Disconnecting frozen/rusted brake lines, how to without destroying?
I'm planning to do the brake rebuild on my 69 over the next few days. I have already sprayed the wheel cylinders & brake line fittings with PB Blaster to try and help unfreeze them. This car has been sitting inside since 1976, not driven at all so the lines are pretty much fused to the wheel cylinders. I have done many of these type brake rebuilds over the years but sometimes ruin the lines in the process while disassembling, I want to try and avoid that this time. I have the flare nut wrenchs but if the fittings are too tight those wrenchs seem to slip and round off the fitting head, vise grips also destroy the fitting if I over tighten in an effort to remove the fittings.
My question: Does anyone have any tips on how to cleanly get the steel brake lines disconnected from the wheel cylinders without ruining the lines and fittings?
If they are that bad, you may be better off replacing them? Other than that, you could try to heat them up a little.
Yes replacing the lines is an option but I want to try and not go that route if I can avoid it. I may end up having no choice if I run into problems getting things all apart cleanly.
From everything I've read on here, replacing them is probably the best way to go. If the vehicle has been sitting since 1976, I can't even imagine what the inside of those steel lines look like right now. Even though the '69 has been sitting inside, I imagine enough moisture has made its way inside and done its dastardly work on the steel.
From everything I've read on here, replacing them is probably the best way to go. If the vehicle has been sitting since 1976, I can't even imagine what the inside of those steel lines look like right now. Even though the '69 has been sitting inside, I imagine enough moisture has made its way inside and done its dastardly work on the steel.
+1! I went through the exact same thing on my wife's 69 Grande that's been off the road since 86. If the brake lines.are rusted there, they are rusted every where. What about the spots you can't see, what makes you think they're not rusted? It's plain dangerous and stupid to use them.
Something I found out a out the rear brake parts. The catalogs are going to ask how many splines the axles have. Silly as it seems the reason is 31 spline axles have staggered shocks, 28 splines don't. 28 spline usea a LH wheel cylinders on both sides and use 1 style of hard brake line to the right cylinder. 31 spline use a LH cylinder on the left side and a RH cylinder on the right side as well as a different hard line to clear the RR shock. I replaced all and I do mean all my hard lines with stainless steal lines aa well as braided stainless DOT legal flex lines. Don't cheap out on safety!
I inspected the outside of all the lines, look perfect, only a slight corrosion at one fitting. I know I can't see the inside but the lines appear to moisture free and intact so I am guessing the actual lines internaly and fine, no way to know for sure until I get it all pulled apart. If I do see any signs of problems once it's apart I will replace all the lines with one of those complete kits. My objective was to try an not ruin the line while trying to free them from the wheel cylinders. Years of them being connected together makes the initial break free sometime difficult to do without destroying.
I guess I will just continue the PB Blaster router and see what happens.
"Silly as it seems the reason is 31 spline axles have staggered shocks, 28 splines don't."
As I was told - 28 or 31 spline axles can have staggered shocks. My 69 Mach s code (390) came with 28 spline axles and staggered shocks.
The difference is if they are auto or manual - 4 speeds came with staggered shocks.
Considering brake fluid in the lines I wouldn't recommend heat (flame).
For the cost - use a vicegrip and rip the old ones up in removal and replace with new.
Dave
One trick is to use a line wrench/flare nut wrench and tighten the fitting prior to loosening the fitting. If the fitting is seized on the line this method will break the fitting loose from the line and then it should come off without twisting the line off.
One trick is to use a line wrench/flare nut wrench and tighten the fitting prior to loosening the fitting. If the fitting is seized on the line this method will break the fitting loose from the line and then it should come off without twisting the line off.
I will give that a shot, sounds like a good idea if the head of the fitting doesn't start to round off.
"Silly as it seems the reason is 31 spline axles have staggered shocks, 28 splines don't."
As I was told - 28 or 31 spline axles can have staggered shocks. My 69 Mach s code (390) came with 28 spline axles and staggered shocks.
The difference is if they are auto or manual - 4 speeds came with staggered shocks.
Considering brake fluid in the lines I wouldn't recommend heat (flame).
For the cost - use a vicegrip and rip the old ones up in removal and replace with new.
Dave
The best thing is if the catalogs just said staggered or not.
Couple of things you can do, One as suggested is apply a little heat from a small butane or propane torch and as already said use a good line wrench. also you can clamp that line wrench with a vise grip to give you less chance of stripping it. And if that does not work use the heat and use vise grips to loosen the fitting. They will come loose.
Don't use heat unless there is an open path to vent the expanding fluid.
Use a 50/50 mix of ATF and Acetone as a penetrant, squirt on the line and tube nut and let soak 1/2 hour. Start with your flare nut wrench and tighten about 5* then loosen 5*. Do this until it moves easily, then loosen another 5* and tighten 10* until THAT is easy, then continue to loosen and tighten (always tighten more than you loosen to help clean the threads) adding more penetrant until free. If you have to grasp the line with pliers or vise-grips to keep it from moving then you're probably better off whacking the line off and pulling the tube nut with a 6-point socket. Same with bleeder screws. Wheel cylinders and calipers are cheap, especially when the ones you have are full of rust.
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Disconnecting frozen/rusted brake lines, how to without destroying?
68 Fastback. 351W/Toploader
