I rounded my brake bleeder,any tricks

[blazer2007]

I rounded my brake bleeder on rear drum brake,anyone have any good tips or tricks,I don,t want to take brakes apart

[N2TRUX]

Were you using an open end wrench rather than a line wrench? Try the correct size line wrench if its not stripped to bad. If not, vise grips might work.

[old Rusty C10]

ive done this countless times myself and usually if its that tight the next problem is that the bleeder itself will snap off in the wheel cylinder.. ive successfully bled brakes by loosening the brake line and bleeding like youve do with the bleeder but its not the right way..
ive used a vise grip and it rarely works but sometimes it does... perhaps you should throw some pb blaster on it and let it sit a while

[bigblock73]

Just buy new wheel cylinders and be done with it. Drum brakes are easy to work on.

If you didn't, ALWAYS use line wrences when working on brakes.

[Speedracer77]

use a six point closed end wrench on the bleeder. 12 point will screw you most of the time. If it's too late, straight, not curved, jaw vice grips. perferably a pair with teeth that are still sharp. clamp them on as tight as possible. I have used big water pump plyers to clamp them on harder than I could with my bare hands. Crack them loose, not slow increasing force, but hard fast turn.

I personally do not use heat here. Brake fluid is flamable, and that can get exciting fast. Not in an "I won the lottery" way either, more of a "holy crap where is my fire extinguisher!" kind of way. IF YOU choose to use heat, (at your own risk of course) heat the cylinder around the bleeder, but after you already have the vice grips in place.

before doing any of this, keep in mind wheel cylinders are usually about $30 new, and come with a new bleeder. DO NOT try to remove the line with an open end wrench, a line wrench is made for this exact task. Straight jaw vice grip works for the line nut as well, but you can't clamp as tight, it will crush the line nut and possibly break it completely. Good luck!

[mhicks]

Water pump pliers, haven't heard that in a long time. Anybody know where that got that name? I do. Ha!

[LONGHAIR]

I am with the others on this, just replace the wheel cylinder. It will end-up taking less time to just "bite the bullet" in the first place.

Originally Posted by mhicks

Water pump pliers, haven't heard that in a long time. Anybody know where that got that name? I do. Ha!

I know guys that don't even bother to use the "pliers" part of the word anymore, they just call them "water pumps".....

[dammitmitchell]

channel locks????
he he he

[Speedracer77]

LMAO! You got me. They taught me channel locks in collage, but the "water pump pliers" comes from years of working with the old guys.

They often know the coolest stuff, don't cha know.

[James McClure]

I wouldn't heat the bleeder, the rubber cups won't take it. Spray it up good with PB or get some Heat riser lube from GM. Now take a punch and hold it dead striaght at the bleeder and give it a few good solid whacks then try to loosen it W\a 6 point wrench or socket. This hasen't failed me often unless the bleeder is real rusty, then just swap out the cylinders. Use anti-sieze on ALL your bleeders threads & always put the rubber covers back on to keep water\salt out. Jim

[S10Fan]

Just clamp off the line running to the wheel cylinder. Shoot, you have 4 of them, missing one isn't going to hurt anything. LOL

Just Kidding!

Replace the wheel cylinder and be done with it. Oh, and get a line wrench for the brake line.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

Vice grips and a MAP gas torch gets her everytime. On extremly stubborn ones, I will soak with PB, heat up... soak again.... heat again and crank the pliers

almost forgot, if you are heating the fitting connected to the rubber flex line, be sure to put on some safety googles and stay the hell away from the line. it WILL blow it off.

[79blazer]

+1 On the PB blaster. One of the few "magic fluids" that work.

The trick with drum brakes is to take both drums off and do one at a time... use the other one as a mirror image to see how it all goes back together.

"By the book" it should be noted that whatever you do to one side on the brakes, you should do to the other side.

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by Tony@AirRideTech

..... if you are heating the fitting connected to the rubber flex line, be sure to put on some safety googles and stay the hell away from the line. it WILL blow it off.

This sounds like a voice of experience speaking...