Club 80-90 Forums

Hi, just wondering if anyone has drilled out the three screws which hold the front brake splash guards in place. Any info on how it went would be appreciated. Thanks!

T25 1.9DG 1985

Mine were absolutely butchered but I managed to use a dremel and cut a slot in the top to allow me to use a flathead screwdriver to get them out. Plenty of Plusgas applied before trying to spin them. Best of luck

Thanks. I may try that but these seem to be rusted solid, I doubt that Hercules could turn them. I do feel that I'm looking forward to many hours with the drill.

I had success on one with a punch and hammer to unscrew it after the cross head disintegrated, and drilled out the other two with a battery drill, with moderate success. It helped that I had succeeded in unscrewing one, to judge the drill size and depth. Use too small a drill, and the results are more forgiving if you’re off centre, indeed you can sometimes unpick the screw in bits if you graze the thread. If you don’t go off centre, you can then go up in drill size a bit. Handy to have imperial drills too, to give size options.

Done a brake overhaul (fronts) last summer.

The backing plates were like biscuits and they fell apart around the bolts. I was concerned about getting the bolts out.

Your best friend with old rusty bolts is a blow torch and plus gas and wire brush (where nut and bolt).

Nothing would budge the bolts and I was dreading the worst as the heads became more and more mangled. Then I remembered my blow torch. Heated them up and got some pliers on the bolts and they popped straight out.

Never be inclined to rush out of frustration.

RogerT wrote: ↑08 Feb 2023, 22:44 I had success on one with a punch and hammer to unscrew it after the cross head disintegrated

Thanks for all the replies. The above did work on four of them, thanks a lot. I used a small cold chisel and hammered a small 'groove' into the shoulder of the screw and then tapped it around until it loosened enough to screw out easily.

RogerT wrote: ↑08 Feb 2023, 22:44 Use too small a drill, and the results are more forgiving if you’re off centre, indeed you can sometimes unpick the screw in bits if you graze the thread. If you don’t go off centre, you can then go up in drill size a bit. Handy to have imperial drills too, to give size options.

Yes you're dead right, I have drilled out larger snapped bolts on other cars, as you say by going up in drill sizes and eating it away. I have had to drill two of them out, which went ok, but whilst re-tapping the last one the tap snapped flush with the hole, so I have that problem at the moment.

Just for future info if anyone should stumble upon this thread, at least one of the splash guard holes isn't a blind hole, it goes all the way through. So, if you do drill the old screw out you can use a nut and bolt to secure it instead of attempting to re-thread the hole.

I used heat, plusgas, impact driver and patience.   One I had to drill out as the head snapped clean off so I just retapped it after drilling out the remains.

I have a devil of a time ordering parts, as it's a 1985 model, changeover year, I usually have at least two options to choose from. Anyone know please, how to tell which splash guards I would need as again there is more than one option? I can't compare with the old ones as there was nothing left aside from the innermost parts where the screws are. Thanks.

E D I T - ah, think I've got it, to suit either fixed or floating calipers, right? Bizarre how there are actually 4 different caliper types.

Dunno if this would help?

https://brickwerks.co.uk/t3selector/

DoubleOSeven wrote: ↑13 Feb 2023, 18:50 Dunno if this would help?

https://brickwerks.co.uk/t3selector/

I'll take a look at that, could be just the job, thanks very much!

The splash guards which I have bought don't quite fit, but they have tabs in them, just wondering am I supposed to bend these down, pull them forward or snap them off. All three methods look like it will make them fit, just wondering what I'm 'supposed' to do before I mangle them. Thanks!

I don't know, but I'd be slathering them in paint before you fit them. I need new ones too, got a wheel bearing job in the near future.

Have you got the correct version of disc shields.?

There are early, and late varieties.
To match the early and late hubs, callipers etc..

Early brakes use the little rectangular brake pads and often double-pistons

Later brakes use longer curved brake pads and a sliding caliper.

UPDATE -

Those look like the early 79-85 shields.

But I note from another thread that you have an 85 van with later suspension components.