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[Nick W]

Now I've got your attention, your car should have four of these:





or something like it. That is a rubber cap for a brake bleed nipple, and it is more important than it looks.


If you don't fit them, water and other grot makes its way down the centre hole and into the seat. That makes them difficult to remove, because the hole, seat, bottom of the thread and the nipple rust together. Here's the one I eventually extracted from the rear caliper of my sister's Hyundai, with a £0.60 new one:





You can clearly see the marks from getting out(I clamped it in the vice and worked the caliper to and fro to get it moving, finishing off with some mole grips), the grot at the working end and the damaged threads.
This wasn't the reason I removed the caliper from the car; that was to free off the piston and handbrake mech. It is the reason I've just ordered a new caliper,  because the seat the nipple is supposed to seal against and the mating threads are equally grotty and it leaks like the Titanic


While there are some things I could have attempted to rescue this, the rest of the caliper isn't brilliant and isn't worth the time when  a new one is £66 delivered.




So to the point:


If yours are missing, I would recommend you get some and fit new bleed nipples while you're there. That's less than £1 per caliper and could save you a lot of grief and expense.

[dave the builder]

I put a smear of grease around MY nipples and a blob in the hole then refit the rubber
I strip and clean brakes "pre MOT" on the cars .

Mrs Builder had a Hyundai Elantra when I met her , had to strip her brakes twice a year to keep them in GWO 
the callipers etc are obviously made from a crap alloy that rusts like a ******* (insert your swear word of choice) 

[Nick W]

Mrs Builder had a Hyundai Elantra when I met her , had to strip her brakes twice a year to keep them in GWO 
the callipers etc are obviously made from a crap alloy that rusts like a ******* (insert your swear word of choice)

Hyundai rear calipers are all the same. The biggest problem I find is with the slide pins., which I don't think seal very well.  I've had to free these off every MOT; I should have just bought new ones from the start.


This caliper would probably be good for another couple of years if the bleeder sealed. The piston was stuck due to a ring of crud where it enters the bore; with that removed and polished(with 1000grit W&D and WD40) it screws in and out by hand just like it should although it is slightly pitted in a couple of places. This is a 19year old car with under 90k miles on it, which probably hasn't helped. I think this is a reasonable life for such parts; the frustrating thing about today is I would have been better off snapping the nipple at the start. Then I'd have ordered a new caliper and not spent anymore time and effort on it.

[dave the builder]

I'd have just ground a new seat for the nipple with a dremel , MOTed the car and sold it 

[Nick W]

I'd have just ground a new seat for the nipple with a dremel , MOTed the car and sold it 

I considered a slightly more precise method of doing that(turn the threads off another new nipple and use it in the drill with some fine grinding paste), but with the threads in the calliper damaged from removing the rusty bleed nipple together with the other tired features, it's well on the wrong side of the curve. I've a friend who sleeved worse damage on callipers which he said paid for the milling machine. But Lamborghini Espada callipers cost lot more than £66 each, if you can find them . He said much the same of the pistons he made for his NSX brakes; one £20 length of stainless and an afternoon on the lathe saved about £800

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I'd have just ground a new seat for the nipple with a dremel , MOTed the car and sold it 

I considered a slightly more precise method of doing that(turn the threads off another new nipple and use it in the drill with some fine grinding paste), but with the threads in the calliper damaged from removing the rusty bleed nipple together with the other tired features, it's well on the wrong side of the curve. I've a friend who sleeved worse damage on callipers which he said paid for the milling machine. But Lamborghini Espada callipers cost lot more than £66 each, if you can find them . He said much the same of the pistons he made for his NSX brakes; one £20 length of stainless and an afternoon on the lathe saved about £800

Gorgeous looking thing.

As a 12 year old I couldn't decide between an Espada, Ferrari Daytona, Maserati Bora, or V12 E-Type.

[Nick W]

I'd have just ground a new seat for the nipple with a dremel , MOTed the car and sold it 

I considered a slightly more precise method of doing that(turn the threads off another new nipple and use it in the drill with some fine grinding paste), but with the threads in the calliper damaged from removing the rusty bleed nipple together with the other tired features, it's well on the wrong side of the curve. I've a friend who sleeved worse damage on callipers which he said paid for the milling machine. But Lamborghini Espada callipers cost lot more than £66 each, if you can find them . He said much the same of the pistons he made for his NSX brakes; one £20 length of stainless and an afternoon on the lathe saved about £800

Gorgeous looking thing.

