Rear brake lines - rounded bolt at caliper

[TenaciousC]

Evening All,

Today I attempted to change out the rear calipers. Mercyfully I was able to disconnect the offside line reasonably easily, but the nearside line nut rounded off (although it did start to move). I retightened it and left it as I didn't want to go any further without consulting the Oracle.

What are my options now?

I assume I can replace the whole line from the caliper to the next joint, but I'm concerned that could be even worse, as the next joint is a flexisection that is difficult to get at.

I also looked at replacing the steel line with a copper line, and doing the relevant flaring. But I don't have any experience with flaring (and people say never do your first flare on your own car!).

Any advice on what to do next would be much appreciated.

Cheers

C

[Jamest5r]

Evening All,

Today I attempted to change out the rear calipers. Mercyfully I was able to disconnect the offside line reasonably easily, but the nearside line nut rounded off (although it did start to move). I retightened it and left it as I didn't want to go any further without consulting the Oracle.

What are my options now?

I assume I can replace the whole line from the caliper to the next joint, but I'm concerned that could be even worse, as the next joint is a flexisection that is difficult to get at.

I also looked at replacing the steel line with a copper line, and doing the relevant flaring. But I don't have any experience with flaring (and people say never do your first flare on your own car!).

Any advice on what to do next would be much appreciated.

Cheers

C

Take the whole line off and take it to a local motor factor and measure it, they will then put a bolt and flare on each end for you, then bend into shape using the old line simples :)

[M-R-P]

Were you using a flair-nut spanner? If not, go get one from halfrauds, there only about 4 quid and will grip 75% of the nut. You should be able to undo it easily.the other end of the hose is actually quite easy to undo. Soak it with WD40 and wire brush it. Then feed a spanner in to hold the nut steady on the solid pipe. Then use a flair nut spanner to undo the hose nut.

[Kingsford G]

Undo with a molgrips,cut the flared edge off,remove the old fixing,put new fixing on,borrow a flare tool and flare the end,piece of cake.

[TenaciousC]

Undo with a molgrips,cut the flared edge off,remove the old fixing,put new fixing on,borrow a flare tool and flare the end,piece of cake.
Ok. From what I have read, I need to make a bubble flare in the Steel Line. Does that require a specialist flare tool? I don't mind buying one if I have to.

Cheers

C

[nobananas]

None of the lines on an 850 are steel (well they aren't on mine !) but copper/nickel (stiffer and harder to work with than copper). Push comes to shove and as a last resort (I will probably get shot down for this !) if you can get the union to 'crack' but can't undo it because it's turning the pipe with it then unbolt the caliper, bend the pipe a little and spin the caliper off the pipe. Refit the same way and if you do resort to mole grips to crack the union, you could use them to tighten it, you are only damaging the nut part of the union, the threaded section is completely undamaged, had to do this a few times in the past when time won't allow renewing the union.

[M-R-P]

Spinning the caliper is how I fitted all my braided lines ;)

[TenaciousC]

None of the lines on an 850 are steel (well they aren't on mine !) but copper/nickel (stiffer and harder to work with than copper). Push comes to shove and as a last resort (I will probably get shot down for this !) if you can get the union to 'crack' but can't undo it because it's turning the pipe with it then unbolt the caliper, bend the pipe a little and spin the caliper off the pipe. Refit the same way and if you do resort to mole grips to crack the union, you could use them to tighten it, you are only damaging the nut part of the union, the threaded section is completely undamaged, had to do this a few times in the past when time won't allow renewing the union.


Happily the nut is turning independantly of the pipe. So how do I make a bubble flare in the nickel/copper line? Can anyone recommend a tool I can purchase?

Cheers

C

[Kingsford G]

Ok. From what I have read, I need to make a bubble flare in the Steel Line. Does that require a specialist flare tool? I don't mind buying one if I have to.

Cheers


C
Yes mate,look up on ebay for 1.

[nobananas]

Seeing as you won't be using it very often you can buy fairly cheap flaring tools like the one below.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Brake-Pipe-Flaring-Tool-Tools-Set-Heavy-Duty-Ridgid-/200517912018?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2eafcc85d2

Make sure the flexi is clamped off so you don't have brake fluid dripping everywhere and that the pipe is clean and dry where you clamp it in the tool. If you are making a female flare you will of course have to use the male flare tool first before using the cone to make it female and of course make sure you have the union on the pipe first !

[TenaciousC]

Seeing as you won't be using it very often you can buy fairly cheap flaring tools like the one below.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Brake-Pipe-Flaring-Tool-Tools-Set-Heavy-Duty-Ridgid-/200517912018?pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2eafcc85d2

Make sure the flexi is clamped off so you don't have brake fluid dripping everywhere and that the pipe is clean and dry where you clamp it in the tool. If you are making a female flare you will of course have to use the male flare tool first before using the cone to make it female and of course make sure you have the union on the pipe first !


OK thanks for the link. As I understood, I need to make a "bubble flare" rather than a single or double... (see below)

20995

Will the union nut work with a double flare? Sorry to keep asking silly questions but brake lines are important to get right :-)

C

[nobananas]

The 'bubble' flare is what we would refer to as a male and the double flare (so called because you have to use the tool twice) is the female. The unions do differ slightly, at the very tip of the union if you look in the 'hole' it will have flat sides for a male union (just like a cut piece of tube) but a female union will be machined with a concave 'v' shape (like someone has countersunk the hole with the tip of a drill bit). Also you will find some unions will be threaded right to the end others will have a unthreaded lead in (which is far more common). Just match the union up with the old one and you should be fine.