What's the best way to keep the bleed valves in good condition?  Mine are so corroded and the nut doesn't look great either.  Had to abandon a brake bleed today after my pressure bleeder broke and i didn't fancy the two man method with nuts that looked that they weren't far off rounding.  

Appreciate your thoughts!

I use rubber caps and some grease

13 minutes ago, dezwez said:

I use rubber caps and some grease

What sort of grease Del?  A lot of the rubber caps are missing on mine but I think they just cover the valves and not the nut? 

 

 

any high melting point grease will do

1 hour ago, Albert27 said:

What's the best way to keep the bleed valves in good condition?  Mine are so corroded and the nut doesn't look great either.  Had to abandon a brake bleed today after my pressure bleeder broke and i didn't fancy the two man method with nuts that looked that they weren't far off rounding.  

Appreciate your thoughts!

If they are that bad, to avoid future problems, I would get a brake hose clamp, replace all the bleed valves, and use a 6-sided spanner to undo/tighten them. Once replaced, follow dezwez's advice.

32 minutes ago, YOG said:

If they are that bad, to avoid future problems, I would get a brake hose clamp, replace all the bleed valves, and use a 6-sided spanner to undo/tighten them. Once replaced, follow dezwez's advice.

Thanks for that, i hadn't realised you can just replace the valve.  I thought it was a new caliper job!

Where would I get hold of bleed valves the right size?  It's a 2008 Mk2.5 1.6tdci.

Should be able to get a set delivered from eBay for less than a fiver.  I don't know what size they are on these though...haven't damaged any ford ones so far.  Lost count of the number of Peugeot ones I've snapped lol.

Good soak of penetrating fluid and a set of mole grips should loosen them.  I'd also use a quality 6 sided spanner as mentioned above.

On cars and motorbikes (many years ago I was into motorbikes and they had problems with bleed screws snapping more than cars) if i had cause to undo the bleed screw I would take it right out and put copper grease on the threads. I would also take the rubber cap off periodically and fill the bleed screw with wd40.  Also never use open ended spanners (other than proper brake tube spanners) on bleed screws or tube nuts as it never ends well in the long run.

brake tube nut spanners look like this (I know it is mentioned above but not everyone will know what they are like possibly or Yog may have meant a 6 sided ring spanner)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quality-Brake-Pipe-Nut-Tube-Connector-Bleed-Screw-Service-Spanner-11-x-13mm-Hex/361473437001?epid=1155075454&hash=item54297eed49:g:IFgAAOSwUg9ah7X2

 

Thanks guys for your input.  How do you actually get the valve out?  Do you just keep loosening the nut?

I did 3 on a Fiat Doblo the other day, never in a million years did I think they were coming out in one piece! After replacing brake pipes something was going to have to give though lol.

I heated the bleed screw with a torch and used mole grips as the 7mm hex part was no more! They did come out after some worried looks. 

New bleed screws fitted and rubber covers to keep the crap out the end. As far as protecting them, I never put anything on them. 

When I drained the brake fluid I replaced with stainless steel nipples.

11 hours ago, Albert27 said:

Thanks guys for your input.  How do you actually get the valve out?  Do you just keep loosening the nut?

Yep, it's literally just a bolt with a hole through the middle.  

going off on a tangent slightly, but might be useful to some people at some point. when your bleed screw snaps off when you try to undo it you feel like crying.

If you have the type of hose that fits to a caliper with a banjo bolt you can buy banjo bolts with a bleed screw in the head of the bolt like here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M10-x-1-25-banjo-bolt-with-bleed-screw-nipple/182938864239?epid=1188551932&hash=item2a98018a6f:g:l~8AAOxy3zNSg67w

I don't know how many different sizes / threads are available. you might have to unbolt caliper and reangle the caliper whilst bleeding.

I don't know which cars have banjo type fixings on the hose these days.

 

8 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Yep, it's literally just a bolt with a hole through the middle.  

 . When you loosen the nut, what actually happens inside to allow fluid out?  

11 minutes ago, Albert27 said:

 . When you loosen the nut, what actually happens inside to allow fluid out?  

when you unscrew it you break the taper, allowing fluid to pass through the small hole.