Author Topic: Breaking break lines...loose (Read 5390 times)

Trimster · « **on:** September 16, 2007, 08:00:42 am »

My org. breaklines are getting scary so I have a new set of SS lines on the bench. The connections on the old ones are way tight/stuck. Ideas on how to break these babies loose without breaking/rounding off the old fittings?

burn_your_money · « **Reply #1 on:** September 16, 2007, 08:02:46 am »

vise grips

BlackTieTD · « **Reply #2 on:** September 16, 2007, 02:07:17 pm »

tap them nice with a hammer, spray some pb blaster on them and tap them some more and repeat if you'd like. then try to loosen them the next day after you hit them with the pb blaster again. vice grips for sure if they are rounding off.

bvolks73 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 17, 2007, 03:22:12 am »

If I'm replacing the steel lines and it doesn't look like they're going to come apart easily I just cut the line so I can use a 6 point 11mm socket on it.

somolovitch3 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 17, 2007, 04:25:08 am »

A set of tubing wrenchs comes in handy.

FineFrank · « **Reply #5 on:** September 17, 2007, 05:39:17 am »

I use a propane torch to heat up the nut (the line usually gets hot, too) and let it cool. If the tubing wrench begins to round off the nut, I stop and use vise grips.

burn_your_money · « **Reply #6 on:** September 17, 2007, 09:26:05 am »

If I'm replacing the line I usually just start with vise grips. New fittings are less then $0.50 each so I always replace them.

Trimster · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2007, 05:46:07 pm »

Ok.... it's stuck so hard that the vice grips have ground the 11 mm side to nothing left to grab on to. I tried my mini-tourch... no help. If I cut the metal tubing side of the line, I still can't get the fitting apart so I can reuse the line mount on the inner side of the wheel well. It's always amazed me that this part of the breaking system(s) are so poorly designed and it remains decades later.

I'm not sure what to do now. I have the same problem with all 4 lines.

bob

BlackTieTD · « **Reply #8 on:** September 23, 2007, 04:30:09 pm »

did u try the pb blaster and tapping them with a hammer?

Trimster · « **Reply #9 on:** September 23, 2007, 05:08:01 pm »

So job done. PB stuff and tapping with hammer led to mini torch and vice grips which lead to Dremmel and cutoff wheel. I just cut them off, got new fittings and reflaired the tubing. 34 yrs of stuck-together just was not going to come apart.

Thanks all for the input. Nice stainless lines now gleam in the wheel wells.

BlackTieTD · « **Reply #10 on:** September 24, 2007, 08:25:31 am »

wow never had to go that far personally and we get salted hard up here in the winter. SALT lake is right! glad it worked out :mrgreen: