Found a line that my Wright line wrench wouldn't budge

[philw]

Used a 10mm on an ****** wheel cylinder line. Used PB blaster and heat and it wouldn't budge. It finally slipped and rounded the fitting off.
I had to use my universal line wrench........vice grips. It came off but I tore up the fitting so bad I went ahead and bent a new line.

For the people with the Snap-on line wrenches: Have you ran into a line where the Snap-on slipped?

Keep in mind this is a 10 year car that has been in Ohio all it's life.

Never had a problem with the Wrights before but have never used them on something that was this tight.

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

Not a cylinder line, but a bleeder ******- I rounded one off with a snap on tool made for this.

-BWP

 

[tatra]

the owner of a local brake shop here swears by his gray flare nut wrenches over the sanpons that he returned because they were'nt up to the task........and i beleive him as he's been doing for 40 years.........

 

[caper]

If it's in Cape Breton and it's older than 5yrs I doubt there's a line wrench made that will turn the nut without heating and cooling the fitting.I can look out my door and see the North Atlantic.I was doing brake line recalls on 3-4 yr old windstars at ford when I worked there and the lines wouldn't come out without cutting the line out of the way and using a socket on the fitting.It's just life around here.

 

[srmofo]

Im in dayton, oh and I see lines all the time that wont budge. I can get most of them out with a little heat and wax, but I still round a few. The best is when they're frozen to the line, so after its broke loose, you unbolt the wheel cyl and turn it instead of the fitting just so you dont have to replace a line.

 

[caper]

Turn em red and then pour cold water on them.If they won't come out that way they will never come out.Usually after being cooled down they crack easily with the wrench and then you can turn them out with your fingers.It's standard practice up here for any brake lines more than 5 yrs old.

 

[lbgradwell]

Turn em red and then pour cold water on them.If they won't come out that way they will never come out.Usually after being cooled down they crack easily with the wrench and then you can turn them out with your fingers.It's standard practice up here for any brake lines more than 5 yrs old.

Yeah. I'm from Mt. Pearl, NL (just outside St.John's) where you're subject to so much snow and salt you're lucky your car exists after 5 years, much less your brake lines.

 

[caper]

Yeah. I'm from Mt. Pearl, NL (just outside St.John's) where you're subject to so much snow and salt you're lucky your car exists after 5 years, much less your brake lines.

Yep,I know just what you mean.Dad's old family farm is in Outer Cove,just outside St john's as well.You know it can't be good for the car when you drive down the road on a dry day and you have to wash the windows to get rid of the salt build up.

 

[Toolhorder]

Wow you poor guys....I'm in CA. we don't experience that at all. I feel bad for guys working in places like this that have to do these jobs under warranty.

 

[Danglerb]

How does the salt get into the threads?

I think aluminum just welds itself to aluminum over times etc., but I didn't spend the money I did on all Snapon line wrenches for no reason, they have some meat.

 

[caper]

When the salt gets mixed with water it acts like a penetrant,amazing what it will do sometimes.Anywhere the salt will lay after awhile it looks like it has had acid on it.I routinely knock chunks of scale of the structural components of our aerial devices.None are more than 8yrs old.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I use my 6" pipe wrench for this kind of thing.

 

[philw]

That's kind of what I thought. I never had any problems with the Wright wrenches until then. Looks like I will probably not worry about getting the Snap-ons. I was able to put a lot of force on the wrench before it slipped so it must have been doing it's job fairly well.

I will measure it and make sure it didn't spread.

 

[justinmc]

That's kind of what I thought. I never had any problems with the Wright wrenches until then. Looks like I will probably not worry about getting the Snap-ons. I was able to put a lot of force on the wrench before it slipped so it must have been doing it's job fairly well.

I will measure it and make sure it didn't spread.

I've got S/O's and I swear by them.. but when something is that frozen I agree that there probably isn't alot you can do.

PS.. seems like everytime I've done brake work on an ****** it proved to be a PITA. Could be Fords choice of metals! haha..

 

[caper]

I've got S/O's and I swear by them.. but when something is that frozen I agree that there probably isn't alot you can do.

PS.. seems like everytime I've done brake work on an ****** it proved to be a PITA. Could be Fords choice of metals! haha..

Probably more to do with the ****** being a Mazda with a blue oval on it.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

Use snap ons... they are great.........

 

[Kev442]

I put a rear brake line on a '93 this weekend, so throw some pity my way too! It actually came loose at the rear hose, but where the line went into the 16 year old aluminum block, the wrench slipped a bit. Stopped and cut it flush and put a 6 point socket on it, came right out. If the flare wrench doesn't pop it right away these days, I quit before I round it off and start swearing.

 

[xroad]

I found this after I chewed up the nut. Would this have help? It grabs only 3 sides, although only one lobe and two sides, it would grab the three side a lot tighter than a flare nut wrench.

