# Record 10 front brake repair: seeking advice



## ryoanji (Mar 1, 2016)

I managed to accidentally strip tension adjustment screw on Campy Record 10 front brake. It is BR-RE011 part on the diagram. I have already placed the order for a new one and it should arrive in a few days. Meanwhile, I thought I would seek the advice of wise and experienced forumites on performing the repair, given that it would be my first time working on campy brakes. Any words of wisdom to share in assembly / disassembly? Something that I should watch out? Many thanks in advance!


(I recall when I first disassembled 6500 ultegra brakes, bunch of small pieces went flying all over the place


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

Watch out for BR-RE012 popping off & getting lost.

Are you sure it's the screw & not the caliper arm, that is damaged?

Even if it is the screw, there's a high risk the female thread in the caliper arm may have also cross-threaded.

offhand, i dont know what that metric thread size is, but i would get a standard hardware store metric screw and gently (hand-only) insert into the caliper arm to check & make sure the screw goes in smoothly. 

If the standard metric screw binds and the caliper arm is damaged, repair becomes problematic. A metric tap to re-thread the arm may or may not succeed, if there's insufficient thickness remaining on arm.
A helicoil insert could work, dont know how readily available small metric sizes are, and demands some skill to properly do it.


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## ryoanji (Mar 1, 2016)

Thank you *tom_h* for advice. At the moment, I think it is only "hex socket" threads (where you insert 2mm hex key to center) are damaged / stripped. I wasn't paying attention yesterday and kept unscrewing adjustment bolt when it was completely out. Oh, well. 

So I hope that once I get the brake off the bike and remove break spring (carefully watching that BR-RE012, as you suggested!) I should be able to access the other side of the bolt and remove it from there. 

It is very interesting, there are numerous posts, videos and threads of shifter repair but pretty much nothing on brakes, are they so dead simple to service? At least, I couldn't find much


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## hfc (Jan 24, 2003)

I don't recall specifically taking apart Campy 10 brakes, but I've worked on older models many times and the springs on these aren't as problematic as say, a front derailleur spring or shifter spring. I wouldn't sweat it too much as long as you have the diagram to put everything back together.


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## ryoanji (Mar 1, 2016)

Thanks! That is reassuring to hear. We will see next weekend how it goes.


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## ryoanji (Mar 1, 2016)

So, I am in the middle of the repair right now. I removed the big spring, and now most likely I will need to dremel the slot in the head of BR-RE011 to get it out. There is no way I can unscrew it from the other side. But here is the important ? (actually 2!)

1. I was very careful and caught BR-RE012, so here all is good! But also, as I removed the spring, another little plastic "part" fall off from somewhere and I couldn't even find it on diagram! It is tiny about 2mm x 3mm, has circular "base" and domed "nib" sticking out of it. Could someone suggest where it should be? (please see pictures below, on the bottom one it is the leftmost piece)

2. I also "discovered" that there is a second tension screw - BR-RE018 on the other side. That one is also super tight, to a point I am afraid threads are binding. I should be able to complete unscrew it "out" to outside to grease it, right? That is what diagram shows. (I don't want to have another stripped thread!)


Thanks a lot for all your advice!


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## ryoanji (Mar 1, 2016)

Ok, small update. I figured out where that little piece was going. The bad news is that I can't get the "stripped hex" one out! I dremelled the slot on its head to use flat head screwdriver, tried putting WD40 and PB blaster and yet I can't get it out! I still don't think screws are cross-threaded

What would you recommend me to do at this point? Anything can be done to save this caliper?


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

Are there any shops that do EDM in your area? Electrical discharge

It may be pricey if they can do it, but I don't know. If affordable, and can be done on this small scale, it can remove the screw without harming the caliper.


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## ryoanji (Mar 1, 2016)

Thank you, I just looked up EMD. It is definitely not LBS type of job. I am in bay area (east bay), so I think I should find someone, whether it is economical I don't quite know. 

One thing I was wondering if I can drill a whole through hex socket and "weaken" the screw and then get it out this way?


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

ryoanji said:


> Thank you, I just looked up EMD. It is definitely not LBS type of job. I am in bay area (east bay), so I think I should find someone, whether it is economical I don't quite know.
> 
> One thing I was wondering if I can drill a whole through hex socket and "weaken" the screw and then get it out this way?


Maybe with a drill press and quality bits and easy outs, but that is basically what EMD(thanks on correction) will do. It burns out the center of the screw, up to the parent metal, brake arm, and then pulls out the screw threads magnetically. At least that's how they did it when I had it done on a hardened bolt that I managed to snap off on an automotive part years ago.

It'd probably need to be a short stiff drill bit so it won't flex and drift off the screw into the aluminum brake arm. I wouldn't try without a vice to hold the brake arm steady on the drill press table.


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

The BR-RE018 screw is used to fine adjust the centering of the caliper arms with respect to the wheel rim. It makes one arm move closer to rim and other arm further, or vice-versa, depending on which way you turn the screw.

BR-RE018 can be a bit stiff, but should not feel like it's "stuck". I would resist the urge to remove it. As a general lube for that screw, just to keep it from galling or seizing, perhaps apply a drop or two of a penetrating oil & let the oil seep in overnight.

re your original problem w/ BR-RE011 screw, pretty much what velodog said. Don't let anyone try to drill out that screw "free hand", it would almost certainly damage the alum alloy caliper arm.

BTW, I retract my previous comment of resorting to a helicoil insert, if the caliper hole threads were damaged. There might not be enough solid alloy remaining in the arm, since helicoil requires drilling oversized hole. You wouldn't want the arm to weaken and fail :-O proceed with caution.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

In reality, the screw could most likely be left as is, just spend a little more time manually centering the brake as if the centering screw was never there.


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## ryoanji (Mar 1, 2016)

*tom_h* and *velodog* thank you very much for all your help! I didn't realize that my brake adjustment last week-end will turn into such a ordeal. I will try to get screw drilled out in the shop. We will see how that goes. If that won't be possible I will treat my front brakes as "single pivot" 

p.s. on close inspection, I also noticed that the bolt with a set screw that keeps brake caliper centered is cracked where set screw comes in (in the picture it is pretty much at the bottom). My understanding is that one can't get this part separately, only the whole front bolt assembly. But even then, I can't seem to find anyone who stocks them, and it might be economical at the end to just buy a used front caliper off ebay.


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