As a 12 year old I couldn't decide between an Espada, Ferrari Daytona, Maserati Bora, or V12 E-Type.

Hmmm, difficult. They're all best considered as garage jewellery as none of them are very good to drive. E-type is hideous, Bora is a joke, Daytona is OK at best, so that  leaves the Espada which was at least styled to look modern, seats four in reasonable comfort(it's a big car) and goes well. But the exotic Italian nature of the engineering and build is still a major put off.

[STEMO]

I'd have just ground a new seat for the nipple with a dremel , MOTed the car and sold it 

I considered a slightly more precise method of doing that(turn the threads off another new nipple and use it in the drill with some fine grinding paste), but with the threads in the calliper damaged from removing the rusty bleed nipple together with the other tired features, it's well on the wrong side of the curve. I've a friend who sleeved worse damage on callipers which he said paid for the milling machine. But Lamborghini Espada callipers cost lot more than £66 each, if you can find them . He said much the same of the pistons he made for his NSX brakes; one £20 length of stainless and an afternoon on the lathe saved about £800

Gorgeous looking thing.

As a 12 year old I couldn't decide between an Espada, Ferrari Daytona, Maserati Bora, or V12 E-Type.

Hmmm, difficult. They're all best considered as garage jewellery as none of them are very good to drive. E-type is hideous, Bora is a joke, Daytona is OK at best, so that  leaves the Espada which was at least styled to look modern, seats four in reasonable comfort(it's a big car) and goes well. But the exotic Italian nature of the engineering and build is still a major put off.

Andy B liked his bora.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I'd have just ground a new seat for the nipple with a dremel , MOTed the car and sold it 

I considered a slightly more precise method of doing that(turn the threads off another new nipple and use it in the drill with some fine grinding paste), but with the threads in the calliper damaged from removing the rusty bleed nipple together with the other tired features, it's well on the wrong side of the curve. I've a friend who sleeved worse damage on callipers which he said paid for the milling machine. But Lamborghini Espada callipers cost lot more than £66 each, if you can find them . He said much the same of the pistons he made for his NSX brakes; one £20 length of stainless and an afternoon on the lathe saved about £800

Gorgeous looking thing.

As a 12 year old I couldn't decide between an Espada, Ferrari Daytona, Maserati Bora, or V12 E-Type.

Hmmm, difficult. They're all best considered as garage jewellery as none of them are very good to drive. E-type is hideous, Bora is a joke, Daytona is OK at best, so that  leaves the Espada which was at least styled to look modern, seats four in reasonable comfort(it's a big car) and goes well. But the exotic Italian nature of the engineering and build is still a major put off.

OK....as you've just shot down my childhood dreams in flames, next on the list was an Elan Sprint in Gold Leaf colours, followed by a TR6.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I'd have just ground a new seat for the nipple with a dremel , MOTed the car and sold it 

I considered a slightly more precise method of doing that(turn the threads off another new nipple and use it in the drill with some fine grinding paste), but with the threads in the calliper damaged from removing the rusty bleed nipple together with the other tired features, it's well on the wrong side of the curve. I've a friend who sleeved worse damage on callipers which he said paid for the milling machine. But Lamborghini Espada callipers cost lot more than £66 each, if you can find them . He said much the same of the pistons he made for his NSX brakes; one £20 length of stainless and an afternoon on the lathe saved about £800

Gorgeous looking thing.

As a 12 year old I couldn't decide between an Espada, Ferrari Daytona, Maserati Bora, or V12 E-Type.

Hmmm, difficult. They're all best considered as garage jewellery as none of them are very good to drive. E-type is hideous, Bora is a joke, Daytona is OK at best, so that  leaves the Espada which was at least styled to look modern, seats four in reasonable comfort(it's a big car) and goes well. But the exotic Italian nature of the engineering and build is still a major put off.

Andy B liked his bora.

Yes, but the VW badge lets it down.

