damaged drain on rear brake caliper
 

https://i.ibb.co/3SPBGHs/IMG00094.jpg

good thing is that rear brake-ability still present.
and liquid is somehow changeable, although very partially.

confession is that it was one of my hands which tightened it last year feeling that it's not too much.

question is - how deep is my shit?

Completely dismantle and remove the broken bit super carefully, and maybe you're ok. An "easy-out" of some sort SHOULD work ok, the hole for it is already there!
Failing that, or if there is damage, looks like a new part is in order.
Good luck!

In rough order of inconvenience / cost -

1. do nothing. It still seals and the caliper works. You can change pads etc without needing to undo the bleed nipple.

2. Leave the broken bit alone and replace the hose banjo bolt with one fitted with a bleed nipple. You can change fluid etc by bleeding through that. It's a bit awkward but you can do it.

3. Try removing the broken bit with an Easy-Out as Grant suggests (my success rate with them on stuff like that isn't great). You may have to add some (quite a bit) heat so then the caliper will need to come off and the piston / seals removed (replace the seals with new). If the easy out snaps off in the hole it's probably going to need to be removed professionally.

4. Take it (or send it) to a professional. People are doing this with car calipers all the time. They'll have a range of options from drilling it out upwards. Check out YouTube videos for how to do it if you've got a workshop full of equipment.

5. Replace it with either a secondhand one or a new one. If you're looking to buy a new one probably best to sit down first before you look at the sticker price. You really shouldn't need to get this far as it's not that big a problem and easily fixed, but the fix may take time, particularly if you need to a. find and b. sent it to a professional.

So, on the 'screwed-ometer' it's only a 3 out of 10. It's annoying and may cost a bit if you decide to fix it (rather than ignore it). Unless you know what you're doing though I'd suggest you don't try to drill it out yourself. There's fine threads and a sealing taper at the bottom, underneath the broken part. Damage either of those and a professional fix suddenly becomes a lot more expensive.

On the 'I told you so' front, you've probably worked out now they don't need to be that tight. Just tight enough to stop fluid seeping round the taper seal. Hard to give numbers but once the cone seats (you'll feel it) it's not much more than is needed to stop it vibrating loose.

thanks so much guys for help&good info.

dear Grant, "hole already there" is really witty advice.

backofbeyond, another hole in banjo bolt is also nice "out of box" approach, since most of the fluid will be replaceable.
also good point, told neatly.

anyways (and luckily) it became mid-winter's job. meanwhile seal kit and good plan should be prepared.

thanks again and good luck.

aligned with BoB....



I dont believe either that any easy-out or reverse thread thing is going to work, specially if its been snugged up.


a tool maker specialist with EDM could sort it out, but will be more expensive than a used or even new caliper.


your best bet is to go with a banjo with a bleeding nipple, easy, cheap, a real bolt on solution.


and like he said, dont do that again....

turboguzzi, thanks for ideas. yes, for now, this really seems most straightforward and harmless way. in this case i'd still disassemble whole unit anyways just to know how much of old liquid will stay after banjo (factory seals so far, never looked inside this unit).

p.s. maybe i'd have at least one more such banjo as a spare, who knows, who knows :innocent:

When ready to commit to a repair after riding season.....
Centering hole is already there as stated above. Use this to your advantage.

Get a set of left hand drill bits and gently drill the hole out on centre with progressivly larger bits (use cutting fluid). As the bits gets bigger it will weaken the material and its bond to the surrounding metal. Once the material is weakened suffeciently + heated from drilling process..... the left hand bits will very likley spin out the remaining "bolt" prior to any thread damage taking place.
Please be aware of your depth as others have suggested.... otherwise you will damage the seat in the caliper itself.
I purchased a set of left hand drill bits 30 years ago and they have been pressed into service for this kind of repair many many times. Mostly with successs!
Good Luck,
Pawlie

well, left hand drill with such procedures - that's for sure an another possible option to consider.
thanks for suggestion, will be thinking on some kind of reliable "depth limiter" in case of taking this way.

I've had this a few times. It's possible.

I'd successfully removed these with a blowtorch and a range of stud removers.

I had one that had already been butchered by someone else. I had to weld a plug in it and then drill, thread and insert a new bleed nipple.

There is no five minute fix to this problem.

to all helpful guys out there, have you heard about "risk assessment"?


it means considering all the things that can go wrong and what you are going to do if the shit hits the fan.


for example: is there a chance that you drill by mistake too deep, disturb the sealing area and end up breaking the hard drill bit inside the hole? essentially you could also end up with a non sealing bleed screw thats stuck in there, in substance rendering your precious caliper useless. from my short 40 years experience i'd say yes, it can happen. only problem is that where N67 lives there are no breakers with used XT parts, and i guess that also getting parts form europe cant be easy.


thats why i suggested the banjo with bleeder solution. very low risk (zero essentially), the worse can be that you ll have a bit more spongy brake in the rear because trapped air, but i doubt it, rear brakes are easy to bleed.


choose your weapon of course, but think also about what happens if something goes wrong....

I think your solution is probably the best for someone who doesn't have a machine shop. And probably the best solution in this instance. :thumbup1:

meanwhile, i appreciate this topic not only due to the multiple possible methods of solution, but also due to other points as well - like evaluation of this methods, understanding context and emphasis on safety.
feels like having best theoretical basis for this more or less tricky job.

'Risk Assessment' Anyone else feel the icy fingers of fear clutching at their heart when they read those words. :helpsmilie:


Please, I'm trying to enjoy a coffee on a sunny Sunday morning. :rofl:

:innocent:

People often go a funny colour as I close the laptop lid, tell them corporate legal are likely to agree their elven safety paperwork in 6-8 weeks and then I'll see about coming back to fix their ****, subject to how how busy I am.

Its amazing how many places have a standard one they can just use or can let it go on this occasion.

Andy