Best heat shield material for small jobs?

[Stuartg1]

Not a bad idea

Wet the pad down too...

 

[mr haynes]

Mig glove my usual starting point for temporarily protecting stuff.

 

[Agroshield]

One of these with a wet towel behind it.

Just in case you want an alternative brand, avoid the Monument one. It is overlock sewn along the edges and whatever thread they use is not heat proof, so it melts and then the mat falls apart.

As above, dampening the mat helps a lot and also prolongs its life.

 

[Melvyn Best]

Definitely a case for an induction heater, as if you didn’t need more tools? Or possibly a piece of thick walled pipe over the bleed nipple with the flame down the pipe concentrating the heat on the nipple?

 

[Dapph2]

I have a need to make a small curved heat shield so I can get a torch on a bleed nipple without melting pipes, slide pin covers and abs wiring that is fairly close to the nipple...

I have 3mm stainless, 3mm ally, an assortment of mild steel and some 15mm copper pipe I can slit open and flatten, but it's very thin.

I have enough of all materials to make something as big as possible and curved to reflect heat away from anything that needs to stay cool.

Which is best option? The bleed nipple is about half inch from the feed hose and maybe inch from abs wires, 2 inches from the slide pin area that has white grease in the rubber end cap and caliper will be in situ at the time, although with wheel removed there's a fair bit of torch swinging space.

I feel ally will be the best? But I am wary of whatever I use radiating heat behind so I was thinking maybe 2 bits tacked back to back with a bit of an air gap to try and prevent this?

Could you use a big 20 oz gas heated copper soldering iron to transfer heat into the nipple?

 

[daleyd]

Could you use a big 20 oz gas heated copper soldering iron to transfer heat into the nipple?

Thought I’d wandered into the wrong forum for a second there….carry on

 

[dobbslc]

Good to know

 

[Turbo]

As mentioned, a leather welding glove soaked in water.

You could use a metal funnel or pipe to direct the flame. It would concentrate the heat on the nipple too.

But be cautious that you will be heating the caliper and you might heat the fluid and boil any water in it.

Be a good idea to bleed the caliper afterwards.

I guess you have a new nipple on standby? Be prepared to have to clamp off the brake hose and remove the caliper to drill out the nipple and retap the hole. It's very rare the nipple will come out without snapping. With the hole up the middle there's not much solid metal left on a brake nipple.

 

[BrokenBiker]

As mentioned, a leather welding glove soaked in water.

You could use a metal funnel or pipe to direct the flame. It would concentrate the heat on the nipple too.

But be cautious that you will be heating the caliper and you might heat the fluid and boil any water in it.

Be a good idea to bleed the caliper afterwards.

I guess you have a new nipple on standby? Be prepared to have to clamp off the brake hose and remove the caliper to drill out the nipple and retap the hole. It's very rare the nipple will come out without snapping. With the hole up the middle there's not much solid metal left on a brake nipple.

Bleeding is the only reason I want to free them up, although thinking about it now I may just buy new calipers anyway, save putting lipstick on a pig and flushing new fluid through and bleeding a crusty and probably original caliper, for the sake of 30 quid a corner I can get new.

I have spare bleed nipples at hand but don't think I have the right size bit for drilling.

I've had success getting them out with heat before, but always on a bench and (mostly) dry

Sod it, I'll buy new calipers and hoses for the back too

 

[Misterg]

I have spare bleed nipples at hand

Weld a nut to the old ones and turn them out. No open flames, and guaranteed(*) to work.

(* Probably - always has for me.)

 

[Kram]

If your bleeding it anyway, may aswell disconnect and sort it properly on the bench, low risk.

 

[BrokenBiker]

If your bleeding it anyway, may aswell disconnect and sort it properly on the bench, low risk.

But more risk of an issue getting the brake hose free...

Ive ordered new now anyway so will just change all of them and the hoses...I tend to put a spray of gt85 on the fittings themselves after installing and trying to remember to repeat every few times I jet wash the underside to try and keep them from seizing up in the future, seemed to work on my disco for the time I had it

 

[dobbslc]

I'll need to check the youngest's Mini hoses now as I replaced the caliper, pads and discs and one of the rear wheels is dragging a bit.

It never ends!

 

[BrokenBiker]

It never ends!

looking at the state of the hose ive just replaced i can only imagine that previous owner was the type to le tthe calipers swing while doing the pads...inner core was shot