Help Needed re: Brake Line Between Caliper and Flex Hose
 

I'm trying to replace my rear rotors ('84 3.2L). Both nuts at either side of the hard line (caliper side and flex hose side) are not budging, even with copious amounts of penetrant. Even though I was trying not to twist the line, I think I've sufficiently twisted it so that replacement will be necessary. What's my next move here? Thanks!!

See if you can break the connection where the soft line connects to the tunnel hard line. If you can, just replace the soft lines and the short hard lines from the soft lines to the calipers.

Are you using flare nut wrenches? They make a big difference. If you are and they are still not budging then I would suggest destroying them and getting new ones - both the hard line at the caliper and the soft line between that one and the main hard line.

Thanks!! I was able to get a flare nut wrench on the flex hose connector and I got the thing apart. Will need a new hard line, but lesson learned. Much appreciated.

I use a hydraulic shop around here. They've custom made hard brake lines for me.

For new hard lines, I decided to use the nickel-copper lines and a hand flaring tool to make them. Turned out great, and I never have to worry about corrosion in the lines. I replaced all the external hard lines on my car this way.

I thought our host used to carry little pre-bent bundy tube hard lines with new fittings. Or most auto parts stores sell various straight lengths of bundy tubing with new fittings on each end. Or failing those options, you can make the little hard lines with a cheap flaring tool (you want to make double wall flares for a brake system).

just did all four corners and most were frozen. Penetrating oil the heat solved the issue.

If using heat, cover everything up, safety glasses gloves mask...., or detach/cut the hose somewhere?

I've had good luck with the rubber hoses until last year on my vw. What a nightmare, ended with blowing up the soft line with too much heat, what a sound, believe it or not, it freed the fitting. This was after trying for days with marginal heat, etc.. poor quality flare wrenches that were worse than not having one at all. I think I dremmeled a small non-metric size, then cut a decent wrench, in the end it exploded and the shock wave seemed to have freed things up, the fitting then seperated with no effort. Dangerous without safety equipment. Still, a small amount of heat seperated the hard line from the fitting so it wouldn't twist. That was the easy part.. This was all using an oxy/map very fine torch, as in I could hit the coupling dead on.

I have the new hoses for the 911, dreading this simple task. Hopefully won't take days of finessing. ..

Phil