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-   -   Broken caliper bolt (http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/56876-broken-caliper-bolt.html)

tommy583 04-26-2015 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark_T (Post 447028)
Just use some coat hangar wire for a rod. Make sure you hook the batteries up in series to get 24 volts! :D

I take no responsibility if you actually try this, btw. None. Zip. Nada. I'll put this on the same page as using ether to set your tires on the bead.

Be pretty cool if it worked though... Probably S.O.P. for the boiler banger.

I actually think I will use 3 batteries to make sure I have enough power. And yes I would definitely be using a coat hanger. No sense in wasting money on welding rod. I will need that money for the hospital bills lol.

tommy583 04-26-2015 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hogosha (Post 447032)
Call a couple of local gun shops to see if they have Kroil. I am not saying it is magic, but I have always had better luck with Kroil over PB. I know you are trying everything you can, so I'm still wishing you luck

I think we might have some at work. I will look around for it tomorrow. Thanks for the reminder about it. If I can't find it at work I will just order some from Amazon. The wife has 2 day shipping thing from there.

KRAM36 04-26-2015 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommy583 (Post 447033)
I actually think I will use 3 batteries to make sure I have enough power. And yes I would definitely be using a coat hanger. No sense in wasting money on welding rod. I will need that money for the hospital bills lol.

LMAO! :cheers:

Topless 04-26-2015 07:10 PM

Galvanic corrosion is the enemy and penetrating oil, hammer and heat are the solution. Sometimes the corrosion is too severe and you can't save the threads. After soaking overnight again, try heat and a heavy hammer. You might get lucky. If it won't give a time sert installed by an experienced tech will save the hub. It's only money. :)

Here is a homemade penetrating oil that is tested and performs better than any off the shelf product at 1/10th the price:

Make a better penetrating oil

tommy583 04-27-2015 07:53 AM

I went over and talked to my indy today. He said he has never seen that happen on a Boxster or 911 before. He has seen it on the SUV's, but people drive them year round. He is sure he can get it out. I also asked him to break free the rest of the bolts while it's there. I don't want to go back again. I'm bringing it in tomorrow, so by the weekend I should know what the damage is lol. Thanks for all your help guys :cheers:

bwillia080261 04-27-2015 10:49 AM

I did the brakes on my 01S not too long ago. The car had come from back east and all four top Caliper bolts had buggered threads on the very end. And all four came out very slowly and with great difficultly. I had to then chase the threads, put some anti seize on them and re-install. Not sure why this happens to the top bolts. The bottom bolts all around were fine. The fronts were particularly bad and I had to go back and forth, back and forth all the way out and was convinced they were going to break any second. What an incredible pain in the A## that was.

Topless 04-27-2015 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwillia080261 (Post 447128)
I did the brakes on my 01S not too long ago. The car had come from back east and all four top Caliper bolts had buggered threads on the very end. And all four came out very slowly and with great difficultly. I had to then chase the threads, put some anti seize on them and re-install. Not sure why this happens to the top bolts. The bottom bolts all around were fine. The fronts were particularly bad and I had to go back and forth, back and forth all the way out and was convinced they were going to break any second. What an incredible pain in the A## that was.

Yep, the top bolts terminate into a little well that has no drainage. It captures moisture and road salt over time which works into the threads causing galvanic corrosion. A small drain hole or simply filling the well with silicone after installation might help solve this. The bottom bolts gravity drain so not nearly such a problem. I always use a high temp thread lube on caliper bolts to help with removal next time.

tommy583 05-05-2015 02:34 PM

Well my mechanic had a go at getting the bolt out. He wasn't successful. He also wasn't comfortable trying to put in a helicoil with brake mount / hub on the car. So since he was going to take it off anyway I purchased a new (used) one from our good friend Woody. I also had him try to get the bolts out of the rest of the calipers while he had it there. It turns out the drivers side top bolt is frozen as well as one of the rear top bolts. So I guess I will need to address the other hubs before I will be able to fit new rotors on the car. It's funny how a simple brake job has turned into this mess. On the bright side maybe the new (used) hubs i purchase will have newer wheel bearings in them.

