I'm replacing my brake pads and rotors. On one wheel, the rotor screw came right out with my impact screwdriver using a T50 driver. On two others, I spent hours on each drilling the rotor screw, resulting in unusable screw holes. Which I don't care about that much, as it's the lug nuts that are the structural supports. I'm now on my fourth wheel, and I am not willing to reach for my drill and impact drill bits this time. I'm also not willing to run to Home Depot to Buy Yet Another Tool, as I'm not convinced buying another impact tool will help if my impact screwdriver isn't helping. WD-40 doesn't seem to do much. What can I do to get this screw out?

 

pb blaster?

 

PB and a long soak is what you needed (reapplication every few hours)... but that is not a help if you try to do the job in a few hours . . .

I've never failed to get 'em out ... but I'm patient .... lots of PB and a long breaker bar with steady pressure ... not a jerk .... like BBQ, ya need slow and low . . . (and btw, if using a hand bar, you need to use one hand to hold the socket to the bolt .... the socket likes to back out and then you can easily round the hole and things get worse . . )

others have used HEAT, but I've never had to go this far

PB = go to your local parts store ... they SHOULD know what PB Blaster is ..... a penetrating oil combined with a rust breaker .... there are similar products but WD-40 is NOT a substitute . . .

 

I gave up on one of mine ....
Brought it to my local independent MINI guy....
Him and his helper....a torch...lots of banging...an impact gun...slotting the head...20 minutes later it was done...wish I had just had him do the other one that I battled over like you...
At that point I said...just finish it for me...he laughed, and tossed on my rotors and pads on the front...
But then I paid him the full amount for parts and labor and did the rears early....
I realized, saving the $$ is not worth the hours it can sometimes takes with limited tools and skills in some cases...
Sorry I can't provide more help...but none of the options I looked at were pretty ...so I fixed it with $$.

 

I realized, saving the $$ is not worth the hours it can sometimes takes with limited tools and skills in some cases...

AMEN brother

In better than 10 years of owning a Mini (79) {vs a MINI} I believe an important lesson was determining when you crossed the line 'tween DIY and go to the shop!

 

I see my local Autozone has PB, so I'm going to start with that. :-)

 

Aero Kroil is the best penetrating oil I have used.

 

Sometimes stubbornness is not the answer!
Yeah...I tried PB blaster.2 days....finely rounded out the holes... then cut slots...still stuck...heat..nope.....the rotors were OEM...and had been on for 9 years!!
Still had the original pads...90,000 miles...but rears...got done. Pads and rotors (corrosion) for the 3rd time?!!! Yeah...lots of salt up here...but sold a rust free mini...guess I needed to wash the rims/brakes more in the winter!! Strange....I didn't burn up my brakes...guess I just took the curves like a madman!!

 

everythng the captain has said here has worked for me. the one time it didn't i had to use that steel weld stuff, weld a socket to the bolt and break it off like that. desperate times though

 

Speaking of breaker bar, how do I get the rotor to stay still? Do I need to put the old pads back in the caliper, put the caliper back on and set the parking brake? Or is there another way to do it?

 

Parking brake only locks the rears ....
You could always stand on the brake...or just put it in gear if the clutch is good....

 

I turn two studs back into their opposing holes then lay a hunk of re-bar that I keep laying around just for this purpose and wedge it against the two studs and the floor (I'm working on jackstands ....)

visually: %

the hub can't turn ..... (well maybe a quarter turn if you wedged the wrong direction for your pressure)

 

Great idea. Thanks!

 

Yesterday, I applied PB blaster several times over the course of the day. Today, I reassembled the old pads in the caliper, replaced the caliper, bled the brakes, set the parking brake (this is the last wheel I'm working on and it's the driver-side rear), slipped a steel pipe over my my ratchet with the T50 attached, and applied pressure with a slight bouncing motion. The rotor screw loosened with a crack. I thought at first I had broken something, but all I broke was the seize on the screw.

My only regret is that I didn't apply this method for the other two wheels that had this issue (one wheel did not). If there's a way to get the bolt remains out of the holes (they're a bit messier than broken-off screws), that would make it perfect. I'm not worried about it, though, as I know the rotor screw is not structural once the lugs are in.

Capt BJ, thanks for your advice. It helped. :-)

 

not sure what you mean by 'bolt remains' ... but if you want to clean up the threads you can just grease up the bolt and run it in and out a few times. Or get a tap and die set that goes up to the proper size and use that .... sometimes called chasing the threads
Note: when you put the bolts back in ... did you apply a touch of anti-seize? A lil dab will make these come out MUCH easier next time .... I also apply some around the hub where it meets the wheel ... I've seen wheels get really really stuck on the hub lip.

**************
and thanks for the thanks ..... I'm only here cuz I think I can help occasionally . . .

 

I did put a little grease on the two rotor screws I actually used.

The other two rotor screw holes don't even have solid screws in them any more. I made a mess. There are remnants of the threads stuck in the holes. I'm thinking if I want to clean them out, I may need a blowtorch or maybe a long soak of PB and some needle-nose picking. (On the rotor screw holes. Not my actual nose. Just to be clear.)

Now that I got it done, I took the Mini down my long driveway with lots of braking. No problems. Took it on the road. No problems. Now that I know what to do from now on, it really is easy.

I even shorted the pad sensors and got the warning light killed. I know what to look for from now on, anyway.

 

MINI .... not Mini

MINI next to a Mini ... different . . .

 

I'm glad you've gotten them out.

For others that might stumble across this thread, I find that the bolt sticks out the back of the bearing slightly so try to shoot the back and get the treads that are exposed as well and when reinstalling use high heat anti seize. Regular grease will just melt out and I don't think it will help much after a couple of years.

 

When you say "impact screwdriver", do you mean the type that you hit with a hammer? If not, it's a worthwhile add to the toolbox. I don't use it very often, but it's saved me on a couple of occasions. You do have to be prepared to give it a mighty whack though.

 

I was actually a stickler for spelling MINI correctly until it seemed like nobody else cared, so I gave up. And now I know... it's not just me!