(G) Bleeding Bleed Screws!!!

I have recently removed my brake shoes, and when trying to push back the piston, (pressing only one side) the other side shot out . The brake fluid that came out the piston was very dirty, so I decided to attempt to replace it all.

I cleaned the piston and spring in brake fluid, and put it back, but the Bleed Screw has started to round off as it seized (even after a long soak in WD40).

Dose anyone have any tips to loosen and remove the bleed screws as I don’t want to replace the whole cylinder? I gave up as I ran out of Light and I need to get a new screw from the scrap yard. I haven’t got round to the other Piston or callipers but I guess dirty brake fluid means it should all be replaced. I don’t want to end up with all new callipers and pistons as the garages suggest could happen.

Thanks for the input in advance,

Louie Bee.

PS the brakes are not too bad, but there is still a bit of air in rear system – not 100%

mole grips (sp)

I would report 'Binki' to the moderator, but something suggests that the author IS the moderator! :-)

As for the bleed screws, yeah, vise-grips are your best option. And it is worth thinking about replacing the rear cylinders. They are not expensive (probably around 5 to 7 pounds each), and I think if you check the bore you will find corrosion around where the pistons sit.

Thanks,
-Alex

Hi Thanks for tips.

I tried mole grips, but I stopped before destroying screw, it’s quite rounded and grips jump off.

I think ill borrow some other mole grips and have another go after scoring the screws from scrap yard (when I can get out of work in the light).

FIAT quoted £27.50 + vat, ATS £18.50. Where do you get em` from for £7? (oh New Zealand is a bit far away?)

I can’t get the brake pipe off either It also seems to have seized? – I didn’t try too hard again, the Idea there was to remove and clean off whole cylinder, but was unsure of how hard to try and decided to leave em on.

I think if the whole cylinder(s) are coming off it will not be by me?

Louie Bee

try a motor factors look in yellow pages for them

Nice One Dave!! - Will Do.
- er is that for the screws or whole cylinders?
Louie Bee

whole cylinders or repair kits. they might do screws but you would proubly need to take old one in to match it up

Hi Louie Bee You are better off replacing the entire slave cylinder, you could slave for days without shifting either bleed nipple or brake line union. What condition are the bolts holding the cylinder to the backplate? If u have been soaking everything in WD40 they will have been soaked too. Try gently undoing them with tight fitting socket. If they come undone might as well take a hacksaw to the brakeline and replace that length of pipe with a copper line along with the cylinder. Its so much nicer and easier working with new bits Best O Luck

Many Thanks for your help!!!
Went to scrap yard and got bleed screws: 1 from a Punto and 1 from a Tipo. Only difference is a pointed tip on later screws. Will this matter???
The mole grips (Degreased) and a file eventually freed my little (degreased) bleeders (below with flat tip to left).
The replacements were wire brushed, treated with rust remedy (locktite), rinsed in clean brake fluid, swapped and bled with a 1-way valve till fluid clear (with top ups). No leakage and no more sponginess. (However)...

… The front screws are seized on. I got rained off today, so it’s back to the scrap yard next weekend, while the WD40 gets to work. Could anyone tell me if the front and back bleed screws are the same so I can get new ones instead? They look the same on the outside, but has anyone compared the bit normally out of site (inside)?
I missed Giacosa’s post before starting yesterday, as you also say alexGS, I am still thinking of replacing both cylinders and pipes to be on the safe side. I have not tried the cylinder to the backplate bolts yet, I completely left them alone after it was clear the brake pipe might not make it.
Many thanks,
Louie Bee.

Think the front caliper bleed nipples are longer cos they have to pass through a bigger caliper body than the little rear cylinders. They are easy to shear.......last time i tried, RECON CALIPERS gulp! nee mind best o luck

Thanks for info there.
Sounds like I might not be so lucky if longer, more area inside to rust, harder to crack off. But callipers are aluminium (I think) and that should only oxidise further with electrolysis, which I hope is not going on down there. Cylinders are steel will rust to screw. Then again, aluminium is weaker so the threads are more likely to go?
Fingers crossed next Saturday.
Louie Bee.

Yeah alloy corrosion is bit of a bugger. If bleed nipple does go it will shear off flush with surface. I recently did all this for the first time on a panda. One mistake i made was that the flexible hoses union was as welded on to the caliper as the bleed nipple. Then i found out that the brake line was welded to the flexible hose. It took desperate work with hacksaw to free it all and i ended up chasing through the hydraulics towards the master cylinder renewing everything as i went. It may sound a bit depressing but i got great brakes now

Hi everyone.

Just to let you know I’ve got all 4 (little bleeders) out – wehhhh hey!!!!!!!!!!

It dawned on me it the scrap yard yesterday where the problem started. I tried a different scrappy’ who remove all road wheels and bleed screw rubber caps (amongst other things). Automatically I used The Spanner’s Ring End with no problem. Before I used the open end like the Haynes’ manual diagram (anticipating bleeding brakes with one-way valve ready in place). Then I had tried an 8MM socket but it was too shallow to fit on tightly (I later realised).

Some people learn the hard way! It was too late for all except the last one (one rounded last time). I had to drill and extract that one as it sheered off in Mole grips this morning (mid left). A lot of patients, Progressively larger drill bits and a No 4 screw extractor did it (just). My step dad told me about screw extractors (top), they are now less than 10 quid for a set (without a tap wrench).

Also in picture (mid right), the last one shifted with ring end no bother, although the soak in WD40 will have helped matters. Lucky I did not have to replace the cylinders, callipers and probably all the piping through following Haynes’ diagrams and not thinking about the age and condition first.

On my 1993 1.0 IE the front and back Uno bleed screws are same except the cylinder ones have a flat tip inside (bottom 2) where callipers ones are pointed (upper 2). Like the TIPO and PUNTO my UNO now has pointed cylinder bleed screws. No leaks and all new 4 dot. What difference can the ½MM point make? I think ill get flat tipped ones for the back next weekend.

Thanks to you all for helping.
Regards - Louie Bee -