Brake Hoses

[GreenMachine]

Hi,

Im trying to fit braided hoses and cant disconnect the old rubber ones from the sold hose at the front. Iv managed 1 side, it went pretty easy, but cant do the other side. Iv soaked it in WD40 and am using a brake spanner (11mm) but its stuck so hard Iv started to round the bolt on the hard hose off.

Does anyone have any tips??

(Havent started the rear ones yet, so they could be just has bad)

[GreenMachine]

Well, I kept trying and made it worse. Iv ended up splitting the rigid brake pipe. Where can I get a replacement. Its the front nearside rigid break line for a mk2?

[Nate]

go to your local motor factors and buy a roll of copper or cunifer brake line (£6 - £10), a bag of connectors(<£5) and a brake flare kit (£15 - £20) and you'll have enough to replace all the pipes on the car. the fare tools are easy to use once you get the hang of it. worth practising a few times first though

[GreenMachine]

Thank you, I found the everything you said.

Im still struggling getting whats left off tho. Iv tried mole grips and thats just chewed it up even more. I think im gonna have to grind it off. Iv had a go at the rear ones and they seem to be just as stuck. Any ideas before I end up chewing those up aswell??

[markh]

I know its alot of hassle, but it is much easier to drop the rear beam to get to the rear hoses, just be very careful undoing the beam mount bolts !!

[Nate]

if you're going to replace the solid line anyway, just whack it off just above the nut with a sharp cold chisel and a big hammer, then get a 6 sided socket on it.

for getting the rear ones on and off a set of 6 sided crow foot spanners is your friend

get ones like this http://images.toolspot.co.uk/Spanner%20 ... -Set_3.jpg which will grip the nut nice and firm

not ones like this http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Images/DB ... 172644.jpg which will just round them off

couple of extension bars and uncle bob

[GreenMachine]

Is the fitting 11 mm or would an imperial measure be more accurate. When using a 11mm brake spanner, there was a little movement, but 10mm was too small.

[Nate]

normally either 10mm or 11mm. it's probably just either that the nut has rusted, so isn't the size it was when it left the factory, or it's a cheap spanner that isn't particularly accurate. if you're junking the pipes anyways, just whack the pipe off with a cold chisel and undo the remaining nut with a 6 sided socket