Before I Strip the Brake Line Fitting all to H$%$?

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dibbons

dibbons

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I always have nightmares when it comes to removing the upper end of the rear brake hoses. I have the correct flare nut wrenches and I extend them with pipes and stuff for more leverage. But once again, the smaller 3/8" fitting wants to round itself off before breaking loose. Any tips on how to successfully remove these challenging fittings? Photo is a little out of focus, but you know where I mean (usually in the same bracket as the tail pipe). Thank you.

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Little bit of heat. Just a little. Map gas will be fine.
When it comes to line wrenches, I try to use a quality one. Snap On, Mac etc.
 
Make sure the line fitting wrench is of good quality. Years ago, I had a Craftsman set but when I had a tough one, somebody told me to get Snap On. Worked like a dream. I’m not promoting Snapon, my story is from many years ago. My point is, make sure you have a wrench that fits very well.
 
SOAK it down GOOD with PBlaster or Sea Foam DeepCreep. Let it soak in for a good 24 hours. During that 24 hours, if you don't have one find a SNAP ON line wrench. They have flank drive that engages on the flats and not on the points. Lastly, if you feel that trying to round, get a pair of vise grips and lock them down tight on opposite FLATS of the flare nut. You want them really TIGHT, but not tight enough that they squeeze the flare nut down. I say all this assuming you KNOW to hold the nut on the hose side with "something".
 
I thought I was imaging things, but I guess I was right when noticing even a generic brand flare nut wrench "fits" loosely even when used for the first time.
 
Shouldn't be necessary to use a pipe for extra leverage, it's a small fitting, that while can be tight will round itself easily or break off. As Rob said, soak it with deep creep or equivalent first.
 
When getting off mine; I used heat, PB, borrowed a snap on wrench, but when it wouldn't budge after that I got a little hammer and just tapped on the end of the wrench and it broke loose just fine. tap LIGHTLY though and only if the previous methods don't work.
 
I like using a smooth-jawed vice grip and squeeze that fitting on each pair of flats a couple of times around, along with the penetrating oil soak. It will then usually break free.
 
My father taught me to remove the retaining clip, push the line through, and spin off the flexline. Usually works.
 
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Heat the holy piss out of it, hit with pentrant oil, and a back n' forth on the twisty twisty
 
jos51700 said:
Heat the holy piss out of it, hit with pentrant oil, and a back n' forth on the twisty twisty
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I gotta say be careful with heat. That flexible line there could go kaboom! It's happened to me twice and so far I'm lucky it just scared the crap out of me and nothing more. :poke: If the other end of the flexible line is disconnected, I don't think heat should be a problem though.
 
Cut the rubber brake hose off clean with the fitting.

Next take a terry cloth small wet towel piece, and wrap the brake line and keep it cool up to your fitting wrench.

Then heat the brake hose fitting cherry red. As soon as it's red, wrench them apart.

Like RRR says a pre-soak with PB Blaster does wonders.
 
About ten years ago I found myself in the same situation with another early Abody. I finally gave up and called a local mobile auto repair mechanic. While I kind of cringed, he just whipped out his vice grips and got it off.
 
If you use the smooth jawed ones, they won't tear up the fitting to where you can't use a line wrench in the future.
 
All flare nut wrenches are not equal.

My go to is slightly longer than most and grips real well.

Not snap on, though.
 
How about clamping Vice grips around the flare wrench to take up any clearance issues and not wreck the fitting? Just thinking out loud.
 
After dropping the rusty tail pipe for some added clearance, I ended up using advice in post #21 (vice-grips over "Autozone" 3/8" flare nut wrench) which broke it loose! (had sprayed PB blaster on there a couple of times previously) That thought had never crossed my mind in the past. I had contacted my local snap-on tool dealer previous to that experiment (but the forty minute round-trip drive to snap-on store gave me the impetus to try something else first). What gave me some hope is that the metal line is not factory and had been replaced somewhere along the line by a previous owner as can be seen in photos #1 & #2 (and that line wasn't all rusty like the majority of the rest of the vehicle).

I noticed the differential bolt holding the rubber hose secure does not have a vent. Don't know if the 7 1/4" differential vents through that bolt or somewhere else (Photo #3)

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Every one I've worked on vents through the axle tube bolt/vent nipple. I'd check my axle and pinion seals if I were you.
 
CFD244 said:
Every one I've worked on vents through the axle tube bolt/vent nipple. I'd check my axle and pinion seals if I were you.
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The later axle housings, as you can see in the last photo dibbons posted, vented through a slot in the housing, not through a vent bolt.
 
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