Durn it! Broke off the stupid bleeder! Now what? - UPDATED

[grimjaw]

I bought a used set of TSM Caddy calipers last week off the sale forums. I received the package and everything was cool with the deal. The parts were a bit rusty but not too bad over all. Today I was cleanning them up and had removed most of the rust. I was down to removing the lever, banjo and bleeder. Then like a big ape I twisted the stupid bleeder off. It snapped off almost flush with the body of the caliper.

Before I do some thing rash what is the best way to remove the rest of the bleeder?

Thanks for any help.

PS.. I not buying any more Yankee parts. Too much rust to deal with. If I lived in the land of rust I would have to find a new hobby... something indoors, like basket weaving.

 

[mofugly13]

An easy out might work. I'd soak it with penetrating oil for a day or so first. I have had luck using various sizes of torx bits as an easy out of sorts. If you have a torx bit that is the next size up from the biggest one that fits in the hole, you can whack it in with a hammer, and it will grab well enought to remove the stuck bolt/stud/fitting, etc. I have done this to remove screws as small as no. 6 up to a 3/8 bolt.

 

[grimjaw]

Well I finially got the bleeder screw out. I started out trying a reverse cut drill bit I had for a earlier problem. Luckily a broken bleeder has a nice guide hole to center a drill with. It did not back out the screw, but man it cut a nice clean hole. So to ACE hardware I go for a Easy Out. Once I got there I saw they had the square bolt extractors. I had used the Search on the board a saw the most people did not care the the screw type so I bought the square one. I get back and tap the extractor in with a light hammer blow. Well I guess I hit it a little harder than planned, but more on that later.

Not having a Tap handle I tried using a hand drill....Bad plan. THe drill never had a chance. I only had a small number of tools where I was working so I grabbed a 10" adjustable wrench. The big ape strikes again! Now I have twisted the extractor and I am concerned it will brake off. So I try to pull the extractor out of the broken screw. Its not coming out....crap!

I pack up and head home to think. The next morning I clamp on a set of Vise Grips and whack them with a hammer. The twisted extractor comes out finially. So feeling smarter I pull out a set of drill bills and hand drill. I start small and work may way up in size till I am at 21/64". The Bleeder screw on a Caddy rear Caliper is 3/8" x 24. Then I run out the Lowes, because ACE is closed. I buy a basic Tap and Die set and do this the right way. Bam! I am done in less time than it took to go get the set.

Lessons learned:

1 - Use the right tool for the job even if you have to go buy it.

2 - Ease up Mongo! A two foot breaker bar does not ALWAYS fix your problems.

I hope this saves some one else from my error.

 

[Blue85]

This is what I like the most about lifetime warranty calipers.