Jamesp 05-05-2015 03:05 PM

I took my calipers off and the top bolts did not budge at all pulling on them. A 3 lb. sledge hammer on a breaker bar did the trick. I did not have to deal with salt water dribbling into the well near the bolt however.

How to bust a bolt loose with a sledge and a breaker bar: Get the socket wrench (six point or Allen in my case) well engaged on the bolt. Load the breaker bar as much as you can with one hand. Strike the end of the breaker bar with the hammer. Loading the breaker bar before striking is imperative, as is using a heavy hammer. Using a sixteen ounce carpenter hammer, or striking an unloaded breaker bar is wasting your time. :)

Pdwight 05-05-2015 07:11 PM

A note I have learned
 
A dead blow hammer is also great...doesn't bounce so much

you can buy Kroil direct from manufacturer

http://www.kanolabs.com/

tommy583 05-15-2015 03:07 PM

OK update. The bolt never came out of the hub. I had Woody send me a used one. Had my indy remove the old one and put the new one on for me. I also had them try to loosen the remaining bolts on the other three hubs. Front drivers top bolt stuck, to rear top passenger bolt stuck. The good news is the drivers rear isn't stuck. I ordered some Kroil from the manufacturer $20 for 2 cans. That arrived today. So I'm going to fill up the little well on both of the stuck bolts with Kroil tonight. Actually I'm going to do it on all three. I will let that soak for a few days and see what happens. Thanks for all of your help so far guys.

CoBeerToad 05-17-2015 09:01 AM

Getting ready to replace my rotors and paint calipers and I'm stuck on the first bolt. Already broke my socket. When y'all say heat, do you mean just a propane torch?

healthservices 05-17-2015 09:05 AM

heat where the bolt goes into the hub.


East coast cars....

http://i577.photobucket.com/albums/s...IFs/r9lo2o.gif

Bruce Wayne 05-17-2015 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoBeerToad (Post 450114)
Getting ready to replace my rotors and paint calipers and I'm stuck on the first bolt. Already broke my socket. When y'all say heat, do you mean just a propane torch?

Oxy acetelyne !

The way i have found works best is a long breaker bar (longer than 2ft) wind it up so it is 'loaded' then give it a snap with your wrists. the worst thing to do with the nex heads is increasing torque it almost guarantees rounding out the corners.

The newer version of the caliper bolt is a large torx head. get those and for anyone reading, save yourself some grief and change them before they get corroded in.

Also i use copper grease on them when they go back. all the way along the thread.. never had a problem since.

tommy583 05-17-2015 12:51 PM

Success I was able to change my brakes last night. After I got my Kroil in the mail I sprayed it on the back of all the bolts. I let it sit overnight and most of the day Saturday. I got to work on the front drivers side first. It still took me a few hours slowly backing it out and in. Hitting it with a hammer and spraying more Kroil. But it did come out :). I had to chase the thread with a M12 1.5 tap, but all is well now. The Kroil is a miracle. I would definitely recommend it. It's hard to find at stores, but you can get 2 cans for like $20 from there website. It's worth every penny.

CoBeerToad 05-18-2015 05:27 AM

Ordering Kroil and new caliper bolts. The good news is that the other three (I only have access to do one side at a time due to room) came out beautifully. It just scared me because the frozen one was the first one I tried so I expected them all to be trouble. Got the rear caliper painted and it looks beautiful. A little too much paint on a couple spots, but hardly noticeable except to me. Putting the decal on today and throwing some clear coat on. Hopefully, the PB Blaster does the trick on the frozen bolt and I'll get to keep the Kroil for another time because I really want to get this project done now that I see how pretty they are.

