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Suggestions please on problem brake line

MoparGuy68

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I’m trying to remove the single piston floating calipers from my car, so I can send them off for restoration.

Service manual says to first disconnect metal brake line from the hose. Which I successfully did on the driver side. Passenger side is NOT wanting to budge. The fitting nut on the metal line side was already partly rounded off (from wrenching on it before I bought the car). It looks cheaper than the same fitting on the driver side which I had no problem disconnecting.

Unfortunately, I only have two good made in USA Craftsman flared tubing wrenches, neither is 3/8 size. So I bought a set of flared tubing wrenches from Home Depot, Husky brand. These are not as good as my Craftsman wrenches.

I am not able to loosen the threaded fitting without further rounding off the nut with Husky wrench. I tried one of my good adjustable wrenches and that’s slipping on the nut as well. If I go full force with the Husky or the adjustable wrench, I’m certain I’ll completely strip the nut, totally rounding the corners.

Any suggestions on how to get this partially stripped nut to loosen? I was thinking maybe to use a pair of small vice grips. Worst case is I cut the brake line above the fitting, then I’ll have to replace the entire brake line, or remove this line from the car and take it someplace to have the end re-flared.

I need to disconnect the hose from the caliper, and It looks like I cannot turn the nut to loosen the hose from the caliper end without first disconnecting the flared metal line from the other end of the hose that I am having a problem with..

The driver side fitting came loose with the Husky wrench, which now has the red plug on it. You can see the partly stripped nut I’m having problems with on the passenger side.

This is blocking me from removing the caliper. Any suggestions of how to get this partly stripped nut to turn would be most appreciated!

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Don't waste time trying to "save it" Just cut it and replace it. The brake system is the one thing you don't want to cut corners with.
Brake lines are a consumable parts, in other words they don't last forever. They wear/corrode from the inside out.
Just a couple hundred dollars to replace all the metal lines with new ones. Best to also replace all 3 rubber lines. You are rebuilding the calipers for the same reason aren't you ??
Use new fluid from a sealed container when flushing the brake system. Replace the fluid every 3 years or sooner if the car sees a lot of braking.
Brake fluid moisture content testers are just a few dollars.
 
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Some lube like pb blaster and vice grips.
You can also file it down to get square edges and then find a smaller size wrench even metric if need be.
 
Loosen hose at caliper, unbolt caliper, spin caliper while holding flex hose...if enough room.
 
When I have felt that my line wrench is not fitting close enough on a nut or fitting and is in danger of rounding, I take a pair of vice grips and clamp down on the jaws of the line wrench tightly and then break it loose before unclamping it. Even higher quality, but slightly loose wrenches will conform tightly to the nut when a set of vice grips is clamped on them. I don’t remember rounding off a nut since I started doing this.
 
I've found that the higher dollar Snap On wrenches have a tighter tolerance than my Craftsman units. Whenever I start rounding off with the Craftsman, I pull out the SO's.
 
Another thing that works is to give it an impact.
Put some pressure on it with a wrench or grips and then a whack with a hammer maybe in inch or two from the nut.
 
Zip wheel it, use the old line for a pattern to bend a new one. Then clamp the nut in a vice and wrench the flex line off. If you were to save the fitting would you really want to worry it back in to another flex line and use it again?
 
Cut the rubber hose, send off your calipers and replace that hard line
 
There are vice grips made for that, it’s all I use anymore on 50 year old cars. They come in 4” on up. Get the 4”

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Different problem now.. I’m not able to budge the fitting on the end of the hose that connects to the brake caliper. This fitting is NOT rounded or stripped. I have two 5/8” flare line wrenches. Tried both of them. Even tried hitting one of the wrenches with a hammer. Can’t get it to move at all.

My thought was to try to get a piece of steel pipe that would fit over the flare line wrench to use as a breaker bar. Any other suggestions. If I remove the caliper first, then try to remove the hose after, i’ll definitely never get it off the caliper.

I assume the Craftsman wrench is the stronger of the two as it is older and says “forged in USA” on it. I’ve got to get these calipers off the car today. The temps will be back up to 100 tomorrow. I’m doing this project this weekend because we had a lot of rain recently and the temperatures have been below 80°.

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Agree with above. A little heat then use a dead blow on the wrench.
 
Going to try this 1.5’ long inside 1.25” pipe as a breaker bar, first. Found it today at Lowe’s.

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I would use a deadblow hammer before a breaker bar. The shock will help loosen the bond.
 
The breaker bar worked! It didn’t take much force using the bar to loosen the fitting.

Now for actual removal of the caliper. This is my first time, ever, removing a caliper..

Service manual says:
“Remove guide pins and positioners that attach caliper to adaptor. Carefully slide caliper out and away from disc and adaptor, while holding outboard shoe and lining assembly. Remove inboard shoe and lining from adaptor.”

So it looks like I leave the adaptor on the car, not removing it. Will I need to push the caliper piston away from the rotor before I can slide the caliper away from rotor and adaptor?

I don’t see any “positioners” installed between the caliper and caliper pin, like my service manual shows. There is no anti-rattle spring attached on the outboard caliper brake shoe either, it appears to be missing.

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Remove pins and caliper should just pull straight out
 
Remove pins and caliper should just pull straight out
Yes, I found that out a few minutes before your response. Pulled the pins out and was able to slide it off. Didn’t have my hand under the outboard shoe so it dropped down to the ground.

Thanks for your help guys! I have the driver side caliper removed thus far. Now on to the passenger side..
 
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