Removing Lock Bolt from Caliper Brakes

[rauljimenez]

Today was supposed to be an easy day just changing my brake pads and do a fresh fill of brake fluid. The problem is I can't get 2 of the Lock Bolts from my front Caliper, passenger area.

The thing is so stuck I tried everything from HOT WATER to PENETRATING SPRAY and then using a 17mm but nothing I cannot get neither of them loose, any ideas??
Thanks

 

[kenw]

soak it with more pentrating spray, wait awhile and tap it straight on the head with a hammer to break the corrosion. repeat as needed.

or rent/borrow an impact driver?

 

[rauljimenez]

Thanks Kenw, im gonna try the tappin but I tell you , those 2 bolts are goddamned hard!.

If I can't do it i'll have to waste some 30-35 bucks and get a mechanic to do it

.

 

[kenw]

i understand completely, but a stuck caliper bolt led me to buy my impact driver.......and while i didn't save any money on that particular brake job, it has been nice in the years since...

good luck.

 

[deepsquat]

HAve you tried the old sin of sins???? put a very long pipe on the end of your ratchet and pull??? could break though ..you may want to give the penatrating oil 24 hrs to soak first . good luck

 

[oilboy123]

When I worked for a Ford dealer the lead mechanic gave me a tip.
This is assuming that it has factory lock tite. I use the lock tite blue on all caliper bolts on my brake jobs.

Take a propane torch and heat the bolt head not too much then loosen them quickly. It works well by melting the lock tite.

 

[mechtech]

Are you talking about wheel locks?
Or, what is a lock bolt?

 

[road_rascal]

Yes- are you talking caliper slide pins or the bolts that hold the caliper to the steering knuckle?

 

[labman]

See http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=24;t=000035#000000

It contains a number of good ideas both other's and mine. It is always easier to break a bolt loose before breaking it, than after.

 

[rauljimenez]

The 2 bolts hold the caliper basically together. Once those 2 bolts are out I can take the caliper aside and remove the old pads. A lot of good info here Im gonna have to try again.

I'm doing the job tomorrow, someone before me on this Isuzu Rodeo had to use a impact driver because of the amount of force I applied to it.

 

[labman]

If you have, or do use much heat on the caliper, the rubber parts will be toast. Replace them before your new brake fluid ends up all over your new pads. I am not familiar with the application, and still do not understand where these bolts are. If you can completely remove the caliper, it might be best to pick up a rebuilt one rather than bust that second bolt. Not a bad ides for the first reline on anything bought used to rebuild or replace the hydraulics. Who knows how much care it had in the past? Caliper boots and seals don't last forever.

 

[motorguy222]

Heat the area with a propane torch,STAY AWAY FORM THE BRAKE LINE.

The side that faces you has a threaded hole where the pin is located.

When the area gets hot,apply candle wax to the hole.

The wax will flow through the threads and loosen the bolt.

The wax works better than most if not all other methods.

 

[rauljimenez]

I definitely agree with you Iabman. I bought the car almost 2 years ago. Started first with the engine , replaced the head gasket and every gasket from the block to the top.

It had a nasty tick , hydraulic lifter. Decided to use Auto-RX and everything is pretty solid right now.

I sent it to a mechanic so he could change the wheel lug nuts, after that change my brake pedal started pulsating so that means the mechanic had to over-torque the lug nuts too much because it didn't had that problem before. I stopped trusting mechanic and started doing the things myself.

What I would hate is definitely going again specially for a brake job since he ****** me with the pulsating brakes.

I want to change all lines with stainless steel lines or something a little less , I wanna do front and rear pad change and bleed the system. All I need are those bolts out

 

[rauljimenez]

Also for all you guys who got lost what kind of bolt we talking about , is the CALIPER RETAINING BOLTS that I want to get out, 2 of them one on the bottom , one at the top.

 

[labman]

I guess you have to get that bolt out somehow. Once you have tried everything else, you may have to give up and heat the bolt as hot as you can, and then quench it. Nearly all bolts will yield to that, although the worst will need a couple of tries. Remove the brake hose first. Once you have the bolt out and the caliper off, then exchange it for a rebuilt one of they are available there. Let me know if you have to go with a rebuild kit. Rebuilding a caliper isn't that bad of a job, and if the piston is good, much cheaper than a rebuilt one.

Where I live, they throw salt on the roads which is very hard on calipers and everything else under the car. I understand in coastal areas you have salt in the air all the time.

 

[motorguy222]

Use a propane torch.

I have used a torch to remove the bolts you are speaking of.

These bolts are called 'pins',this is the tech term for them.

A propane torch should get the area hot enough to break them loose without causing any damage,just be sure to stay away from the break line and connection.

If the torch itself doesnt work,try adding the wax to the mix.

The torch should break the bolts loose.

If you dont want to use heat,then follow these steps.

1.Open the cap on your master cylinder.This will allow the fluid you displace to return to the cylinder when you compress the caliper.

2.Take a large C-Clamp and place one side of the clamp on the brake pad where it faces you and the other side on a solid area on the back side of the caliper.

3.Compress the brake pad with the clamp.Continue to do this,slowly and easily.While doing this,the pins will start to show through the back side of the caliper.

4.When enough of the pin is showing,take a pair of Vise Grips and get a good hold on the pin.You may have to use quite a bit of force.

This may get them loose.

It also may damage them,if so,they will have to be replaced.

[ July 30, 2005, 12:45 PM: Message edited by: motorguy222 ]

 

[rauljimenez]

I want to thank everyone in here for their advice, finally got the ******* bolts out ! had to use a propane torch and put those bolts really red, used some candle wax, gave it some vibration with a hammer and BANG IT STARTED TO MOVE HALLELUYAH!!!!
I finally changed the pads, I made sure those bolts were tightened to specifications and not to some gorilla strength stuff, thanks everyone!

 

[acranox]

lately, whenever I have trouble freeing a stuck bolt I try and tighten it first. Often times it'll move just a hair (not more than that or you'll stretch the bolt) and this breaks the corrosion, and then the bolt comes out.

 

[kenw]

quote:

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Originally posted by acranox:
lately, whenever I have trouble freeing a stuck bolt I try and tighten it first. Often times it'll move just a hair (not more than that or you'll stretch the bolt) and this breaks the corrosion, and then the bolt comes out.

---

that's what the tapping with a hammer does. tap it dead on, just like it was a nail. Rust is very brittle.