Subject: Time:12:17 PM
OFFICE MEMO Stuck Bleeders and Wire Wheels Date:6/30/93
From: William Hartwell Woodruff <woodruff@engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Calipers and suspension bushings
A few questions for the list. I have some very, very stuck bleader
screws
in my GT6 calipers.
Martine's Answer: I had the same problem with my GT6+. I soaked the bleed
nipple a couple
times a day for a week with WD40. After that I just used a wrench and
light tap from a dead-weight hammer. Whatever you do, don't just pull
on the wrench with a steady pressure. You need a sharp impulse to knock
it free before it strips.
My Tuppence Worth: Yes, twice a day for a week is correct! I would also heat it
up with a propane torch twice a day and spray penetrating oil on it while it's
still hot. Also tap on the end of the bleeder, but not hard enough to deform
the nipple or threads. If this advice is too late, and you've already broken
off the hex, don't try drilling it out with a hand drill. Set it up in a
milling machine, or at least a drill press and get it centered very carefully.
Drill down only to the end of the threads, not to the end of the bleeder screw.
Once you've drilled out the threaded portion to the root diameter of the
threads, peel out the threads, and the bottom part of the screw will come out
with the thread peeling.
Q: What is the purpose of honing cylinders? As I understand it, its to
roughen up the glazed surface so the new seals can wear in. If this is the
case,
could I use a bead blaster and blast at low pressure (say 20 psi) until the
surface is dulled?
My Answer: No, a hone is like ultra-fine sandpaper, which is what I actually
use. You want the surface as smooth and scratch-free as you can get it, like a
mirror. Look at the operating cylinder of a hydraulic jack or the blade lifter
on a Caterpillar tractor. Same principle.
1966 TR4A, previous owner of 1964 Sprite MKII)
Do any of you have advice on how to remove a stuck wire wheel?
Jim Luke
A: WD-40. Lots of it.
If it's just the nut, then heat it with a propane torch to break the
corrosion seal. Heat the nut by playing the flame over it for several
minutes, then turn off the torc and bang on the nut
If you've got the nut off and the wheel itself is stuck, then use
the WD-40. Spray it between the wheel hub and the splined shaft on
the car. Use lots of it, then use a rocking motion on the wheel --
pull the top, then the bottom, then the sides, then the top, then
the bottom, etc. And be patient.
My Tuppence: Years back, on my brothers MGB we had to use a plumbers pipe
wrench and a 10 ft pipe on the handle to get one of those octagon nuts off.
Then he found the wheel was still stuck on, so he drove around some corners
with the nut off, hoping the wheel would come off. It didn't. The torch and WD
didn't help, either. We had to disassemble the suspension, and since we
couldn't get the cotter pin out we hammered on the socket and sheared it off.
Then we set the wheel up across two sawhorses, put a piece of wood on the hub
and whaled on it with a sledge hammer. Then he found one of the rears was also
stuck, so he sold the car. Good Luck.
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