front caliper bleed nipple sheared.

[dave3d]

yes, it really happened! Damn, but has anyone ever drilled one out and replaced? Cheers

[Buckle]

Don't panic yet! It can be done with a little patience. Just make sure you drill straight and true, which with a bleed nipple isn't too hard as it has a "pilot hole" through it already.

Just make sure you don't drill into the bleed nipples seat in the caliper body.

Good luck

[dave3d]

great! I'll have a San Miguel to steady them hands up...

[Buckle]

And make sure the drill bit used is smaller diameter than the bleed nipples thread!

[Steve R]

I wouldnt try, I would take it to an engineering firm that does spark erosion, does not cost much and it will not damage the caliper.

Problem with drilling it out is that normally when you drill a bolt you are trying to drill the meat of the bolt out letting you pick away at the threaded bit , difference with this is its also stuck where its bottomed out in the caliper and to drill that bit out will be very hard, not sure that made sense really but heh I know what I mean... I think

[Mark Stratton]

Dave, I've stripped the thread on my ZX10 brake caliper bleed nipple after totally rebuilding it with new everything - god the air turned blue that day!
I got hold of a Heli coil set for a M7 x 1.0 thread, drilled, fitted and hey presto it worked. If you need a set there is a guy on E-Bay that will probably sell the size you want. I will try and find his e-mail and let you know. At least if you go wobbly with your drill you can just fit the insert.

[Vince@Z1b]

As the blead nipples got a nice pilot hole through the middle, you can drill this out a lttle larger to take a stud extractor.

Be careful not to drill to deep and hit the caliper seating. Oh and don't break the stud extractor or you will need the spark errosion.

[Mick Hayward]

Hi Dave

You could use a small threasd extractor tap. We used to call them
easy-outs

In your case it would screw into the existing bleed hole anticlockwise, bite and then unscrews the remaining thread (no damage). Most engineering workshops will have then.

Regards

Mick

[Vince@Z1b]

The pilot hole may be a little small, so I'd go for opening it out a mm or so.

With the pilot hole in the nipple your drill should follow the correct line ok, plus being steel it should not grab like alloy.

You can get the extractors as a pack normally for a few Euros at most tools shops.

I'd also run some boiling water over the calliper for a while to get some heat into it as a little expansion takes some of the pressure off.

Gently does its

[Rich]

As you will be playing with your carbs for weeks get a tin that will take the calliper and soak the calliper in diesel for a week. The main problem with taking broken bleed nipples out is the stud extractor snapping as well.

[Pigford]

I'd think x2 before using a small (very brittle) stud extractor

Drilling out is the way to go....... second to spark erosion

Slowly does it..... a bench drill is a must

Good luck

[Dodgy Z1B]

If it all goes pear shaped you can try two things fit a banjo bolt with bleed nipple on the back and dont bother touching broken bleed nipple or if you do try and drill it out and it goes wrong fit one of these http://www.zodiac.nl/en/catalog/bbook36/12.pdf

[Ginger Bear]

I have had very limited sucess with as piggy says, 'brittle' easy-out extractors. The seat is the part NOT to damage.
I strongly agree with some of the earlier comments, ie; Soak with deisel or some other (plus gas] penetrating fluid for a good long time, and get some heat into the caliper body.... GOOD LUCK

[gbh]

main problem with taking broken bleed nipples out is the stud extractor snapping as well.

Been there, done that.
I can't be sure but I suspect people a few blocks away heard me say, "faaaaark".

[Rich]

and when you put a new one in put a bit of ptfe tape round it.