Tips on getting a stuck brake line nut free...

[mudski]

I just went and picked up a Sidcrome split ring spanner and some Inox. No one had Penetrene so I will soak the bejesus out of it over the next few days and only hope it comes free.

[Rumcajs]

I just went and picked up a Sidcrome split ring spanner and some Inox. No one had Penetrene so I will soak the bejesus out of it over the next few days and only hope it comes free.

Brake fluid itself is far superior for rust related seizures to anything else. Just avoid painted surfaces and plastic, LOL

Good soak and a little bit of heat (with heat gun not oxy) applied will help. Having split ring spanner is great help.

Regards

[pearcey]

mudski
this is the best tool to use on frozen tube nuts
The split ring spanners are great but they can still round the nut off even top quality snap on.
These Vice Grips are fantastic and will usually screw the nut apart without damaging the hex.
These are small enough to get into some tight places and once you have cracked the nut a split spanner is then used. As said above brake fluid is the best anti freeze. 2014 655.jpg2014 656.jpg

[Punderhead]

Try squeezing the nut 90* around from the sides you had the spanner on. Being a thin nut, they can egg shape easily, and bind up just like that. Squeeze it back round, and then use your split spanner.


Or it could jest be rust.

Cheers

[doka404]

just been through a similar job of replacing my brake lines and if I had used a normal spanner it would have rounded them off. My mechanic mate gave me two tips..:

1 - use the pipe spanner (split ring)
2 - don't try and just turn the nut, chances are you will round it off...put the spanner on square and give it a whack with your hand to crack it.

Every single line that I though was going to be a disaster and not come off..came undone straight away doing it this way.

[mudski]

mudski
this is the best tool to use on frozen tube nuts
The split ring spanners are great but they can still round the nut off even top quality snap on.
These Vice Grips are fantastic and will usually screw the nut apart without damaging the hex.
These are small enough to get into some tight places and once you have cracked the nut a split spanner is then used. As said above brake fluid is the best anti freeze.

That tool would be perfect but there is f.a room to use that. its hard up, or pretty close too, the chassis rail.

I'm just soaking the nut everyday until I get around to doing it. Hopefully next week sometime... I will try to crack the nut, if it doesn't work I will have to leave it and try to get a new nut and flaring too and cut the line. I really don't want to do this as its in a bitch of a spot.
We'll see...

[BigRAWesty]

So the one you trying to undo is the solid to rubber??
There have a clip on then to hold them in the bracket.
I'd remove the clip and manipulate the join out of the bracket.
Then 2 vice grips, pour a fill can of freeze and release onto the male part and turn.
If this fails. Find a brake bloke why has a flairing tool and new end, cut the tube right behind the nut and insert new nut and reflair the end. Above the chassis you'll see a coil in the solid line so the loss of the 12mm won't be the end of the world

[mudski]

Yeah Kallen its the rubber one on the bracket. Problem is, its almost impossible from the top to do anything without removing half the engine, and the from the bottom, its too far up too lie on the ground and reach up. I will soak it and give it a few cracks first to see if I can loosen it. If not I will get a new nut and flare the line. I just don't want to be caught out on the day. Because if i do, i have no wheels to go get anything I need. I know eventually it will come undone. Just how much damage to the nut will be done on the way. If I manage to loosen the nut with vice grips or something and stuff the nut. If I can screw it back up again using the vice grips I will, damage pending. As it will never need to come off again.

[pearcey]

mudski old mate.
There is plenty of room to get the vice grips on as the grips are only 120mm long, but you will have to release the pipe from the bracket as the bracket will twist when you go to undo the tube nut. Also if you undo the bracket from the chassis you can bend the pipe down to a more accessible area. The reason I have these vice grips is I specialized in brakes and clutches for 45 years and i found that they were the best tool to release frozen tube nuts as they very rarely damaged the nut.
Chers and Beers Pearcey

[mudski]

Yeah it looks like I will have to take the pipe off the bracket. I just was trying to avoid doing that and accidentally twisting or bending the brake pipe and making things worse. Shite like this happens to me when have to get things done by a certain date.