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Does anybody know where I can get a brake bleeder screw for my '49 Custom 8? Three of my brakes have a two piece bleeder screw, a part that goes into the wheel cylinder and a separate nipple that screws into it. One of my wheels is missing the nipple part and I can't put a hose on it when I bleed the brakes. I've been to NAPA, AutoZone and O'Reilly's trying to find something that will work but none of them seat correctly and it leaks. Is there an equivalent Dorman part does anybody know? Thanks.

I am wondering if those nipples were something that was available aftermarket or maybe dealer. According to the 41-7 Clipper parts manual there was only a 10-32 screw and lockwasher from the factory and that was only to plug and keep dirt out of the hole. The 48-54 manual lists a single item bleeder screw that was used thru 54. I am thinking that is the common one piece screw with integral hose attachment. 1.0232 is the group number for the bleeder if you want to do more research.

While the wheel cylinder diameter is different between 21 and 22-23 series Customs I believe the bleeder screws are the same thread. If so that would be 3/8-24. There are a couple of options you could look at to accommodate a hose.

You could buy an aftermarket Dorman replacement bleeder screw such as this one or, you could buy a common aftermarket miniature hose fitting and thread that in place of your missing screw or nipple. I bought the aftermarket bleeder screws for another car and they worked fine in place of the factory item although you do need to watch the overall length. There are different sizes and I don't remember which one I bought. If too extreme a length difference, getting a hose or wrench on the bleeder could be an issue in the front.

With either suggestion, I would still suggest checking the thread sizes to be sure the 22-23 series is the same as the 21st. I replaced my 47 cylinders with Kanter repros. The original 47 bleeder screws were the type that originally had a screw plug. All the screws were missing leaving an open hole so if your nipple has been missing and the hole was open, you may need to clean and chase the 10-32 threads before the air fitting would screw in.

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Thanks for the info. The bleeder I have is exactly the same as the original in your photo. It has a male 3/8-24 thread and a female 10-32 thread. The Dorman 13901 bleeder that you linked to unfortunately didn't work, it didn't seem to seat properly and leaked. I had it in there pretty snug and I didn't want to strip anything. You say that it worked for you? Anyway, that brass fitting you linked to seems like the way to go, I'll just order one of those. Thanks again.

By appearance in the photos, the aftermarket replacement looks a tiny bit shorter so possibly the hex was bottoming out before the taper sealed tightly against the seat in the cylinder. If so, perhaps there are longer types available or maybe it can be machined a little by taking out some og the material from under the head.