Caliper bleeder stuck

Tiny
BNTLEWULLIS
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE
  • V8
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 178,000 MILES
1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited V8 front pass. I replaced brake pads and can not get the bleeder valve to budge. I tried the standard crescent wrench then a ratchet, then pliers, a channel lock and even vice grip pliers. Starting to strip the bolt and I do not want to replace the whole caliper for this. I am just a diy er and need HELP
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011 AT 8:36 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
FIXITMR
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,990 POSTS
Why are you messing with bleeder if you only changed pads?
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Tuesday, April 19th, 2011 AT 8:41 PM
Tiny
BNTLEWULLIS
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  • 3 POSTS
I had trouble getting the caliper to compress all of the way and had to remove it to do so and then put back on. The line now has air in it and I need to bleed the line. Then I should have full pedal. Right now the pedal goes to the floor
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Tuesday, April 19th, 2011 AT 8:44 PM
Tiny
FIXITMR
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  • 9,990 POSTS
Remove shoes. With pedal push it repeatedly until caliper is almost all the way out. Remove line and fill caliper with brake fluid. Make sure master does not run dry during this process. Let line drip while you are refilling caliper. With hole facing upwards reattach line and tighten now push caliper back in. This should backbleed all the way to master. Dont have too much fluid in there when you do this as it may spill over. Put brakes back together and try it. This has worked for me in a pinch.
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Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 AT 5:00 AM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,004 POSTS
Fixitmr is giving you really good advice as far as being in a bind!

In the future, you need to invest in some "Decent Tooling", Your bleeders have hex heads (a crescent wrench don't cut it! It only has 2 sides).

The only tool s that should ever be put onto them are: A six point socket. Or a six point wrench, THE EXACT, CORRECT SIZE. NOT A 12 Point!

Still they might be hard to rotate, but with a tight fitting tool, sometimes ONE, QUICK "RAP" WITH A HAMMER, IS ALL IT TAKES to break it loose.

You might SALVAGE YOURS, if you haven't chewed it up too bad (It 'shore wasn't sounding good!). Or in the future you may have to buy another caliper.

The Medic
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Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 AT 10:22 AM
Tiny
BNTLEWULLIS
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@ fixitmr Thank you for the reply and answer. Unfortunately it did not work.I ended up taking it to the autoparts store and they could not get it to break loose either and I replaced the caliper.I also purchased the proper 3/8 bleeder tool and the driver side was a breeze.
Thank you medic also
I hope I do not need to use this service again but very glad to know that there are still very good people in the USA willing to help each other.
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Wednesday, April 20th, 2011 AT 10:15 PM

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