Brad,
Savage flashbacks on this one! I ran into the same thing a couple of weeks
back on my TR3B. I had a LBC mechanic w/ 30+ years of experience helping me
that day and this is what we had to do:
1) had to basically drill out the old bleed screw. And to make matters
worse, the DPO had forced it an at a horrible angle.
2) this left us with a hole that was too already too large, so we couldn't
just re-tap it
3) so we picked up a "heli-coil" kit --- you basically drill out a hole
LARGER than you need, then feed this sort of spring contraption into the
hole so that it made a thread of the original size.
4) after doing this we were able to get a new bleed screw in, but --- it
wouldn't seat tight enough to not leak. The mechanic ended up breaking open
one of my son's skateboard bearings to get a ball bearing. He ground the
pointed end of the bleed screw down a bit, threw the ball bearing into the
hole and then tightening the bleed screw down on top of it (he swears this
is how the bleeders worked on old jags he used to fix). It "seems" to be a
good fit -- at least it holds a good vacuum from the Mityvac. I still don't
know if it'll withstand the pressures of the actual hydraulics due to other
problems encountered that morning (see previous posts looking for new 5-way
brake connectors and a non-bent clutch slave cylinder plate). Now that
those parts have arrived (thank you Don and Don), I can start re-assembly
again and see if the bleed screw holds. If not, I'll probably end up having
to look for a new caliper (I sure hope that is not the case).
Anyway, that was not a fun morning. He had come by just to help me finish
bleeding and to take the car on its 1st test drive to see what condition
things are in before I begin stripping it down. I hope you have better luck
--- just be careful drilling out the old screw!
- Dave Moag
77 Spitfire
62 TR3B
On Monday, March 09, 1998 5:14 PM, Brad Kahler [SMTP:Brad.Kahler@141.com]
wrote:
>
> My day started out bad and just went down the tubes. I was trying to
> bleed the brakes on my Spitfire and disaster struck. The right front
> caliper bleed screw wouldn't turn, put a 3/8" drive ratchet drive on
> it and it snapped right off. The brakes were rebuilt exchange units
> 10 years ago. Does anyone have any ideas as to how to get the
> remnants out. It looks like I can order the bleeder screw from VB.
>
> TIA
>
> Brad
>
> 1964 Spitfire4 BFC25720L (After 10 years will be on the road
in March!!!)
> 1966 TR4A CT72398L (Needs Restoration)
> 1951 Dodge Truck 82217766 B-3-B-108 (Boxes & Boxes of parts right
now)
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