replacing hard line fitting?

[206er]

I stripped out one of the nuts that connects my hard line to the soft line. Yes, I was using a flare wrench. it was corroded pretty badly, and required so much torque that I was afraid I would twist the hardline. ended up getting it off with vicegrips :wince:
what is the standard procedure/tools required to change the nut? I imagine it goes like this:
cut flare off of hard line, cutting as little material as possible
remove old nut
put on new nut
flare the tube
who sells flare tools? how will I know what size flare to use? how much do they run?
are there self-flaring fittings?

[vrg3]

D'oh, that sucks.

Yes, I believe you have the procedure right.

Maybe NuwanD can chime in with information on where he got his stuff when he replumbed his car's brakes. And maybe he can correct me if I got any of the following wrong:

You need a 45-degree double flare tool meant specifically for brake lines. It shouldn't be too sensitive to size. I would imagine most auto parts stores would either sell or be able to order one. You can also just search online for "double flare tool" or something like that.

I think Nuwan recommended using a Dremel with a cutoff wheel to cut the line rather than just using a pipe cutter... Something about it being ridiculously hard to deburr it if you use a pipe cutter. I dunno, though... wouldn't it be hard to get the cut precisely perpendicular with a cutoff wheel?

The flare nut you need will have M10x1.0 threads. This is the "extra fine" pitch, so don't just accept "M10 fine." Make sure the pitch is 1.00mm.

After you get the line reflared, I'd try using brake fluid pressure to help push any residual chips or filings clear. Get a friend to help by pressing the pedal when needed, and you can put on a glove and partially cover up the pipe with your finger to increase pressure. It'll be messy, but it might help keep your caliper healthy.

[WRXdan]

Next time remember..heat is your friend. I don't atemped to get those lines apart without heaitng them.

[NuwanD]

you guys have it figured out pretty well

the reason for using the cut-off wheel is that the pipe cutter tends to work harden the hard line to the point that it will not flare well if at all... if you do use the pipe cutter you'll need to file the edge to remove the hardened mass... also it is really important to make sure the edge of the line is cut perpendicular to the sides... also use a little oil on the end of the line as well as the anvil of the flaring tool to prevent binding... when in doubt practice on a spare piece of brake line until you can flare without trouble... you'll want to get it right on the car 1st time out... or else the line will get shorter and shorter with every attempt

you'll also need to make sure that you have at least 1.5" or so of straight hard line to be able to put the flare on the end... you'll need that length for the width of the tool as well as the flare nut (remember it goes on before you flare the line ) this means you may need to bend the hard line a bit to get everything done, but they do tend to bend quite a bit without issues

i don't believe there are self-flaring fittings... sure wish there were .... you'll need to use the proper "die" for the first flare... it'll be marked with the size line it is used for (3/16") in our case.... use that to do the 1st flare, and then use the 45degree anvil on the tool to complete the 2nd flare

good luck on the job:)

[206er]

I dont have very much straight hard line before it turns, maybe 1" at most. will this cause a problem with forming the flare? Im not really visualizing the tool.
I dont plan on using a pipe cutter due to the thinness of the tubing, too easy to crimp it, and the flare makes it impossible to get the blade on anyway. just going to dremel it and clean it up with a fine file.
if it comes down to redoing the hard line completely I may just ditch the damn abs...

[Legacy777]

Is the nut still in tact & turnable with a vice grips / channel lock pliers? If so, just put the new brake line back on, and tighten the nut down with the channel locks.

One of mine was a little stripped when I put the SS lines on.....I just used a pair of channel lock pliers to loosen & tighten the nut.

A trick to getting these off is to make sure the hardline sits in the mount point so it keeps the line from twisting while you wrench on it.

[206er]

thats what I have been doing, except it was leaking so I used some teflon tape. I did this maybe 3 months ago, it hasnt leaked at all but i wanted to redo it the right way. I dont really wanna go half ass with my brakes any longer.

[vrg3]

Maybe the best way to go is to actually replace the hard line...

Which wheel is it?

[206er]

right front
if Im going to replace the hard line, off goes the abs.
off to search for that thread now...