First coat

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...psska8sn75.jpg

Hogosha 05-18-2015 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommy583 (Post 450139)
Success I was able to change my brakes last night. After I got my Kroil in the mail I sprayed it on the back of all the bolts. I let it sit overnight and most of the day Saturday. I got to work on the front drivers side first. It still took me a few hours slowly backing it out and in. Hitting it with a hammer and spraying more Kroil. But it did come out :). I had to chase the thread with a M12 1.5 tap, but all is well now. The Kroil is a miracle. I would definitely recommend it. It's hard to find at stores, but you can get 2 cans for like $20 from there website. It's worth every penny.


I am really glad it worked out for you! Kroil is the SH*+!!! There is nothing else like it!

tommy583 05-18-2015 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hogosha (Post 450196)
I am really glad it worked out for you! Kroil is the SH*+!!! There is nothing else like it!

You were totally right my man. Thanks a lot for the Tip!! :cheers:

tommy583 05-18-2015 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoBeerToad (Post 450195)
Ordering Kroil and new caliper bolts. The good news is that the other three (I only have access to do one side at a time due to room) came out beautifully. It just scared me because the frozen one was the first one I tried so I expected them all to be trouble. Got the rear caliper painted and it looks beautiful. A little too much paint on a couple spots, but hardly noticeable except to me. Putting the decal on today and throwing some clear coat on. Hopefully, the PB Blaster does the trick on the frozen bolt and I'll get to keep the Kroil for another time because I really want to get this project done now that I see how pretty they are.

First coat

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...psska8sn75.jpg

Well i'm a fan of PB but believe me when i tell you the Kroil works so much better i couldn't even believe it. PB wasn't doing anything even after letting it sit for over a week. I had the Kroil on there for less than a day and I could tell it was going to work. So if you have no patience like me it will be hard to wait for the Kroil to arrive, but you will be glad when it does.

PS the red looks great :cheers:

tommy583 05-18-2015 07:00 AM

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1431961127.jpg
This is how it looks now. Excuse the dirty and gouged up wheel.

RandallNeighbour 05-18-2015 09:50 AM

OP: You're lucky you didn't completely strip out the hub the way I did with my top caliper bolt removal. Took me nearly an hour to remove them slowly moving back and forth and the receptacles were totally smooth when I was done. No choice but to drill them out bigger, put in a helicoil, and go back in with a new bolt. Ugh!

My car was purchased and driven a few winters in Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm betting this is where the problem began.

CoBeerToad 05-20-2015 07:05 AM

I think I know where I might be having an issue. I broke my socket when first attempting this so I've been using a long-ish allen wrench. When I put my jack handle on it for more leverage, all I am doing is flexing the wrench.
I'm gonna buy a breaker bar (because I've given up trying to find mine in my garage) and a new socket. Then I should be able to beat on it with a BFH and get some results because right now, I can't get this bolt to spin either way.
Memorial weekend is coming up fast and I still have 3 rotors and calipers to paint. I'm sure a rush paint job is exactly what I need.

Mark_T 05-20-2015 07:23 AM

Suggest you buy a Snap-on, Mac or other really high quality socket. This isn't a job for HF crap.

CoBeerToad 05-20-2015 08:20 AM

Anyone know the size / type wrench / socket I will need for the new caliper bolts? Might as well get both while I'm out and the new ones don't arrive until Friday-ish.

woodsman 05-20-2015 11:22 AM

Forum member JP previously posted that Porsche changed the bolts ( to triple-square?) because of the high torque value (130 ftlbs?). I cursed Porsche when one of my bolts stripped on it's way out but then realized that the lightweight choice of aluminum for the hub is the culprit (collateral damage). I think these bolts are often over-torqued and the threads stretch hence the problem when it's time to loosen them. A better solution is one that Tarret offers utilizing threaded rods and nuts. Once the rod is installed it never needs to come out.

