Maintain your brake bleeders

showcrop

Well-known Member
I lost my brakes on my Escape in the yard Monday. Yesterday AM I got it up on stands and found that the problem was just a ruptured rubber line in front. Easy enough, so I went and picked up two and some brake fluid. I had no problems swapping them out until it was time to bleed them. One bleeder was covered with a soft plastic cover that had been holding salt brine in for ten years. The flats for putting a wrench on were rusted away, and there was no moving it. The other side had no cover but it was seriously rusted in as well. So I had to get new calipers and pads, then go through bleeding. Something else to add to the oil change list.
 
Many times I have seen bleeders like that, I heat them red hot and douse them with cold water. If they are damaged I find a socket just
slightly smaller than the bleeder and tap it on with a hammer..they usually come out very easy at that point. I did have one on a truck I
couldn't get out and I had to buy a new caliper, most of the time the blue wrench and cold water gets them out. I put anti siexe over the
bleeder and then put the rubber c.ap back on
 
For years, after buying a new car or replacing calipers or cylinders, I would remove the brake bleeders and anti sieze the threads, but I have become lazy in recent years.

I started doing this years ago after breaking a bleeder valve off in a caliper, forcing me to replace the caliper.

One wonders if there is a market for stainless steel bleeder valves???

Dean
 
I doubt in the rust belt taint much you can do about it other than use brake grease under the cap and Anti-Seize on the threads.
 
A small brazing tip on the torch concentrates the heat on the bleeder but it doesn't get anything else hot. Works every time. Sometimes I heat the bleeder before I put the wrench on it for the first time if it looks bad enough.
 
> A small brazing tip on the torch concentrates the heat on the bleeder but it doesn't get anything else hot.

Ditto. Acetylene torch and Vise Grip works every time.
 
As a life-long resident of the NY snow belt (where vehicles see LOTS of road salt...) I learned to apply Nevr Seez to bleeder screw threads both on replacement calipers and to new vehicles. I also apply a dab of snowmobile grease under each rubber bleeder screw cap.

Further, every time I have a wheel off I'll crack the bleeder screw a half turn or so and work it back and forth a few times. Saves lots of headaches as a vehicle ages.
 
Those Escapes/Mariners should have had a recall on the brake lines, as they seem to deteriorate and rupture. Google all the problems people have had with them.
I have two Escapes and will be changing all four flexible lines on one of the vehicles next week.
 
(quoted from post at 04:06:09 04/27/17) Those Escapes/Mariners should have had a recall on the brake lines, as they seem to deteriorate and rupture. Google all the problems people have had with them.
I have two Escapes and will be changing all four flexible lines on one of the vehicles next week.

The counterman at the parts store told me that they keep six on hand for the Escape vs. 2 for everything else.
 
Years ago I couldn't open the bleeder so I bleed the brakes by
loosening the brake hose at the caliper. It took some time, but
it worked.
 
I have dealt with brake bleeders many times in my life. On only a few occasions have there been problems. Most of the time, heat helps. In most cases, when there is a problem, it is because the bleeder is one of the small ones, and is rusted in place. BUT, if it feels like it is going to break, I use the heat right away. On a caliper, it takes a LONG time for it to get hot enough to damage the seals.
Anti seize is not a good solution, as the petroleum content can cause the seal to swell and lock up the caliper if it gets into the caliper. Stainless is another poor solution. While it doesn't rust, it IS attacked by chlorides as are found in road salts. Stainless will also gall if it gets hot.
This is one to chalk up to old age rather than become a maintenance item. After all, in over 270,000 miles on my daily driver, I have never had to open the bleeders. And, if I do, I will not be upset if I have to replace a caliper of that age. All things in their time.
 

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