Rounded Head on Flare Fitting
06-23-2009, 05:59 PM
#1
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Rounded Head on Flare Fitting
I was installing my new line lock for my 97 Z28. I used a 12 mm flare wrench to try to take off the front brake line from the master cylinder to the ABS. Well needless to say, I rounded off not one but BOTH of the damned fittings. I am at a loss. How can I get these bastards loose?
06-23-2009, 06:53 PM
#2
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Location: Little Rock, AR
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06-23-2009, 07:36 PM
#3
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Thanks as always shoe! I'll give it a try!
06-23-2009, 11:30 PM
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06-24-2009, 07:56 AM
#5
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Location: Austin, TX. USA
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I devised a method some years ago to deal with flare fittings. End wrenches don't usually cut it and flare wrenches aren't that much better. I took a box end and a cutting wheel and cut a big enough hole in the box that I could get the wrench over the line and then put a big pair of vice grips around the box to hold the thing together while I cussed, levered, beat on, wrenched it off. It worked and didn't hurt the nut either. Some heat really helps there as well. Check out the layout of the parts for best angle before you decide where to do the cut on the wrench.
06-24-2009, 10:54 AM
#6
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Location: Little Rock, AR
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I devised a method some years ago to deal with flare fittings. End wrenches don't usually cut it and flare wrenches aren't that much better. I took a box end and a cutting wheel and cut a big enough hole in the box that I could get the wrench over the line and then put a big pair of vice grips around the box to hold the thing together while I cussed, levered, beat on, wrenched it off. It worked and didn't hurt the nut either. Some heat really helps there as well. Check out the layout of the parts for best angle before you decide where to do the cut on the wrench.
A vice-grips over a regular flare nut wrench might work, too.
06-24-2009, 11:28 AM
#7
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Location: Austin, TX. USA
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There's always more than one way to skin a cat. A vice-grips over a regular flare nut wrench might work, too.
06-25-2009, 08:14 AM
#8
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Update.
I managed to get them off using a combination of a couple of things.
First, I soaked the nuts with what little Sea Foam Deep Creep overnight.
I went to Sears on my lunch break & purchased a set of metric Craftsman Extreme Grip wrenches. They are basically designed to grab the sides of fasteners that have been rounded off on the edges.
I also purchased a new LockJaw pair of locking pliers & a new can of PB Blaster.
When I got home from work, I sprayed the two nuts with PB blaster & let them set for about 30 minutes. I then started with the nut on the ABS unit first since it was the easiest to access. I used the 12 mm Extreme Grip wrench. With little effort, the flare nut broke loose & I was able to get it off. Nexted I tried the same method with the flare nut on the master cylinder. This was much more difficult due to the fact that the line to the rear brakes was very close to the flare nut I wanted to loosen. The Extreme Grip wrenches have to go on a very specific way or they will not work. I could only get part of the wrench on the edge of the nut. When I tried to break the nut loose, it just rounded off the very edge of the nut. Nexted I tried the LockJaw pliers. I set the clamping pressure to as high as I could close. I locked the pliers onto the nut & gave it a turn. With a little effort the nut broke loose & I got the line off. I installed the new line lock & solenoid shortly thereafter. Only thing left is wiring it up. Hope this writeup helps anyone who experiences this problem in the future. Thanks for all your help folks
I managed to get them off using a combination of a couple of things.
First, I soaked the nuts with what little Sea Foam Deep Creep overnight.
I went to Sears on my lunch break & purchased a set of metric Craftsman Extreme Grip wrenches. They are basically designed to grab the sides of fasteners that have been rounded off on the edges.
I also purchased a new LockJaw pair of locking pliers & a new can of PB Blaster.
When I got home from work, I sprayed the two nuts with PB blaster & let them set for about 30 minutes. I then started with the nut on the ABS unit first since it was the easiest to access. I used the 12 mm Extreme Grip wrench. With little effort, the flare nut broke loose & I was able to get it off. Nexted I tried the same method with the flare nut on the master cylinder. This was much more difficult due to the fact that the line to the rear brakes was very close to the flare nut I wanted to loosen. The Extreme Grip wrenches have to go on a very specific way or they will not work. I could only get part of the wrench on the edge of the nut. When I tried to break the nut loose, it just rounded off the very edge of the nut. Nexted I tried the LockJaw pliers. I set the clamping pressure to as high as I could close. I locked the pliers onto the nut & gave it a turn. With a little effort the nut broke loose & I got the line off. I installed the new line lock & solenoid shortly thereafter. Only thing left is wiring it up. Hope this writeup helps anyone who experiences this problem in the future. Thanks for all your help folks
Last edited by METALBEAST; 06-25-2009 at 08:17 AM.
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