So I've been trying to get the rear caliper adjuster screw loose, You know... the one allen thats 4.5 mm......

So I get the caliper off, and I've been soaking it with lube, and trying to "fit" a 5 allen thats been ground down.. Havent had any luck, just striping it.

I really dont want to take the caliper off the line because I dont want to bleed the brakes (friend has our power bleeder...)


I got the left rear one, because the guy that had the calipers before me, took out the adjuster allen, and just put a bolt on it...

Anyone have any tricks to getting it out?

Andrew

weird, this sounds oddly similar to my setup. today i replaced my right rear caliper (thanks for the help jp!) with a used one that works (thanks echocanyons). in the process of puttin on the new pads and adjusting the venting clearance, i noticed that my left rear also has a bolt in place of the screw cap. that bolt is a million times easier to deal with!

according to jp, a lot of those little caps got stuck in there, and got stripped easily. so guys would notch the side of it with a chisel or similar tool, to get some leverage. that's what was done to mine, it has a nice wedge knocked into it by some previous owner or repair shop/brake guy.

that's probably not much help, but it might be a start.

~a

Mine is notched, and we tried to chizzle it out, but it just didnt want to move at all.. Its not in a vice though.. its just laying there.. If I can fine a way to hold it without removing the brake line, I'll be mucho happy..

Thanks
Andrew

had to do the chisel thing a few weekends ago...McMark held the caliper while I swung away...he's a lot braver than me

you cannot remove your vice from the workbench?


how about removing the rotor and mounting the caliper back on the trailing arm backwards? can you do that without damaging the hose?

Hmmm... Both good idea's mike...

Will do them tomorrow!

Thanks!

One good trick is to hammer the cap first. This tends to help loosen bolts.

Quite often I will use Allen key sockets. Then I can rig up the impact driver to assist in the operation. The Allen key sockets are not designed for impact driver use, so caution is called for.

Most often the copper gasket is missing, and this increases the chance of a seized cap.

I cut a slot in mind with a dremel the size of my largest screwdriver. That was the only way I could get it. I replaced both sides with replacement caps that take sockets (you can get those from any of the typical 914 parts places).

If it's the original style cap, I've always had luck keeping it mounted to the arm and pounding a big slotted screw driver into it. That way it makes it's own tight slot and you can turn it out. Just keep inward pressure on it. Then replace with a hex one.

Matt

Bolt it in a vise! Use a chisel to cut a groove in the perimter edge of the aluminum cap, once you get it big enough use a small punch with a flat end. I've had some that were really stuck, but this has never failed to work for me. Before employing that method I used a easy out, which works, but sometimes you just keep making the hole in the aluminum plug bigger.

This is why the rebuild kits I sell have new copper sealing rings and STEEL hex socket adjuster plugs.

The stock plug bolt is soft aluminum (that's why the small allen key hole strips easy)

best to avoid the factory one, and get an aftermarket all steel, standard socket sized plug.

If at all possible, obtain some brake fluid compaitable grease (British Lucus brake rebuild kits have it, and it was factory speicified for early VW's in the manuals (VW called it brake paste I think)), and lube the threads well if you must re-install the original aluminum plug. I'd avoid any non-specified brake fluid compatible grease on the caliper. Even trace amounts of regular grease or oils as a contaminate in a cars brake system will destroy the special rubber seals.

there is no way in hell that im reinstalling the plug.


Now getting the plug out.... Thats the tricky part...

I think I'm about to take the caliper out.. aw man... now I have to reblead the brakes...

Andrew <_<

That worked!

Put it in a vice and tapped it around with a chisel. Once it broke loose it was fine.

Thanks for keeping the kid heading in the right direction..

and, Yup, now we have to bleed the brakes again. And we loaned the brake bleeder to a friend..

For what its worth, The last time I did mine, I used an old hammer type impact with a sharp flat head screw tip in it. Took 2 hits and it came right out. It notched it so I could reuse it but I had new ones so I used them. It sure seems to make more progress when your dad gets out there with you Andy.

The inner plug is not inside the hydraulic circuit, so putting some anti-seize on the threads shouldn't be a problem.

You want to use the brake caliper paste on the bore seals, the cylinder bore, and the piston. That's the critical areas not to contaminate. Porsche makes some too, but it's like $30 for a small jar. 3M makes a silicone grease that works fine, and a large container is in the $20 range, and you can use the silicone grease for other rubber parts and O rings.

Some one has to say it... Use the right tool from the beginning.

It was stripped from the begining...

Someone really wanted it tight...

got it out..

everythings back together..

Thanks all