Front brake back plates - MOT

[chrisevans]

The orginal plates are nearly non existent . Is this an MOT fail if I remove what's left. The three screws are seized - I bought an impact driver and the bits are chewing up! Don't fancy drilling them out just yet.

[faggie]

just chisel the screws round no its not an mot fail

[nobbyfox]

I recently changed my discs (1990 Westy) and mine too were completely screwed, they fell apart in my hand!
So i removed them (had to chisel them off as screws were rusted solid)
I had Dotty MOT'd and was told they were were an MOT failure. She passed anyway.
So does that mean it is up to the discretion of the MOT inspector?
Very odd!!

[Ian Hulley]

I recently changed my discs (1990 Westy) and mine too were completely screwed, they fell apart in my hand!
So i removed them (had to chisel them off as screws were rusted solid)
I had Dotty MOT'd and was told they were were an MOT failure. She passed anyway.
So does that mean it is up to the discretion of the MOT inspector?
Very odd!!

IF they are there they have to be in good condition. If they are not there then that's fine. Sharp ragged bits that may get into the brakes or into passers by are what they are concerned about. Mine hasn't had them for years ... I would've replaced them but the screws are just totally unidentifiable

[California Dreamin]

I recently changed my discs (1990 Westy) and mine too were completely screwed, they fell apart in my hand!
So i removed them (had to chisel them off as screws were rusted solid)
I had Dotty MOT'd and was told they were were an MOT failure. She passed anyway.
So does that mean it is up to the discretion of the MOT inspector?
Very odd!!

MOT testers 'engaging their mouths before putting their brains into gear'
MOT testing is all about safety....removing the back plates does not effect the safety of the brakes. However, when I was faced with the decision I chiselled off the old ones and fitted a pair of Simons stainless steel ones.

Martin

[Ian Hulley]

However, when I was faced with the decision I chiselled off the old ones and fitted a pair of Simons stainless steel ones.

Martin

If there was any chance of salvaging the screws in our's that's exactly what I would have done too.

[chrisevans]

Ok I make get brave and do this properly . I have the shiny stainless backplates beckoning me on the bench . I guess the approved technique is to chisel the screws round with a bolster ( with heat?) and failing that to drill them out and re tap. And if all else fails leave them off.

[California Dreamin]

Impact screw driver in the first instance....

Martin

[DavidPallister]

All of my screws were either stuck fast or sheared off, so I intended to drill them out and re-tap, but as I drilled them, they all started to come loose and the remains wound out. I guess the heat generated broke the rusty bonds.
I still re-tapped the threads afterwards to clean them out, and fitted the new shields with grease all around the seating face, stainless button heads and copperslip on the threads.

[chrisevans]

Tried the impact screwdriver. I seem to be doing a good job of chewing up one of the bits so I paused for thought and inspiration from you guys! 4mm drill next.

[chrisevans]

Go these out using a bolster hitting one side of each screw. In the end the loosened pretty quickly - however 1 snapped and the bolts supplied were a little too long. Something I realised when the first one became thread bound. And when I reversed it to remove it snapped ! Aargh

[DavidPallister]

Bit late now, but shoulda run a tap down the holes to clean out the threads, good engineering practice

[chrisevans]

I agree but it wouldn't have stopped the bolts being too long! That's the reason the got stuck combined with my heavy handed ness with the ratchet