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Brake bleeder valve snapped

6K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Cab0oze 
#1 ·
Like every time i do maintenance something goes horribly wrong. I was bleeding my brakes, and I got to the front and realized that it took a different size wrench (9mm instead of 10). Out my toolkit and 3 of my friends toolkits, nobody had anything that fit. I decided to use a socket to loosen it up and then something else to do the open/close job. Put the socket on it, and start turning and SNAP. ARG. Luckily it seems that it snapped off before turning - I went for a drive and the brakes feel a bit mushy (dont think i did a good job bleeding the rears?) but I dont see any evidence of leaking.

Has this happened to anyone else? How hard/expensive is this to fix? is it just a matter of extracting the valve bolt and putting a new one in? Since I have to get my new exhaust installed anyways, i'm considering that I'll just take it in and let the pros fix everything at the same time.


Check out this rusty sonofabitch... think mazda didnt make the caps well.
 

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#2 ·
if you can extract the old one out, do it. Other wise, it's time for a new caliper. The bleeder screw should run no more than $8, but they run as cheap as $3. It depends on where you go and buy them.

If your brakes are mushy, yeah, you let air in the system. When you put the new fluid in, did it takes time for it to settle down? Also, did air come back up? if so, you let air in in the brake system. You need a full flush now.
 
#3 ·
Same thing happened with two of the bleeder screws on my RX-7. I guess Mazda hasn't changed the design in the past 25+ years.

How much of the screw is left sticking out of the caliper? Can you fit a Vise-Grip in there?
 
#4 ·
[quote author=RexSeven link=topic=168398.msg3569531#msg3569531 date=1268695278]
Same thing happened with two of the bleeder screws on my RX-7. I guess Mazda hasn't changed the design in the past 25+ years.

How much of the screw is left sticking out of the caliper? Can you fit a Vise-Grip in there?
[/quote]Theres a little bit there, i'm going to just take it to the garage tomorrow and save myself the headache (I have to get my new exhaust installed anyways, so i'll kill 2 birds with 1 stone)

-update-
They ended up replacing the whole damn caliper... I argued with them but they insisted there was no way to fix it. I'm not impressed.
 
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