I am getting off my butt and finishing the braking system on my Rabbit. I was going for the quicker-back-on-the-road button of not replumbing all of the brakes now and just replacing the flex lines and moving to the next part of the car. My lines are not corroded, but there is enough rust locking the line connections together to make the torque required to break the fitting loose higher than what the little soft hexes can handle. I am rounding these little hexes:
Is there an easy button to get these apart, or do I just have to bite the bullet and replumb the car for AN -3 and AN -4? For reference, none of the calipers use my original factory connections and neither do the new master cylinders. I know replumbing to AN is long term something that will happen anyway, I have just stalled out and am looking to build momentum back. I don't mind buying temporary parts if it means I build momentum faster, and while I don't have a lot of budget, good brake line tools are not cheap, either, so a "cheap" fix now and pay more later can still fit the budget.
Thanks
Get a flare nut wrench, that will maximize your chances of removal without damage. And you can buy pre-flared lengths of brake line at auto parts stores, it's an inexpensive way to replace damaged ones.
Heat and a high quality flare nut wrench. Not some cheap flexy Chinese wrench either.
In reply to Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) :
The only Snap-On/Blue Point tools I own are a torque wrench, brake flaring tool and flare nut wrench. These are three places where quality tools make a significant difference.
Okay, I will get a nice flare nut wrench. 7/16" on order from Snap-On. I own very few Snap-On tools (the ratcheting screwdrivers are nice, but somewhat irrelevant with rechargeable equivalents, these days). I do have a small handful of small tools that can be expected to see abuse that are Snap-On, though, so I will buy them when I think I need them.
Thanks guys. I will let you know if that does it for me or if I have already buggered them a little too much.
I will see if I can safely get heat on any of it, but some of it is pretty close to undercoating.
On a Rabbit, 11mm seems more plausible than 7/16". They're close but not identical.
If they're already rounded and relative easy to remove, I'd be tempted to replace with some pre-flared lengths.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
I agree that 11mm seems more plausible, but my calipers said right about .440 on cleanish flats. If it wobbles I will do 11.
The 11 is also another 2 weeks of backorder and the 3/8-7/16 will (I hope) be the right tool for some -3 stuff.
If you're going to replace the lines anyway - even with hard lines - cut the line off at the hex and use a 6 pt socket on it, they'll come right out.
A little heat and penetrating oil will do wonders as well. Big plus one on the tube wrench or cutting the lines and using a socket. I have a full set of metric and SAE wrenches that is worth the cost.
If you are making your own lines, go back with copper-nickel lines and flaring and forming them is a breeze.
So multiple Snap-On wrenches on hand (the crow's foot flare nut wrenches have the heaviest wall and are the cheapest for single sizes).
I have lines that are a little rounded to the point of having to use a small hammer to tap the wrench on. It still slips with almost zero torque. Next step is seeing what I can lay out using pre-flared lengths from the FLA.
If I can do a decent job with pre-flared, I will, if not, then expensive tools and copper-nickel lines.
Thanks for everyone's help.
MiniDave said:
If you're going to replace the lines anyway - even with hard lines - cut the line off at the hex and use a 6 pt socket on it, they'll come right out.
that's some flat-rate magic right there. +50 internet points to MiniDave.
In reply to matthewmcl and Keith Tanner:
7/16" = 0.438"
11 mm = 0.440"
and that difference is enough to berkeley E36 M3 up.
In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :
I'd bet you would see more than .002 variation in a handfull of nuts and wrenches, but every little bit counts. I think the biggest factors are butter soft 38 year old fittings that have been exposed to salt and have been removed and reinstalled before (front, 25 years ago, with whatever tools I had as a starving college kid)
Reusing the old was going to be a band-aid anyway, so I might as well do it right, instead.
Small curved Vise grips.
Tap with hammer.
+2 for heat. If you get into the habit of heating BEFORE you round it/break it, you will smile more and swear less. I learned this in the body shop job after school in college. Bought my own blue wrench. Single best expensive tool EVER.
Favorite story:
Working on a friend's e46 m3....dropping exhaust. Heated nuts on manifold. Friend said, "Welcome to another episode of 'That's F***ing Amazing'".
If you're worried about stray flames, use thin sheet metal to make a cylinder to protect surrounding areas. Or a wet rag.
X2 for a good set of vice grips clamped HARD on the flats being better than a flare nut wrench. Its also better to jerk them loose rather than slowly apply pressure I've found.
I have been slowly pulling these off as I work out lines. 1 of 4 to go. So far cutting the line and hammering on a good 6 point socket worked for one. The other two have required the dremel as the slightly rounded hexes smeared to cylindrical with the 6 point.
It is funny to see the exposed threads so clean with just surface corrosion on the exposed bit. The fittings on the car really can't handle any torque.
I am going to follow the advice here and heat the last one since it is in an area I can shield.
I am very happy with the pre-flared lines I have been buying, so I am a little glad I could not make the old stuff work.
