tool for brake line couplings
tool for brake line couplings
is there any better tool than the open 10mm spanner ?
The coupling is just getting rounded .......the coupling have been dry for some time (an ABS unit) but i've have done plenty of penetrant on it!!
The coupling is just getting rounded .......the coupling have been dry for some time (an ABS unit) but i've have done plenty of penetrant on it!!
- adam_rxturbo
- Junior Member
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- Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: westlake - east brisbane
you can get 'flare nut' spanners, which have like 3/4 of the circle with a gap just wide enough to slip over the brake line. They are the tool made specifically for the job - maybe about $5-20 from repco.
Otherwise what i have found, is that instead of starting on the bolt in the direction of un-doing it, go to tighten the bolt first. What this does is cracks the tension/corrosion in the thread, then you'll find that it winds off backwards with no hassle at all! And you are actually less likely to round the hex by tightening it before going straight to loosening it! Hope this helps - its helped me every time
Cheers
-Adam
Otherwise what i have found, is that instead of starting on the bolt in the direction of un-doing it, go to tighten the bolt first. What this does is cracks the tension/corrosion in the thread, then you'll find that it winds off backwards with no hassle at all! And you are actually less likely to round the hex by tightening it before going straight to loosening it! Hope this helps - its helped me every time
Cheers
-Adam
- adam_rxturbo
- Junior Member
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- Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: westlake - east brisbane
hahaha that just reminded me of something else - its probably best not to use a shifter - but if you can get a big enough one in there, you'd get more torque onto it compared to a little open end 10mm spanner. However if it has jsut as slippery of a grip, the greater torque will simply mean a greater rooting of the hex!!!
What i had just remembered is that if you are having trouble with one that has already started to round, is to use Vice grips!! Mixed with the tightening before looseing technique is unstoppable
Cheers
-Adam
What i had just remembered is that if you are having trouble with one that has already started to round, is to use Vice grips!! Mixed with the tightening before looseing technique is unstoppable
Cheers
-Adam
thats what I thought too, yep stuffed it up worse....but if you can get a big enough one in there, you'd get more torque onto it compared to a little open end 10mm spanner. However if it has jsut as slippery of a grip, the greater torque will simply mean a greater rooting of the hex!!!
hey thanks, "flare-nut" spanner, sounds promising, don't think I ever saw such things before, will have to enquire, I do like using the correct tool for the job
- adam_rxturbo
- Junior Member
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- Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: westlake - east brisbane
hehehe, yeah well if you've managed to round off the hex, the flare-nut spanner will also become useless - because it requires that hex to grab...
But all is not lost, like i said, if you get some vice grips on there, they should come loose without a problem at all. And in the past i've found that once you get the lines off, you can pretty easily beat/squash/whatever the hex back into place. For typical bolts i just squash the hell out of the flats in a vice makes the hex like new again! But i wouldnt go squashing the hell out of a brake line bolt hex - or else it would collapse. But im pretty sure you can restore the hex atleast enough to be usable again.
Also, remember not to do them back up desperately tight - ive seen that happen a lot, and it just multiplies the difficulty of pulling them off for the next person. Just think about it, they're only little bolts with small threads, nipped up firm is all you need
Cheers
-Adam
But all is not lost, like i said, if you get some vice grips on there, they should come loose without a problem at all. And in the past i've found that once you get the lines off, you can pretty easily beat/squash/whatever the hex back into place. For typical bolts i just squash the hell out of the flats in a vice makes the hex like new again! But i wouldnt go squashing the hell out of a brake line bolt hex - or else it would collapse. But im pretty sure you can restore the hex atleast enough to be usable again.
