Bleeding Xantia brakes

Post by **elma** » 19 Aug 2007, 00:25

Don't worry about it. The worst normally happens to me and I've never had any bother with the bleed nipples. If your worried they look horrible give them a squirt of wd40 a bit before you start. Then its just a case of 8mm ring spanner and they open no probs.
LhM looks after them which is why they will undo nicely. Don't know about spares but I'm sure they'll be reasonable money from citroen as they are a tiny thing.

deian · Post by **deian** » 19 Aug 2007, 11:30

Put some "Plus Gas" a few hours before you open them. WD40 works, but Plus Gas is the real mccoy.

Post by **elma** » 19 Aug 2007, 11:49

What is plus gas, I haven't heard of it.

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 19 Aug 2007, 12:30

I'd make 100% certain you've wire brushed all the oxidation/crud off the
visible area of bleed screw. For peace of mind you do need to use Plusgas or
similar (this is far better than WD40 and is a genuine penetrating solution).
A decent motor factors will know what you're asking for if you don't find
Plusgas. There are other equivalent options. WD40 isn't as oily being
more watery.

I'd use a pure hex socket to grip the entire circumference faces of the bleed
screw rather than the multifaceted variety and I'd tap the socket gently with
a toffee hammer or large screw driver handle tapping away to feed the
penetrating oil into the thread as this does a great job.

There come's a point though, where you have to bite the bullet and
pull it firmly and squarely to undo it!!

If it does snap, the 'good news' is the chances of a front one going are slim,
though the rears can be right gits sometimes...

Andrew

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 19 Aug 2007, 21:14

Another really good penetrating lubricant that is great for freeing up rusted bolts is LPS1 - should be readily available, and is also far superior to WD40 for this use. I use it all the time for these kinds of things and it hasn't failed me yet..

(Havn't heard of Plusgas before, so don't know how it compares to that...)

Regards,
Simon

deian · Post by **deian** » 19 Aug 2007, 22:07

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 19 Aug 2007, 22:22

deian wrote:

http://www.tooled-up.com/ManChannel.asp ... s&MID=PLG1

You'd have thought they'd take a pic of the product without a dent in the front!!
Is it the only one they've got as nobody ever buys it I wonder...

Andrew

Post by **CitroJim** » 20 Aug 2007, 09:48

The nice thing about bleed nipples on Hydraulic Cits is they spend their life in contact with LHM which acts as a corrosion inhibitor rather than nasty old brake fluid which does just the opposite

Follow the good advice above and no worries. Touch wood, I've not yet had a problem.

Get yourself a nice long and thin 8mm ring spanner of very high quality for opening and closing the nipples whilst bleeding. It makes life a lot easier.

Post by **RichardW** » 20 Aug 2007, 12:03

I'll add my weight to plus gas - it really is very good, makes WD-40 look like water or something

For really stubborn nipples (the ones on the back of previous Xantia were really bad, but I got both, and both pipe fittings, out using this method).

Give it a really good clean with wire brush and drown in PlusGas - leave to soak - preferebly overnight.
Heat the nipple (with a blowlamp or similar), then tap it squarely on the end with a copper or hide hammer.
Try it with your well fitting six-flat spanner - just gently bang the spanner with the heel of your hand - if it won't go it needs more persuasion:
Heat it again, then quench it with Plus Gas, then heat it again, and try the spanner again. Eventually it will just come undone easily, but it may take several cycles of heating / quenching.

And don't do what I did, namely spraying the PlusGas on one nipple whilst holding the blow lamp on the other when you have both calipers in the vice....

As well as it's penetrant properties, PlusGas burns extremely well!