37 replies to this topic

[gazza82]

In fact you can buy something in screwfix or from amazon (search for Irwin but they aren't likely to be imperial, but if you bolt is badly damaged that probably doesn't matter if it fits

[MRA]

Plus gas or DUCK oil duck oil is the best so apologies for my earlier post, DUCK oil can be obtained from motor factors and they do NOT re-badge for other companies if it doesn't say DUCK oil its probably not very good

[GraemeC]

How far rounded is the bolt now? If it is just the corners then a good quality 6 sided socket may work, otherwise you are into special sockets and/or terminal techniques such as welding a nut to it, drilling out (really not recommended on a caliper) etc.....

[tiger99]

If it is rounded, the special sockets referred to above will still work, as they grip by cutting a crude, very coarse thread into the outside of the nut. Not much use on a left hand threaded nut... (I suppose the more upmarket manufacturers may do a reversed variant for those).

 

http://www.screwfix....CFWUT0wodeSkK4w

 

 

There are better sets, but these are very likely to be good enough and certainly excellent value.

[Swift_General]

Why not just grind the head of the bolt off? Sounds like it's pretty knackered in any case. Then get a some Stilsons on the shank of the bolt and apply penetrating fluid to the thread end if necessary to remove - job done.

Edited by Swift_General, 25 March 2017 - 12:38 AM.

[Sovereign01]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, what I ended up doing was taking it to the nearby auto parts shop and the owner managed to undo the bolt, as he took it to the back room of the shop for help I didn't see what tool he used. As I was buying a breaker bar he did it for free- I actually found it quite satisfying completely dismantling both calipers and removing all the old seals. The calipers themselves seem fine, it's the exposed portions of the pistons that are corroded.

 

My intention was to remove the hub nuts so I could change the brake discs using the aforementioned breaker bar, only it seems it's an even bigger minefield than the calipers.

[Sovereign01]

A bit of a delay, but I thought it was only right to show the results of what I did. Here's the old calipers after I disassembled them:

 

I wasn't able to take them apart completely because I could get the rubber seals out but not the metal rings that accompany them.

 

New calipers...

 

 

... and discs.

 

 

 

And finally the parts on the car, using fresh EBC pads since it didn't seem right to use scabby used pads when everything else had been replaced (prior to installing the pins and clips of course):

 

 

Along the way I had to contend with hub nuts that no breaker bar could handle, so I had to buy an impact wrench+socket that did the job in seconds:

And one of the hub bolts had rounded off and became impossible to remove without help, so though I could have gotten away with buying just one of these: http://minispares.co...ons/BTA370.aspx

 

No-one orders a single bolt, so I bought a set of eight. The new pins and clips proved surprisingly stubborn to get in.

Edited by Sovereign01, 02 June 2017 - 05:52 PM.

[andyapanel]

I bought 8.4 minispares calipers recently as they were surprisingly cheap (tho not worryingly TOO cheap.) I then refurbished the old callipers in my own time, rather than rushing the job for MOT.Yes, always use stainless steel pistons, but I have never had to split calipers.

All my Minis run on 8.4s so now I have a spare set to use.