Brake line fitting seized in caliper - help

[shrub]

I have a 78 BMW and I am stripping the calipers, but the bleed nipple and line fitting have siezed solid. I have soaked them in Wurst Rost Off, shocked them with a hammer and even the last resort vice grip won't shift them. Any ideas? My limited knowledge suggests heat is not a good option but there must be something.

[imdying]

More Rost Off (it's good stuff) and more waiting. A little heat won't hurt, just don't go nuts with a welding torch.

If you put the fitting in the vice and tighten it till it screams, you should be able to wind the caliper off the fitting (instead of vice versa) a little easier.

[Paul in NZ]

Brembo caliper? Yeah - they all do that sir. Get the pistons out (if you can) and a bit of heat. Fortunately new ones aint all that dear.

If its a 78 it may have come with chrome pistons - ditch em for alloy ones.

[shrub]

Brembo caliper? Yeah - they all do that sir. Get the pistons out (if you can) and a bit of heat. Fortunately new ones aint all that dear.

If its a 78 it may have come with chrome pistons - ditch em for alloy ones.

No, not Brembo. I'd ditch them in a heartbeat for a set of modern Nissin or Brembo calipers, but it needs vinning and I may be wrong but I get the feeling that the little men in white coats will look sternly upon such frivilous and dangerous modifications. Or am I wrong?

[shrub]

More Rost Off (it's good stuff) and more waiting. A little heat won't hurt, just don't go nuts with a welding torch.

If you put the fitting in the vice and tighten it till it screams, you should be able to wind the caliper off the fitting (instead of vice versa) a little easier.

I'll try that.

[Katman]

No, not Brembo. I'd ditch them in a heartbeat for a set of modern Nissin or Brembo calipers, but it needs vinning and I may be wrong but I get the feeling that the little men in white coats will look sternly upon such frivilous and dangerous modifications. Or am I wrong?

They'd never know.

[Paul in NZ]

You sure? I thought for sure a 78 BMW would have Brembo F08 / F09 - almost everything else made in europe did... Crazy germans

[Spearfish]

They'd never know.

+1
All they like to have is the piece of paper with the disk thickness and either pads or shoes are inside the wear limits.

[shrub]

They'd never know.

+1
All they like to have is the piece of paper with the disk thickness and either pads or shoes are inside the wear limits.

That is very, very good news. What about losing the idiotic remote master cylinder arrangement under the tank and even the entire front end? Perfect world will be modern Japanese suspension, braking and electrics with ancient Kraut mechanicals.

[ducatilover]

I have a spare set of ZZR600 Tokico (sp?) front brakes (and a twin piston rear) with master cylinder if you are looking for a cheap, decent upgrade. The ZZR6 stops rather well with them

[willytheekid]

I have a 78 BMW and I am stripping the calipers, but the bleed nipple and line fitting have siezed solid. I have soaked them in Wurst Rost Off, shocked them with a hammer and even the last resort vice grip won't shift them. Any ideas? My limited knowledge suggests heat is not a good option but there must be something.

Gidday Shrub

You wanna grab your self a can of loctite "freeze n Release", pritty good stuff!
-in fact I have a 1/4 can of freeze spray in the garage if you want to try it (got all my "problem" bolts)
Think I got it from Repco or Super chep Auto ? (was awhile ago)

PM me if you want to borrow the last of my can

[imdying]

I'll try that.

It's pretty ghetto, I'll admit that... but I've had bleeders out of things that look like they've spent time in the ocean by using that technique. After some penetrating/heat loving in that particular case... but that was about as worst case as it gets (excluding bleeders that are actually snapped off of course).

[HenryDorsetCase]

is it because the bleeders are steel and the calipers alooominum, and the brake fluid which is just an arse of a stuff that you get these issues? I had a real nightmare with a set of CB400 ones I had. Those calipers bolt together though, and I had spares so in the end I binned the half that wouldnt move, and swapped it for one that could, then rebuilt that. Horrible job.

[shrub]

is it because the bleeders are steel and the calipers alooominum, and the brake fluid which is just an arse of a stuff that you get these issues?

yeah, it's galvanic corrosion. When you place two different metals together with a corrosive or conducting solution between them they kind of fall in love and bond and hydraulic fluid absorbs water and microscopic metalic particles.

Jeez, I was taught that over 30 years ago and I still remember it.

[Spearfish]

I missed the year our your bike, technically you don't need the disk thickness for a bike older than 1980.
Depending on where you go you can get asked all sorts of things, the first place I had a chat to wanted a disk thickness and the rear drum diameter of a 76 bike even thought I told him it had only drums.

I'm not sure how they would view a front end change over but I do think its worth finding someone who knows when different rules apply and in what years to vin the bike. In other words the local vtnz could be a little frustrating.