I wish I had known about the flame heat the nut and shock it with cold water. Would have saved me lots of trouble.

 

[rhandwor]

Sometimes if they are rusted to bad you can switch to a US size that is slightly smaller.
Maybe even a full metric size.

 

[Art From De Leon]

I doubt if the Vise Grip tool would have helped. What happens a lot of times is the nut rusts to the line, and once the hex starts to turn, it twists the line, so you wind up equally fked.

I will admit that I am predujiced against ALL Vise Grips in expecting them to grip and hold anything without chewing it up, or rounding off the teeth on the jaw.

 

[Frosthy]

Smacking your palm against the wrench instead of tugging on it will usually help break a nut loose vs. rounding it off (even with the Snappy wrenches).

But then again I live in FL and the only salted cars we see are from the Quebecers that live on Hollywood Beach for six months a year and never wash their cars...

 

[Steven67fr]

I personally like the old "A. Plomb" line wrenches... where clearance allows of course. Although I only have 3/8-3/4 in size. Their head's are so tight and fat, and there 6 point. They seem to get the absolute most contact a line wrench can. I've never had a problem with anything slipping. Although I'm in sunny socal...

 

[oldldh]

Salt???

Rusty cars???

What's that???

Snow and Ice????

 

[srmofo]

I found this after I chewed up the nut. Would this have help? It grabs only 3 sides, although only one lobe and two sides, it would grab the three side a lot tighter than a flare nut wrench.

I wish I had known about the flame heat the nut and shock it with cold water. Would have saved me lots of trouble.

Those work great but if the line is frozen to the fitting heat and wax are your friend

 

[NHBandit]

If I'm dealing with a rusty 10mm fitting I will often grab a 3/8 line wrench instead since it's slightly smaller & less likely to round off the fitting. If the line is getting replaced I cut it off right next to the fitting and use a 6 point socket.

 

[CWP1616L]

Used a 10mm on an ****** wheel cylinder line. Used PB blaster and heat and it wouldn't budge.

Was the line heavily corroded?

 

[volaredon]

How does the salt get into the threads?

I think aluminum just welds itself to aluminum over times etc., but I didn't spend the money I did on all Snapon line wrenches for no reason, they have some meat.

its more the inside of the fitting, where the line "rust-welds" itself to the fitting

 

[volaredon]

If I'm dealing with a rusty 10mm fitting I will often grab a 3/8 line wrench instead since it's slightly smaller & less likely to round off the fitting. If the line is getting replaced I cut it off right next to the fitting and use a 6 point socket.

yup. I often find myself drilling the remnants of the line out from the fitting on the new line since often the therads are different than standard store bought brake libe fittings, and adapters mean more joints and more potential leak points.

 

[Midman914]

Those work great but if the line is frozen to the fitting heat and wax are your friend

I'm just curious where the wax comes in? I've never heard of this process. What type of wax is used and how does it help free a frozen fastener?

 

[ndoran]

I have the snap on and gray wrenches and after 5 years of driving on winter roads here in Canada the likelihood of a brake line coming apart is slim. Even with a torch it is iffy at best. Normally the line and the fitting have become united as a single piece of ****. I normally just cut em off and make up a new line - faster and less effort.

 

[monster1]

Wow you poor guys....I'm in CA. we don't experience that at all. I feel bad for guys working in places like this that have to do these jobs under warranty.

Yeah, we do have great weather that we are blessed with. But we make up for it in taxes and political correctness!

 

[9C1]

I found this after I chewed up the nut. Would this have help? It grabs only 3 sides, although only one lobe and two sides, it would grab the three side a lot tighter than a flare nut wrench.

I wish I had known about the flame heat the nut and shock it with cold water. Would have saved me lots of trouble.

The way that Vice-grip works is to tighten it down enough to flex the B-nut. Try it cold & then with some serious heat. Do it on several sides if you have the room. If you are lucky that flexing breaks the rust bond on both the line & the threads. If you are not lucky -- oh well, back to the start.

Terry

 

[gtermini]

I have hit some really bad ones on farm equipment, especially combines, where the nut sat under a pile of **** and fused to the thread. I use my Snap-On flare wrench crows foot socket on an extension with the impact wrench. Hasn't failed me yet.

Greyson

 

[twostall]

Those work great but if the line is frozen to the fitting heat and wax are your friend

I'm just curious where the wax comes in? I've never heard of this process. What type of wax is used and how does it help free a frozen fastener?

He may be referring to a method I've used to get frozen exhaust manifold studs out of an engine block. When heat alone isn't enough, heat the stud and touch a small birthday-cake sized candle to the threads. Capillary action ***** the paraffin into the joint and it turns out like it was new. Never tried it on a brake line, though.

 

[rodm1]

I started to put wheal bearing grease around the bleeder screws after a brake job it seems to help.