Gator81

I want to replace my front brake flex lines. They're showing some cracks, and that makes me a little nervous. I didn't have any problem getting them loose from the calipers, but the fitting where the flex line meets the hardline on the frame is a different story.

The flex line has the female side of the fitting, and the flare clamp nut is on the flared hard line. Using a brand new flare hex wrench, I can feel the nut begin to deform from the excessive torque I'm putting on it... it's within a whisker of rounding off. And it still won't break loose. :(

Normally, on stuck threaded fasteners, I'd use some Liquid Wrench, and a few cycles of heat/cold with my little plumber's propane torch. But I'm a little bit fearful of putting flame on a brake line, especially at that fitting on the p.side of the car which is next to the fuel line. :eek:

If I round off or otherwise goober-up that nut, then I'm looking at replacing the whole hard line - not attractive at all.

Ideas? Thanks! :flag

verskel

Yeah - "pray"....

When doing my rear susp. + brakes, I replaced the rubber hoses.
Well, one of the hoses cracked the fitting when it was tightened ! :eek:
So after :cuss ing up a storm, I used a pair of vise-grips to break it loose.
Very ugly & a real pita to work with.....
However, my lines were replaced, so I wasn't worried about the nuts at the ends..... :crazy:

C3 Shark Tank

Make sure you are using line wrenches for this job. You should be able to break them loose by putting a line wrench on each nut, maybe some WD-40 or PB Blaster too, just take your time and when you get frustrated just walk away for 30 minutes.

jerryp58

"Normally, on stuck threaded fasteners, I'd use some Liquid Wrench"

That helped with some of my fittings. I cleaned everything off as well as I could later and figured bleeding a little extra brake fluid through the lines would clean everything out.

"If I round off or otherwise goober-up that nut, then I'm looking at replacing the whole hard line"

There's always vice grips. The greatest tool invented after the hammer :yesnod: One of the nuts on my car was already rounded off but the vice grips were able to break it loose. Just be careful not to tighten too much and deform the nut/pipe.

Good Luck.

mayberg

Replacing the front lines isn't near as big a deal as the rear lines running between the frame and the body. If you ever do a body-off, think about putting in stainless lines.

I roached out the front driver's side line. That's probably the best one to break, since it's the shortest one to fix. And the fix wasn't all that bad. I suppose the one on the passenger side (which I was successful in NOT destroying) would be my next choice to have to change.

kayak

We must have been swearing at the same exact moment, as I rounded off the nut on my drivers front steel brake line as well.

I was int the process of doing a caliper swap and I figured that since I was going to change the rubber hose, and now that I've messed up the steel line, that I might as well change the entire brake line -- so I headed for the proportioning valve and attempted to loosen the brake line from there...wrong. Started to round off that nut as well.

It's soaking in PB Breaker now and I'll attempt it again after a week of spray/soaking. Headed out to JD Corvette and picked up a "slightly used" spring wrapped brake line -- the nuts on both ends are pristine -- for $14.00.

Geesh, all this from a simple caliper change out...and don't even ask me about that broken bleeder screw in my NEW caliper. What a pain it the tuckuss..

Good luck with your nut and I hope your weekend project doesn't turn into the 2-weekend fiasco that mine has become.

jyounane

I've found that there are big differences in flare nut spanners. The Snap-On ones are genuinely better, they have a larger faces where the nut is gripped and the spanner does not deform at all. I've destroyed many flare nuts with other brands.

Even a deformed flare nut can sometimes be removed with a Snap-On flare nut spanner. I have had no problems since using these. BTW, I don't buy any other Snap-On tools, just flare nut spanners.

I wonder if others here have had similar experiences with flare nut spanners.

Joe
69 427L36 M21 3:08 Coupe

Chris69

Same problem on mine. Bubba had tightened it so much that it was pre-rounded for me! I had no option but to use vice grips then replace the hard line. Wasn't a big deal since it was the driver's side.

