I HATE Working on my CAR!!! Just venting

#1

So I go to replace my rear calipers right. Did the appropriate pre-read, went out and bought the appropriate flare wrench for the stainless brake line attached to the capliper, sprayed the fitting with PB Blaster, and then turned… yep it strips the @$#%@^@$@^&* nut!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH Why do I continue to try and be a mechanic rather than a pure racer and hire a professional crew. Both rears did the same thing.

Anybody have any suggestions for future?

So now I get to order an entire new set of SS brake lines just to replace the two rear lines.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH oh yeah I’ve already vented.

Keith

#2

Sorry to hear. The same thing (or something similar) happened when I did mine. Luck for me I was Canterbury’s Repair & Parts facility.

On the bight side… once you have all this stuff done, all you have to worry about are tire, pads, fluids and stuff :dry:

#3

Keith, yeah that does suck. So, what exactly got screwed up? The fitting going into the caliper, or the hard line attached to the trailing arm that joins with the flex line?

If you just need the two soft (stainless steel) lines going into the calipers, BW will sell you just the two, as opposed to buying a complete set. You can’t order them online that way, but Rob can get you just the two pieces.

If you need the hard lines, we can scrounge some up in Robert’s container.

Suggestion for next time (too late to help with this mess). PB blaster is wonderful. PB+Heat is twice as nice.

If you have a fitting that doesn’t seem to want to give up, before you reach the stripping stage, back off, hit the joint with a propane torch if it’s safe to do so, wait a minute for it to cool some, zap it with some more PB, take a smoke or potty break, then come back and the fitting will likely come loose this time.

Bring all the parts to the track if you want, and we’ll get you going.

#4

Keith, Sorry you had problems, but thanks for reinforcing why I don’t work on cars anymore. At one point in time, I thought of myself as a half way decent mechanic. But as time slipped by and my opportunity to turn wrenches became less and less, the result of my labor seemed to always go the way yours has. So at this stage of my life…I say screw it; hire someone to do it right. Let’s keep the economy moving. :wink:

In closing and just to prove my point, I even rounded out a freakin lug nut changing to rain tires at RA. :S

#5

Thanks for the DIYer Support Group. I feel better already.

Chuck,

The end of the flex line connecting to the caliper was the problem child. When it looked to prove difficult, I took the other end loose from the hard pipe, no problem, so I could get the caliper in a vise to get a good grip/angle. Even PB the sucker the night before. Thanks for the tip on the torch…maybe next time. That sucker was even difficult to get out of the old caliper with one of those funky nut buster sockets. Oh and thanks for the tip on BW and just the rears, I had already looked around at $110+ for the entire set.

Keith

#6

Gasman wrote:

Amen to that, brother!

#7

I need just the upper stainless lines in the rear if you’d like to sell those. Let me know. Some knuckle head changed the ones at the wheels and not the uppers of this car that I bought.

Jason

#8

Lazy, yes, but probably not a knucklehead. Getting those lines up around the trailing arms caused me a sore back from a long time under the car–without a lift it’s a bitch!

Sasha

#9

Ex36 wrote:

[quote]Lazy, yes, but probably not a knucklehead. Getting those lines up around the trailing arms caused me a sore back from a long time under the car–without a lift it’s a bitch!

Sasha[/quote]

Oh yeah… you have a lift?!

How’s it going my good good friend?

#10

I didn’t have a lift at the time, but it’s true that I’m spoiled now. Call if you need to use it.

Sasha

#11

Here is my suggestion.

Understand that to be a mechanic you are going to have to have patience.

You always need to find the right tool, which takes time.

You also need to use correct leverage with the tool, so you can effectively use the tool.

When in your situation or worse with brake-lines, take the hose off with the caliper and put the stripped or stuck fitting in a vise and then attempt to brake it loose too prevent further damage.

Hope this helps.