CoBeerToad 05-20-2015 11:58 AM

Wish I would have thought of that earlier. Their site shows $125 per axle though. A smart person could probably find these cheaper.

I believe it's a Torx head. I was too impatient and bought the allen head and breaker bar from Harbor Freight. They're having a big sale on Friday so I'll buy the Torx head then. I know they suck, but I bought the impact socket and I don't see how I could possibly break that.

tommy583 05-20-2015 12:04 PM

The new bolts will be size 55 torx. The torque for the new bolts should be 63 foot pounds.
Don't try to twist that bolt too hard if it doesn't want to turn. That's how I snapped the head off.

CoBeerToad 05-21-2015 08:38 AM

Got about one full turn and there went the head. Put two nuts on it and got about two full turns and snapped the bolt again.
So I got it put back together enough to turn the car around and I'll hit the other side. If all goes well, I'll nurse it to the shop to pull that bolt out. If I break another one, then I get the luxury of being on a tow truck for the first time.

tommy583 05-21-2015 12:07 PM

I drove my car to the shop with a broken head on the top bolt, no problems. If it was the bottom bolt or one of the rear brakes then I'd think you need a tow. My shop couldn't get the bolt out and wasn't willing to drill it out on the car. I ended up just getting a new (used) hub from Woody (itsnotanova). I hope your shop has better luck.

woodsman 05-21-2015 02:31 PM

Drilling a bolt out is very easy once you've cut/ ground it off as short as possible as long as 1: you use high-speed- steel drill bits and some type of oil to spray on the drill as it works in order to aid the metal cutting and cooling 2: Use a pointed punch to establish a small divet/crater in the center of the bolt to be drilled. This because the hole needs to be centered in the bolt. 3: Use a center-drill to start the hole. A small drill (1/16") bit can be used instead but center drills are cheap 4:Use multiple drill bit sizes for holes over .25". In this case I'd use 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 and final size. It may sound like a lot but once the first hole is drilled each subsequent pass is easier. This stepped approach spreads the workload out and allows the bits to work most efficiently. 5: Apply 'persuasive force' to the drill. Too much produces more heat. Let the bit work. A little smoke is OK, a lot means slow the drill speed and/ or less pressure. Blue chips mean you're toasting (annealed/ softened) your drill bit because it's too hot. 6: The largest drill size should be the 'tap drill' size. Smaller is better because too big means you're removing the threads in the hole. A couple of sizes smaller than tap-drill size (1/32") will leave enough of the bolt to crush and twist out in one piece.:cheers:

CoBeerToad 05-27-2015 09:54 AM

Got the passenger side all done with no problems. Brought the car to the shop to see if they could remove that bolt and they couldn't, so since the carrier is otherwise jacked I'm going to try drilling it out. Can't hurt. I'm moving in 17 days, so nothing like a little bit of pressure to get the job done right.

clickman 05-28-2015 08:04 AM

After reading this thread I think I might change out my rear bolts proactively. I don't think they've ever been done on my car (the fronts were done in '08).

I had the passenger side ones out a couple days ago to check the park brake, and noticed some corrosion / slight reduction in thread diameter along a short part of the length. I put them back in but think it's time.

I notice Pelican sells silver anti-seize to go along with them. I have copper. Is copper a problem in this application?

Timco 05-28-2015 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour (Post 450221)
OP: You're lucky you didn't completely strip out the hub the way I did with my top caliper bolt removal. Took me nearly an hour to remove them slowly moving back and forth and the receptacles were totally smooth when I was done. No choice but to drill them out bigger, put in a helicoil, and go back in with a new bolt. Ugh!

My car was purchased and driven a few winters in Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm betting this is where the problem began.

Yeah, I know, blame it on the Mormons....;)

I'll have you know our roads are very smooth, and we use a brine solution not real salt unless it's super bad. This solution is applied before it snows and is very effective.

I'd say it's very rare for a car to get all salty and nasty. Maybe in Denver...


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