Help me find the right tool for a job please...

[Wangstang]

I replaced the brake lines on a C20 truck and the front lines pass through the frame rails. The soft line connects to the hard line, just on the inside of the frame rails.

There is a female port threaded into the soft line frame end fitting that the chassis hard line screws into and you then insert the soft line fitting into the frame rail.

The frame rails have an opening that's cut/stamped to fit the hex shape of the soft brake line's frame end fitting, which prevents the line from rotating.

The soft lines have a clip on the outside frame rail face of the frame end fitting which prevents the fitting from passing all the way through.

The outside of the soft line frame end fitting is threaded and you tighten down a low profile, stamped steel, 15/16" nut which captures the fitting in the frame rail by pulling the above mentioned clip against the outside of the frame rail as this stamped nut screws down against the inside of the frame rail. You have to have said nut already on the hard line, on the inside of the frame side, when you start the install.

Sounds easy enough right?

Well it is except for that 15/16", low profile, stamped steel nut that's on the inside of the frame well.

The frame is stamped at an angle, there are other lines in the way, the frame rails are narrow and angled in that area. There's no room for a standard or stubby 15/16" wrench in there to tighten the nut down. I was able to get them pretty darn tight by hand but I'm pretty sure one side could use a 1/2 turn more and the other side could probably go a full turn.

Since the hard line is coming out of the fitting, you can't get a socket in there. There's no room to turn the hard line in after you install the soft line, so that's not an option.

What I'm thinking may work is a 15/16" 12 point crows foot wrench with a notch cut to pass it around the hard line, or 15/16" line wrench type crows foot if such a thing exists. Due to the confines of the space a 3/8" drive would probably be required.

I could then install a short ratchet extension on the crows foot which would allow me to put a ratchet handle on the crows foot and turn the nut with the ratchet handle outside of the frame rails.

All of that said, is there an easier way to do this that I'm overlooking or anther tool/special socket already out there for this job? Hell, are you supposed to just get this nut hand tight and call it good enough?

Thanks
Wes

 

[spotco2]

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/PROTO-Flare-Nut-Crowfoot-Wrench-1FX47

 

[Delray]

Will an open end fit if you heat and bend it, or cut and bend an old box end? Or will a plain open end crow foot fit? I've got a box of junky wrenches that have been bent, twisted and cut for odd problems.

 

[Wangstang]

Will an open end fit if you heat and bend it, or cut and bend an old box end? Or will a plain open end crow foot fit? I've got a box of junky wrenches that have been bent, twisted and cut for odd problems.

I strongly considered that. A good 15/16" wrench isn't all that cheap, even a decent craftsman is in the $20.00 out the door price range. As I mentioned, I do think an open end crowfoot would fit.

I was hoping there would be something like the low profile oxygen sensor sockets out there in 15/16 but I can't find anything in that size.

Wes

 

[Delray]

Yeah I don't mean for you to cut up a good wrench. 50 cent flea market stuff is what I use. Can you get in with long needle nose pliers? Those wire nuts don't need much torque not can they take much. Can you remove the outer clip, adjust the nut, then force the outer clip back on for a good tight fit? It's hard to give you good advice without seeing what you are up against but I know some of these goofy little things can be aggravating.