[Mk3] [Turbo] Problems with fitting braided brake hoses ...

[BenF]

OK,

Been busy this evening replacing one of the rear brake callipers on the Roadster, and I thought I'd fit some Goodridge braided brake hoses and flush with some DOT 5.1 for good measure ..

The replacement calliper and rear hoses went on OK, but I should have known that things would be different when coming to do the fronts.

The front rubber hoses on the roadster attach to the copper hard pipe vertically behind the strut (more or less ..)

The problem I'd got is that it looks like MrT cross threaded the rubber hose to hard pipe fitting at the factory

I can unscrew the fitting what feels to be 90% of the way, and then it spins freely - but without the hard pipe bolt coming away from the fitting on the end of the rubber hose.

I've spent about an hour trying different angles, different pressures to persuade them to come apart, but had no luck

So ... I'm wondering what I can do next.

Options:

1. Buy new hard pipe from Master cylinder / ABS / wherever to the NSF front wing where the problem connection is. Remove old pipe using large angle grinder and throw away.

2. Keep trying to separate them - trying to re-tighten and starting over isn't an option either. Maybe put more pressure on pulling them apart to see if the cross-threaded bits engage better and come free?

3. Use a nut splitter? I don't think I could slide it up the hose past the fitting points ...

4. Try to Dremmel slots either side of the remaining fitting on the top of the rubber hose and split apart ?

Assuming I can get the existing parts free from one another ... the threads on the bolt don't look the best as it has been cross threaded in the past - I'm assuming that cleaning them up with a tap and dye set will help but I'm not counting on it ..

Any ideas / advice welcome

[BenF]

Couple of other thoughts ..

- Could it be that MrT has flared the end of the hard brake hose so much it won't come free from the inside of the existing female socket ? Would then just need persuading apart.

- What about ... buying a brake pipe flaring tool - and then cutting the old end of the pipe off, complete with problem connector. Use new end bolt and use the tool to flare the pipe? This assumes there's a little 'slack' in the pipe that I can pull through to re-make the connections - not had chance to check that.

[Blokey]

Ben,
I would suggest trying to encourage the hard pipe to come away from the flexible pipe. You said the flare nut spins freely - but can the flexible hose move freely of the hard pipe? If it will spin but not come apart then I'd say that the flare is catching on the inside.

If it will not spin then I'd suggest trying to crack the joint between the flared end of the pipe and the other pipe with gentle twisting or similar. It may be that one has been crushed in to the other.

Finally it may be that the flare of the hard pipe is such that it's aligned in to the threads on the inside of the flexible pipe. So if possible try applying light pressure to pull the two pipes apart and turn or 'undo' the nut on the Flexible pipe in to which the flare nut on the hard pipe is threaded....IYSWIM.

If not - YiM me and I'll explain.

All this assumes the flare nut is on the hard pipe and it screws into another nut on the flexible pipe. If it's the other way around then reverse it.

Finally, or perhaps firstly - It sounds like you're not for turning on this one so I'd suggest investing in a pipe flaring tool (or give one of the mobile pipe fitters a call - shout if you want one of them) and then attempt to part the two pipes - either it'll work in which case it's a nice thing, or it won't in which case see if you can get enough slack in the new hose to bridge the gap should you need to cut the flare nut and end off the hard pipe.

Let me know though - I can come over if you like, I need to collect that drive sometime soon for my Car PC - which is going in probably Thursday.

B.

[BenF]

OK, I was going to work on the car this evening - but after a very late one last night spending a few hours out in the cold and rain this evening bearding on the car wasn't as appealing as relaxing and opening a bottle of Duvel that had been ignored for a while ..

Mr B - I also wondered if it was the internal flare catching the thread on the side of the hose connector. I'm going to give it one last chance tomorrow before trying some other options:

- Use a Dremmel/Angle grinder to separate the join. With luck, I may be able to do it and not cut the flared hard pipe end, and just cut through the union bolt.

- If the hard pipe isn't damaged - remove from the car, take to engineering workshop and get a new Union bolt fitted and get the steel pipe re-flared to the fitting. Job Done.

- If it doesn't come off whole, remove the steel pipe and take to get a duplicate in copper made up with new connectors at each end.

If none of the above work, following up on trying to get one from a scrapped car would be Plan C.

Cheers,

Ben

[Blokey]

...a plan D perhaps...

There's a company a friend of mine from work knows (his Dad runs a coach business) and they come out to replace/repair all manner of different hydraulic lines and fittings - they use them for fuel lines and the like on their busses but the company is just as good for the higher pressure stuff.

Down side is I can't remember what they're called - upside is I can find out tomorrow. Drop me a call on my worky moby if you'd like me to get their details.

....after your Duval watch out for those very wobbly bits of perfectly flat ground

B.