractor simply reams a tapered hole
iii) the extractor snaps
iv) the (hollow) bolt/screw splits and jams.
Far better to use a parallel fluted type extractor as it lessens the risk of splitting the bolt/screw.
But, as stated above, if it's an aluminium caliper, it's a whole order of difficulty worse.
OP didn't say what car, but reconditioned calipers are not expensive for most (non-exotic) cars, and offer a guaranteed quick and easy solution.
illmonkey said:
A mates snapped when doing new discs and pads. No way the car was going to run that day if we had to send it away, so I whipped the caliper off, got it home & on the bench, drilled it out a little then used a screw extraction set like this to get it out: https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/6-piece-screw-extr...
Once it was out, I just cleaned the thread with a tap.
It was with his understanding that I may ruin the caliper, but meant the car was back on the road same day, so worth the risk
Exactly the scenario in which I dealt with one on a pal’s caliper. That method works surprisingly well!Once it was out, I just cleaned the thread with a tap.
It was with his understanding that I may ruin the caliper, but meant the car was back on the road same day, so worth the risk
From the username I was guessing it's the 2pot AP caliper on the front of an Elise. If unprotected the galvanic corrosion will really wedge the nipple in. If it's wedged enough to snap the nipple I'd wager you'll either snap the easy out or rip out the thread undoing it (this happened to me undoing the hose). Used ones aren't that easy to come by and new ones are about 500 quid...
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