Broken bleed nipple on caliper - cost to remove?

[owl10]

Hi All,

One of my caliper bleed nipples has not only seized and broke, but there is also a snapped off point from one of those easy out things stuck in the centre now as well... (Doh).

Calipers are 4 pot nissins, non radial, from a bandit 1200 (fitted to a zx6r).

Clearly Im too potato to remove it myself, so is it worth paying some machine shop to do it, or simply chuck it and buy another pair of calipers?

How much would a machine shop likely charge for this kind of thing?

Cheers
Owl
____________________
DanceLikeAMonkey says: "An infinte amount of web pages available
Yet I still end up reading crap like that"

[Pete.]

Try a banjo bolt with integral bleed nipple. Bleed the system down to the banjo then pump out the pistons a bit. Hold the calipe rso that the banjo is highest, crack the bleed nipple then have someone press the pistons back in one at a time lowest first. This should push any remaining air back out the nipple.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[andys675]

you can buy a banjo bolt with a bleed nipple in it, less than a tenner
____________________
Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[davebike]

Broke bleed nipple is almost impossible to repair well

As said get banjo bolt with bleed nipple or 2nd hand calliper
____________________
Dave
NC750Xdct + others at work !
[email protected]

[Taught2BCauti...]

Personally, I wouldn't trust it but if there's no fluid leaking from the damaged bleed nipple, you could probably bleed it from the banjo bolt if you can position the caliper so that the banjo is the highest point.

I have seen calipers that have had a seized bleed nipple forcibly removed, drilled out or otherwise bodged, leaving the seat, or the threads in the caliper body damaged, so I would recommend getting a replacement.
____________________
Honda Varadero XL125(V8)
www.TheFutureIsHere.eu

[Beehive Bedlam]

Snapped the nipple on my old Varadero it was impossible to remove I gave up and had to buy a brand new caliper from Honda it wasn't cheap.

Depending on what bike and if you're lucky you may be able to find a good used one.

[MaybeGuy]

[bugeye_bob]

https://www.fraserbrowneng.co.uk/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=60

[MCN]

It's a simply enough jobbie to drill out as there's a 'pilot hole' already drilled through a bleed nipple.


You only need to know the thread size (so you can determine the tapping size drill bit.)
You can determine that by measuring the diameter of the threaded section of a 'good' nipple you can remove from a similar calliper or by purchasing a new one (which you will have to do anyway.)

£65 for a kit is a bit expensive unless you don't have a clue.

You probably won't even need a tap if you carefully drill out the old fitting by incremental drill sizes. When the material is removed from inside a bolt it tends to weaken it's grip on the hole thread and can allow it to be dug out with a screwdriver.
If it all goes pear-shape then you can call an engineers to take over or possibly/probably cheaper to buy a 2nd hand calliper depending on how favourable an engineer's labour cost are.

The banjo and nipple would be my first option though and worry about a remedy later.

[bugeye_bob]

[Major Doss]

Whilst a decent engineer 'may' be able to successfully remove a snapped bleed nipple, with the remains of a super-hard eazi-out added into the mix, you can pretty much forget about it.

Like others have suggested, banjo bleeder.

[MCN]

[Major Doss]

The 'hoi'-ing of a bolt is not the issue. Not damaging the finely machined seat underneath however, is. Hence trusting it to someone who will have a rake of kit to hand, to deal with it sympathetically. If that person is you, hoi away!

[MCN]

[Major Doss]

Fair enough!

[bikenut]

I have successfully removed several sheared off bleed nipples ( as well as other "bolts" etc. even m/c chewed screws!! ) using the mig welder method, even ones that are below the surface alloy somewhat.

Remove caliper and strip all easy heat damaged rubbers etc.

Clean remains of steel nipple as best as possible, bright steel.

Mount in holding devise and set welder up ( on mine, 100amp blue machine mart machine now 26 years old, and paid for its self many times over ) , max power, wire speed 6 ish, good gas flow ) .

Prepare a 8 or 10 mm bolt, by tapering the end to be welded to the nipple remains.

Assistant holds the bolt in place, and welder positioned for a 4 to 5 second "burst".

Allow to cool, then repeat the parts not welded to the nipple.

I usually weld one side, allow to cool, then weld the other, allow to cool and fill in the gaps one at a time.

ALLOW TIME TO COOl between each step.

When confident, try undoing the "bolt".

If it shears off again, repeat.

Some but not much melting of the alloy may take place so adjust your technique accordingly.

This method has worked for me many times, not that I am in the habit of shearing nipples, usually the previous owner does that for me.

Old calipers can be problematic, so I strip of all easy damaged rubbers etc, and use heat to expand the alloy, then gently but firmly try and undo the nipple.

Water is a great lub for this!!!!!!!

Cheap, biodegradable, washes away corrosion ( caused by water in the first place ) etc.



Get the easy out remains as best as possible.

Why use a brittle easy out on a well corroded in nipple???????

left hand drill??
____________________
nuts about bikes

[Pete.]

Bleed nipples tend to break up when drilling which can snag the drill and snap it off. No matter, if you feel confident then take a drill to it, I've done several but i figured that the OP wouldn't be asking if he had the confidence to tackle that.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[kramdra]

Used callipers are cheap

Its not a massively difficult job to do and would not cost much to have it done either.

I would not bodge brake calliper with a dodgy bleed nipple.

[Vincent]

I'd probably go the used caliper route.....you could then get the damagd one repaired at your leisure and use it when you bust the nipple on the replacement one
____________________
Space Is Deep

[owl10]

Thanks for all the replies.

I've got 2 pairs of tokico s awaiting refurbishment hiding somewhere in the garage, as well as the damaged nissins though realistically no time for doing a proper job, far too many other projects going on (car, house, baby, work).

Mechanically I'm not usually so inept, and would normally take on this kind of thing. perhaps I'm just getting lazy now (hence using easy out in first place...)

Bleed banjo sounds good for a temporary measure, longer term I'll likely sell all three sets to pay for a decent refurbished set.

Anyone on here refurb calipers?...
____________________
DanceLikeAMonkey says: "An infinte amount of web pages available
Yet I still end up reading crap like that"