Found a trick for stubborn bleed screws on Cessna 172 brakes

After fighting a seized bleed screw on a 172 at KPDX last week for 20 minutes, I hit it with a heat gun on low for 30 seconds and it broke loose clean - has anyone else tried gentle heat on corroded brake parts instead of just wrenching harder?

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2 Comments

perry.karen2mo ago

Heat that sucker up just enough to break the corrosion bond without melting rubber seals. I've seen guys go full gorilla on these things and snap the bleed screw right off in the caliper, turning a 5 minute job into a full afternoon of drilling and easy outs. A little controlled heat is way smarter than forcing it and making a mess. Just keep the heat gun moving and don't hold it in one spot too long.

6

the_elizabeth2mo ago

Oh man, seriously, why doesn't everyone know this already? I had a bleed screw on an old Archer that was basically welded shut from corrosion, and I was THIS close to rounding it off with a regular wrench. Then I remembered I had a little butane torch in my toolbox for shrink tubing. Hit it with a tiny bit of heat, just enough to feel it get warm to the touch, and it came right out with a regular socket. The key is definitely what you said, keep it moving so you don't cook the rubber seals inside. I've also had good luck with a product called Kroil, let it soak for a few minutes and then apply heat, but the heat is the real hero here.

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