Brake caliper replacement..attempt...HEELLLLP!!!

[snowboardr_680]

Ive got a 96 disco, that recently decided to leak all its brake fluid out of the front left caliper. I picked up a replacement caliper, and attempted to swap them today. I took off the wheel...and thats as far as I got Heres my problem:
The two nuts that I need to remove to get the caliper off are completely corroded/rusted onto the bolts. I circled them in red.


I tried spraying it with this every 15 min for about an hour. Also used half a can of wd40. I scrubbed it in with a tooth brush.


After hours of that, neither nut will budge, and the socket is just rounding them off. Is there anything else I can do? I REALLY dont want to take it into a shop and pay $100 and hour for such an easy job. I have a plasma cutter, but im not about to go cutting into that and end up hacking off half the bolt. Any suggestions? I just dont see what else I can do other then torch/grind it.

Thanks!!

[r0cj0c]

Try a breaker bar or an impact hammer. Not the air powered kind but the hand one.

[pilot76s]

if you can get your hands on an actual torch, put some heat where the threads are screwed, trying to keep it away from the head of the bolt itself, as you want to keep that as cool/hard as possible. heat will do wonders, just dont melt anything : )... Be sure not to round the bolts off!!

[snowboardr_680]

well...good news, i got a hold of a torch. Bad news, I was only able to try it once before the nuts became completely rounded off. Is this possible to grind? does somebody have a picture of how far out the bolt sticks when the nut is taken off? That way i might be able to go around it.

[Disco Mike]

You don't want to put a torch to that caliper, the brake fluid will cause a flash fire.
Go to Sears, I think they make a tool that will remove those 2 bolts.
Mike

[parsonsjunior]

I'd bet 5 bucks you been trying to turn them to your left, instead of your right. Because the bolts are on the opposite side of the caliper... Well you guys know what I mean.

[pilot76s]

Originally Posted by parsonsjunior

I'd bet 5 bucks you been trying to turn them to your left, instead of your right. Because the bolts are on the opposite side of the caliper... Well you guys know what I mean.

only if your trying to work from the outside of the truck... if hes underneath the car looking at the bolt straight on, he needs to turn them left. These are standard threads (left turning/counter clockwise) to unscrew

[snowboardr_680]

ill take that bet!
I was turning them in the correct direction. They're pretty much rounded off now after 3 days of trying. I bled the brakes, and they're working fine. I'll just have to keep an eye on the brake fluid because of the leaky caliper. Its not gushing out or anything. When summer comes around I think I'll try and grind the bolt head into a different shape and use a vice grips. Either that or hammer on a size smaller socket. Its minnesota. I dont have a heated garage. Just gonna have to watch the fluid!

[Badger1]

A few DAYS of soaking in PB, some heat, and some of these will do the trick.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/s_10153_12605_Tools_Mechanics+Tools_Sockets#viewIt ems=21&pageNum=1&sortOption=ORIGINAL_SORT_ORDER&&f ilter=Brand|Gator+Grips|Grip+Tite&lastFilter=Brand

If you clean the area up of brake fluid, spray the top of the bolt down with PB Blaster and put some heat to the back end of the bolt(do your best). The heat will draw the PB down to it over the threads of the stuck bolt.

edit: sorry the link didn't work, just check at sears.com like Mike said for sockets that work on rounded off bolts

[snowboardr_680]

Thanks for all the help everyone. Ill get back to it when spring comes around...its just to cold to sit outside and work on this haha

[ArmyRover]

Sounds like a plan having brakes is highly overrated anyways....

[fishEH]

I'll second the GatorGrip socket. It seems kinda cheesy since it was one of those "as seen on TV" things but it really works. But there has to be enough depth on the bolt head left. Otherwise Vise grips work well.

[Galaxie]

Wow Minnesota is Tough on Cars....

[jake_ak_cent]

Originally Posted by ArmyRover

having brakes is highly overrated anyways....

I know. I drove my F150 for a whole month without brakes. I just coasted to a stop and ground the calipers straight through the rotors (pads were already long gone). Then, finally when I was all the way through the rotor and it was pouring brake fluid out and I had ruined the calipers, I sold it for $450.

[pilot76s]

Originally Posted by jake_ak_cent

I know. I drove my F150 for a whole month without brakes. I just coasted to a stop and ground the calipers straight through the rotors (pads were already long gone). Then, finally when I was all the way through the rotor and it was pouring brake fluid out and I had ruined the calipers, I sold it for $450.

let me tell you, those $450 cars kick ass. They're like cheap 1 year long rental cars.