jcnel_evo8

iTrader: (2)

Hello All,

Got some pretty nice stainless steel (poly coated) brake lines the other day, and this last weekend was the time to put them on ...

Once everything was disassembled things went pretty smoothly (on the front), but I like so many others, rounded off the brake line nuts, USING the proper flare nut tools.

I put the left driver's front nut back on and into the brake line, because one I knew it was rounded, out came the vice grips, and I gingerly took it off as best I could .. cleaned it up, checked the threads and put it back on using the vice grips to torque them in.

However the pass' side I'm going to buy a new line for only 13.00 or so dollars. My question is ... what is the best way to loosen these elusive nuts? Are others having problems also installing SS brake lines?

There are a few ideas on using a brake line flaring tool where I can hack the end off, put a new nut on, and then reflare the end. It appears that Mitsubishi lines have a bead on the end of the line, rather than a flare of the tube. Can Mitsubishi lines be flared?

I have yet to do the rears, but am looking for advice on successfully getting the nuts off.

Comments welcome.

Thank you,

jcnel.

djh

What brand flare wrench? Craftsman is a minimum and I think I'm just going to bend over and get Snap-On. It's really important that the wrench doesn't spread at all. I clean around the fittings with Simple Green to get any grit out of the threads (let dry thoroughly). If there's any trouble I try to clamp the wrench with vise-grips. And a sharp rap with a hammer can sometimes break things loose better than a slow pull.

Dave

jcnel_evo8

iTrader: (2)

Was using some Allen brand flares.

Took the line already off the car (with a good nut on the ABS side) and put on the box end 12pt. and the flare wrench on the good nut, and tried to characterize the slop. Apparently the 12pt. boxed end has about 1/2 the angular slop than the flare wrench, which makes me wonder if I took a nice (Snap-On) 10mm boxed end and ground off a side to make room for the flare, that would work better than an actual flare wrench.

I've got rust penetrant on the rears now, and hopefully your sharp rap technique would work well also ... I think I'm resolved to probably trying anything, with vice-grips being the last resort method.

Anybody have any comments on reflaring lines?

Thanks

j.