The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline brake line problems

on the return trip from the coffee shop this morning a was rolling up to the light and discovered that the brake pedal went to the floor. not a good feeling.

i've tracked down a new master cylinder and decided that i should replace the flexible brake lines (they're the original lines) while i was into it that far. problem is i can't get the hard line, where it comes through the fame, and the flexible line apart. i've cleaned and brushed and soaked with everything i've got around and it will not budge.

any suggestions???

i don't want to ruin the hard line ends if i don't have to so any thoughts one and all might have would be appreciated!

thanks!

Are the flex lines leaking? If not why replace them? Will the new MC have a booster? Do you have vice grips? You might have to replace that hard line. I don't know what vendor sells less than a full set of preformed lines but that's what I would do if I couldn't break it loose.

First off are you useing a tubing wrench? If not, it is a must. I agree you don,t want to damage the fitting. That just creates a bunch more work. Sometimes you can remove the retainer clip & pull the hose away from the frame far enough to get a better angle on it with the tubeing wrench. If a tubing wrench won,t do it, you have to cut the hose close to the fitting so it will get air & heat the fitting to a slight glow. When it cools enough to not glow then loosen it.

Vice grip sells pliers made to fit a hex nut, I find that they work great for tube nuts that even a flare nut wrench won't loosen. You can get them at most any good hardware or home improvement store.

You may end up having to replace the hard line, don't take any chances with brakes.

Grigg

success!

i did get a set of flare nut wrenches (always wanted them anyway and this was as good as of an excuse as any). the nuts still didn't want to budge and i noticed the wrench was actually splaying apart at the open end while i was applying pressure. clipped a small vise grip over the open end, applied pressure and they all came loose with some convincing.

hadn't heard of the vise grip style flare nut wrench but it sounds very cool.

as far as replacing the lines. no, i didn't have any leaks, but the hoses are very weather checked, and i i said before, i'm almost positive that they are the originals. since i drive this truck daily and in the big city, i don't want to be wondering if one of those old hoses are going to "pop" at an inopportune moment.

better safe than run over a lexus...

thanks for your help/suggestions guys!

Good idea on the vise grip over the flare wrench. I could have used that a couple weeks ago.
I took a torch and heated up a couple of really, really stubborn fittings...when they cooled, they came apart pretty easily with line wrench. Just a small "Burnz-o-matic" torch did the trick, not a bit O/A outfit.

You should seriously think about a dual reservoir conversion. I blew through an intersection in a '54 Buick a couple years ago because I blew a rear wheel cylinder. No front brakes, and only one drum in the back because the other was well lubricated with DOT5. A car will NOT stop on one brake drum applied with the e-brake. Neither will a truck.

took me a full day to pry my undies out of the pucker.

-Brad

Heating brake hoses will cause them to blow up. Ask me how I know. Cut the hose before you heat it.