Go-Gone

I had the same problem last fall. The nut didnt round off, but the line itself
twisted as the nut was frozen to the line. This was the passenger side. I ended up replacing the line. It really was not a bad job at all. Good luck

UKPaul

Hi Gator,
I've got a set of braided lines that I've been putting off fitting for 5 months in case I run into the very problem that you're having :)
The post on using a Snap-On flare wrench is spot on target. Have you tried tightening the nut 1st? Another trick, if you can't use heat, is to grab a can of freezer spray. I've had some success with before.
B4 trying anything I'd cover the thing in penetrating oil repeatedly for a week (while you do all those other jobs ;) ) & pray that it soaks in enough to unsieze the threads.
If you get really stuck & all else fails, what I've done in the past (& it shouldn't be too bad here as it's fairly soft metal) is to choose the most graunched up flat on the nut & carefully use a file (small & fairly fine) to file the flat off of the nut. The trick is to go down as far as possible without damaging the thread underneath. This can take some time (beer is good!), but when you next get the vice (vise?) grips on it the metal should be so thin & fragile that it will split & help free the lot up.
Good luck (I'll be doing the same thing soon :( ),
Paul

Gator81

One other possibility I've been considering, but that no one else mentioned (which makes me wonder if it's just too dumb), is to go ahead and get the blasted nut out of there regardless of the damage, as long as the tube doesn't get crushed. Then cut the bare minimum off the end of the tube to allow the goobered-up nut to come off (probably about 3/16"), put a new nut on and reflare the tube. Now, I've flared lots of tubing, large and small, so I'm not scared of that; it's easy. Problem is, there's so little room to operate in there next to the frame that I'm not sure I could get the proper flaring clamp on the tube... :confused:

R. Bruno

I agree- not much room in there to work. I think I would soak with PB Blaster, use vice grips if necessary to loosen and retighten and, if all else fails, replace the line. I know it looks like a PITA but it may be the only way. At least you will have a brand new, rust-free line. Of course other fittings may be frozen when you go to change it and it may turn into one of those "while you are at it" jobs leading to all new brake lines up front which is a good thing. Please don't ask me how I know this scenario so well. :jester

SmokedTires

I recently installed the front SS braided brake hose on the front of my car and ended up ordering new brake lines for the front because of not being able to separate the hose fittings :rolleyes: .

Desertvette

The last one i had this problem with I had to heat the fitting on the flex line with a propane torch after soaking with knockerloose. You don't have to get it cherry red. Just heating for 10 -20 seconds should do it. The heat expands the parts and sucks the penetrant in.
Now expect the penetrating oil to catch fire and have a large towel ready to smother the flame. It would'nt be a bad idea to have some water ready just in case you need it. LOL
Bob

UKPaul

Hi Gator,
If you've got the correct flaring tool then you could really goober it up & not worry. Doesn't the brake line unbolt from the chassis to give you room to get the tool in?
As Desertvette said, heat is best & it doesn't need to get very hot. Have you got some old sheet metal that you could bend/cut/jiggle to protect the surrounding areas, while you get the flame-thrower on it? Sorry, I meant the small controlled flame :) If you can get some freezer spray (or even cold water) as well, then heating it & suddenly cooling it repeatedly while it's covered in penetrating oil, will hopefully do the trick.
Let us know how you get on with it!
Good luck :)
Paul
p.s. Just what is knockerloose?!!

mrvette

3 methods...heat, vice grips, and a CP711 air chisel...to just vibrate it's teeth a bitn not cut the damn thing up and ruin it...
after that, just replace the lines....damn DOT3-4 fluids using DOT5 will eliminate the problem....

GENE

jerryp58

"reflare the tube"

These lines are double flared, right?

Ybnormal

My current front end problem also. Buba had really screwed mine up, I soaked for a week, tried the file to straighten out the flats and a new flare nut wrench and no luck. So out came the saws all and I cut them right against the end of the flex line. Going to remove the lines take them to the shop and have them install new fittings and reflair the ends. I'm just hoping there is enough line left to reach the new rubber lines. If anyone has tried this before and it didn't work I would like to know before I have these reworked.

YBnormal...drive a vette

Fleetwood

Brake lines have to be double flared,to take the excessive pressure.I have had success with wrapping a thin piece of aluminium around the nut,then clamping it as tight as possible with vise grips across the nut faces,nine times out of ten you will get away without damaging the nut.

burners

Heating with a torch worked well for me, that would be my recommendation.