Expert: Roger J.M. Warrington - 1/5/2006

Question
Mr. Warrington:
This question is not exactly in your specialty, but was wondering if you could help me anyway.
I've got a 1979 Chevy El Camino...350 engine...in pretty decent shape. Interior's a little rough, but the engine only has 75,000 actual miles...it sat in a garage virtually unusued for several years.
Been having a problem with the brakes, so I decided to put new shoes on the rear wheels. Got a set of shoes, and when I installed them, I noticed that one side was worn down to the metal, but the other side was hardly worn at all. I looked real close, and noticed that one of the brake fluid bleeder valves is broken off...with most of it still screwed in. I've gotten a little "stripped screw remover" type tool, but so far have not had much luck getting the rest of the bleeder valve out.
Are there any little tips, etc., you might could suggest? I thought about maybe sticking a small electric space heater next to the wheel for a couple of hours, maybe letting the metal expand a little.
Any suggestions or advice you could give would be GREATLY appreciated.
Warm regards,
David Gardner
davidg32@yahoo.com

Answer
David
    As far as the brakes and the way that thay wore is due to improper adj. or a bad self adj.  I would replace the both rear wheel cylds. as thay will blow if thay are the orig. equp. or rebuild them.if you install new shoes in the rear and use the old wheel cylds. I bet that thay will leak bad or blow real soon. and as far as the broken bleeder if you do replace them than you will not have to worry about it, but thay do make easy out tools and at SEARS STORES thay have all of them to look at. but again I would replace them . OK ps I would change the oil & filter prior to even running the motor. the old oil is all broken down .