[STEMO]

I'd have just ground a new seat for the nipple with a dremel , MOTed the car and sold it 

I considered a slightly more precise method of doing that(turn the threads off another new nipple and use it in the drill with some fine grinding paste), but with the threads in the calliper damaged from removing the rusty bleed nipple together with the other tired features, it's well on the wrong side of the curve. I've a friend who sleeved worse damage on callipers which he said paid for the milling machine. But Lamborghini Espada callipers cost lot more than £66 each, if you can find them . He said much the same of the pistons he made for his NSX brakes; one £20 length of stainless and an afternoon on the lathe saved about £800

Gorgeous looking thing.

As a 12 year old I couldn't decide between an Espada, Ferrari Daytona, Maserati Bora, or V12 E-Type.

Hmmm, difficult. They're all best considered as garage jewellery as none of them are very good to drive. E-type is hideous, Bora is a joke, Daytona is OK at best, so that  leaves the Espada which was at least styled to look modern, seats four in reasonable comfort(it's a big car) and goes well. But the exotic Italian nature of the engineering and build is still a major put off.

Andy B liked his bora.

Yes, but the VW badge lets it down.

At least the VW Bora isn't 'a joke'.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I'd have just ground a new seat for the nipple with a dremel , MOTed the car and sold it 

I considered a slightly more precise method of doing that(turn the threads off another new nipple and use it in the drill with some fine grinding paste), but with the threads in the calliper damaged from removing the rusty bleed nipple together with the other tired features, it's well on the wrong side of the curve. I've a friend who sleeved worse damage on callipers which he said paid for the milling machine. But Lamborghini Espada callipers cost lot more than £66 each, if you can find them . He said much the same of the pistons he made for his NSX brakes; one £20 length of stainless and an afternoon on the lathe saved about £800

Gorgeous looking thing.

As a 12 year old I couldn't decide between an Espada, Ferrari Daytona, Maserati Bora, or V12 E-Type.

Hmmm, difficult. They're all best considered as garage jewellery as none of them are very good to drive. E-type is hideous, Bora is a joke, Daytona is OK at best, so that  leaves the Espada which was at least styled to look modern, seats four in reasonable comfort(it's a big car) and goes well. But the exotic Italian nature of the engineering and build is still a major put off.

Andy B liked his bora.

Yes, but the VW badge lets it down.

At least the VW Bora isn't 'a joke'.

That's just Nick.....He is a miserable old bugger at the best of times.

So.....VW Bora or Maserati Bora. Let me think about this.

[STEMO]

I'd have just ground a new seat for the nipple with a dremel , MOTed the car and sold it 

I considered a slightly more precise method of doing that(turn the threads off another new nipple and use it in the drill with some fine grinding paste), but with the threads in the calliper damaged from removing the rusty bleed nipple together with the other tired features, it's well on the wrong side of the curve. I've a friend who sleeved worse damage on callipers which he said paid for the milling machine. But Lamborghini Espada callipers cost lot more than £66 each, if you can find them . He said much the same of the pistons he made for his NSX brakes; one £20 length of stainless and an afternoon on the lathe saved about £800

Gorgeous looking thing.

As a 12 year old I couldn't decide between an Espada, Ferrari Daytona, Maserati Bora, or V12 E-Type.

Hmmm, difficult. They're all best considered as garage jewellery as none of them are very good to drive. E-type is hideous, Bora is a joke, Daytona is OK at best, so that  leaves the Espada which was at least styled to look modern, seats four in reasonable comfort(it's a big car) and goes well. But the exotic Italian nature of the engineering and build is still a major put off.

Andy B liked his bora.

Yes, but the VW badge lets it down.

At least the VW Bora isn't 'a joke'.

That's just Nick.....He is a miserable old bugger at the best of times.

So.....VW Bora or Maserati Bora. Let me think about this.

To drive? Golf with a boot any day.

[STEMO]

That's why I've got a diesel astra. Pokey enough for me, 45mpg. I'd like to see what it cost to do 17,000 miles a year in your jag, and imagine the depreciation.....50,000 miles in three years...be worth about the same as my astra 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Bora at auction with a guide price of £160000-£190000.

You take the Golf with a boot, and I'll take the unreliable Italian.