adamdinat

The rear caliper brake line on my car is original and is frozen up at both ends. The caliper end is rounded off completely and the hose end is headed that way. You can feel the flare nut wrench spreading. I cut the line to move the trailing arme project along but still need to get these out. They have been soaked with penetraing oil for a couple of weeks. What other methods have you guys used to get these out? I do not want to be following this all the way up to the master cyclinder or buying a caliper.

mayberg

I heard a neat trick - use vise grips on the flare nut wrenches to keep them from spreading.

I destroyed the driver's side front brake line and had to replace it during my brake project - before I heard this trick. Good luck.

Others may mention using a torch to heat up the fitting also, but I don't have any experience with that.

LAvetteman

I say try some penetrating oil. I use AEROKROIL with much success. And as mentioned above try holding the jaws of the wrench with vise grips, or just use vise grips, the line is toast anyway. If that doesn't work replace the caliper, its probably due for it anyway. I know of a place that sells remanufactured calipers for $54.00 each, several of us here have used them. Send me an IM if you have any questions.

NHvette

:iagree:
Like Joey said - just get the vise grips right on the nuts - they should go.
Also, with the steel line trimmed right up to the nut, I've used a 6-point
socket with much success. This won't get a fully rounded nut - but good for a
slightly rounded one.

Another idea: If the vise grips can't grab the nut - then maybe you can file
or grind the rounded nut down to the next size hex (like 7/16) - then get a good
6-point socket on it. All else fails - maybe hammer a metric socket onto it.
What else are metric sockets good for ? :p:
:seeya