Found a trick to pop seized brake bleeder screws with a torch last Tuesday

I was fighting a lower bleeder on a rusty 2008 F-150 in my driveway for an hour until I hit it with a propane torch for 30 seconds and it came right out. Has anyone else had luck with heat on stubborn brake parts or do you just replace the whole caliper?

3 comments

3 Comments

dixon.anthony6d ago

man i feel your pain on that one, i've been there way too many times with rusty brake stuff. that little propane torch trick has saved my bacon more than once, especially on trucks that have seen a few winters. the key is definitely not going too crazy with the heat though, you really gotta watch the rubber parts nearby or you'll be buying a whole new caliper anyway. i also found that if you hit it with some PB blaster the night before and then hit it with heat the next day, it almost always works first try. glad you got it sorted though, nothing worse than being stuck on a bleeder screw when you just wanna finish the job and get the truck back on the road.

christophermurray6d ago

Yeah, it's funny how half the stuff in life just needs a little heat before it'll budge.

rose_murray6d ago

Heat is the way to go on seized bleeder screws, no question. I'd even say bump the torch time up to a solid minute if that first attempt doesn't do it, just watch you don't cook the rubber seals inside the caliper. A lot of guys swear by hitting it with penetrating oil first, then heat, but on really crusty stuff the torch alone usually wins. Hopefully you chased the threads with a tap after it came out, because that rust is just gonna come back even faster next time you need to bleed them.