Also, remember not to do them back up desperately tight - ive seen that happen a lot, and it just multiplies the difficulty of pulling them off for the next person. Just think about it, they're only little bolts with small threads, nipped up firm is all you need
Cheers
-Adam
- BaronVonChickenPants
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- adam_rxturbo
- Junior Member
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- Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: westlake - east brisbane
- Subarooted
- Junior Member
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- Joined: Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:00 am
I wouldn't recommend doing that - sorry adam_rxturbo..... if you have buggered the shape of the hex then this means the steel has already yielded plastically and will not behave with the same strength properties as before. You'll proabably be able to do it up again - because tightening bolts generally requires less torque, but when you come to undo them again they'll deform on you again. Just get some second hand lines from a wrecker.And in the past i've found that once you get the lines off, you can pretty easily beat/squash/whatever the hex back into place. For typical bolts i just squash the hell out of the flats in a vice makes the hex like new again! But i wouldnt go squashing the hell out of a brake line bolt hex - or else it would collapse. But im pretty sure you can restore the hex atleast enough to be usable again
- adam_rxturbo
- Junior Member
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- Location: westlake - east brisbane
yeah, i understand what you're saying. And i did suggest not to do that to brake lines as they'd probably collapse. When explaining it i had typical bolts in mind, rather than brake line bolts. As the standard bolts are a lot tougher and can be pretty well squashed back into shape without much of any hassle - even under the torque of the rattle gun. Just something i've picked up along the way of my apprenticeship
But yeah, brake lines are a tricky business. They pretty much have to be done right the first time, otherwise you'll hit troubles for sure
Cheers
-Adam
But yeah, brake lines are a tricky business. They pretty much have to be done right the first time, otherwise you'll hit troubles for sure
Cheers
-Adam
Bought a set of pipe spanners about 8 years ago when I did my first subie conversion. Now I guard the mwith my life 8O
DO NOT BUY THE SUPERCHEAP 10mm version though. There is not enough metal on it to stop it flaring out under tough conditions.
The larger ones are ok as you'll only need them for AC pipes, but buy a good 10mm version though.
DO NOT BUY THE SUPERCHEAP 10mm version though. There is not enough metal on it to stop it flaring out under tough conditions.
The larger ones are ok as you'll only need them for AC pipes, but buy a good 10mm version though.
Current rides:
JDM GTII Touring wagon
88 RX Turbo Full-time 4wd touring wagon project - 97 Toyota Caldina GTT (turbo 4wd WRX eater:twisted:) - Hyundai Excel Rally Car:???:
Previous rides:
93 Legacy GT wagon - 85 RX Turbo Full time 4wd Touring Wagon - 85 GL AWD sedan
96 Toyota Caldina wagon
JDM GTII Touring wagon
88 RX Turbo Full-time 4wd touring wagon project - 97 Toyota Caldina GTT (turbo 4wd WRX eater:twisted:) - Hyundai Excel Rally Car:???:
Previous rides:
93 Legacy GT wagon - 85 RX Turbo Full time 4wd Touring Wagon - 85 GL AWD sedan
96 Toyota Caldina wagon
- adam_rxturbo
- Junior Member
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: westlake - east brisbane
yeah even the repco ones arent too tough - they're good for normal conditions. But if you get a lot of weight on them they snap easily - mainly the 12,15,17 ones i think... I cant remember which, but i know i snapped the bosses ones 3 times but the good thing about repco is instant replacement no questions asked.
I now have a snapon 10-12 one which costed me somewhere between $20-50 and you can practically jump on the end of it But repco ones should be a-ok for regular use!
Cheers
-Adam
I now have a snapon 10-12 one which costed me somewhere between $20-50 and you can practically jump on the end of it But repco ones should be a-ok for regular use!
Cheers
-Adam
yeah went to have a look at SUPERCRAP, for pipe bender and flaring tools...the stuff they got belong in a cheap plumbers hardware store - its for copper tubes only. Are they serious? Last time I checked brake/fuel lines are
steel.
Ended up getting a fragram set, looks nice, haven't really tested it real hard yet tho.
steel.
Ended up getting a fragram set, looks nice, haven't really tested it real hard yet tho.