13 replies to this topic

[Nelson92]

1992 mayfair with standard AP 8.4 brakes

I'm trying to get my brake hose off my car to replace with a new standard item.
Someone has done it up so tight that in doing so they've rounded the bolt head off where it goes into the engine bay.
I doubt this cars ever had new hoses so presume it's rover who did this baby up.
i've tried 3in1, grippers, i've cut the pipe to see if ring spanners work; tomorrow i'm going to try a heat gun and see if this works.
anyone got any ideas or had this problem? someone suggested i undo the pipes inside the engine bay and cut the whole unit out!

thanks.

[adcyork]

get the caliper off the car and mount it in a vice, then use a set of mole grips on it. Failing that, penetrate it with plus gas and even use heat if necessary.
You'll have much better purchase with it fixed in a vice

[ROBBIE 1]

fire ?

[Nelson92]

the caliper side isnt the problem the bit that goes up into the engine bay is.
i've cut it to try ring spanners but that didnt work.
i'm considering getting it REALLY hot but i'll have to disconnect alot of the brake lines to protect them.

[mini13]

get a hacksaw blade, wrap half of it in tape to make a grip, then slice through it using the subframe as a guide, it will take a while but ist a sure thing

[Dan]

You are unscrewing the nut from the top of it aren't you, not trying to unscrew the fitting under the subframe?

[Nelson92]

You are unscrewing the nut from the top of it aren't you, not trying to unscrew the fitting under the subframe?

i'm under the car trying to undo it from there?
im looking at the replacement part and the haynes and figured this was how you did it?
am i meant to do it from within the engine bay?

[Dan]

If you've managed to turn it at all you might have damaged the solid line in the engine bay. You need to get to it from above, unscrew the flare nut from out of the end of the flexible line and then remove the nut. I suspect the part you think Rover have rounded off is actually where the fitting is swaged to the hose. Make sure the solid line is in perfect condition and hasn't been twisted. When you fit the new one, fit it to the caliper first. You seem to have released it from the caliper first which is the wrong way to do it but if you aren't using the hose again it will be fine.

[Nelson92]

If you've managed to turn it at all you might have damaged the solid line in the engine bay. You need to get to it from above, unscrew the flare nut from out of the end of the flexible line and then remove the nut. I suspect the part you think Rover have rounded off is actually where the fitting is swaged to the hose. Make sure the solid line is in perfect condition and hasn't been twisted. When you fit the new one, fit it to the caliper first. You seem to have released it from the caliper first which is the wrong way to do it but if you aren't using the hose again it will be fine.

hi thanks for the in-depth explanation. i am a bit confused by the design and i've put a picture to show the bolt.
i think the bolt in question has been damaged by someone previously but perhaps when trying to change the hoses in the past?
my mot's refer to seized calipers that were rebuild but the hoses look quite old.
in the bonnet the solid line is perfect. when working either my friend or i was checking nothing in there moved as we don't want to damage it.
we also tried to force some 3in1 from above. so i must undo the solid line from inside the bonnet and then undo it from the top right?

Attached Files

•  IMG00164_20091111_1723.jpg   626.57K   50 downloads

[Dan]

Yes, there's a very big nut on the top of this hose. Once the solid line flare nut is out of the way, unscrew the big nut. It does look like someone's mangled it but it's not too bad, especially since you won't be using it again.

Actually I just remembered that because it's the driver's side it's a banjo above rather than a flare nut. So you probably won't have damaged anything even if you have spun it.

[olds_kool_lews]

its a tight fit to get at the bolt from above, but if you can, its the best way to do it.

first of you need to gain access to the top nut (24mm i think) but to get at this you need to undo the bolt that holds the solid brake line (16mm i think) be carefull as it has 2 copper washers, 1 above, and 1 below the joiner, once the 16mm bolt is undone, the brake line will be free to move to the side (try not to bend or kink it!) then get a socket (24mm) on a looooong extention, and pop it on the top of the flexi brake line nut, from underneath the spanner size you need is 18mm, it fits flush to the subframe on the pipe, the top nut is pretty tight, so might be better to have a friend either undo, or hold the spanner underneath if its awkward.
refitting is reverse of taking off, just make sure you attatch the new flexi brake line to the calliper 1st, and then do up the big top nut, this saves twisting and potentially damaging the flexi pipe.

if you cant get the pipe off due to the spanner rounding the bottom nut at the top end of the flexi pipe where it bolts through the subframe, get a hacksaw and cut down through the top nut (once the solid brake pipe has been unbolted/moved out the way) you dont have to cut all the way through, about half way would do, then take a flat screw driver/chisel and split the nut, and the flexi pipe will be freed!

hope this info helps!

lewis

[Nelson92]

thankyou guys you've been a great help.

[freaker]

yes indeed,

big nut on top of the hose,
with two large extensions on your rachet ? it will come undone also a bit of wd40 i must ad will help a lot.


freaker

[Nelson92]

hi just want to say thanks to everyone who gave advice last night. the job is sorted although i did have to buy a couple of bigger socket heads.
the brakes feel good now and the new part went in alot easier then the old rusted hose came out.
cheers all.