Front Brake Line Issues

[SUX2BU99]

I'll try to make this brief. Passenger side caliper has been dragging, slow to engage and release. It's taken out the wheel bearing and warped the rotor too. I've recently replaced both calipers with loaded Wagners and Thermoquiet pads, machined the rotors and put in new wheel bearings. I've been preparing to button this all up and found the following two issues:

1) Weeping at passenger brake hose banjo bolt. Seems to happen between the caliper and the banjo fitting. Not seeing the crush rings around all the way on the copper washer between fitting and washer. Washer between bolt head and fittings looks fine. New caliper came with new washers. Still weeping. Bought two new washers ($1.21 EACH!?!?!?) and still weeps, even with no pressure on the line. Suspect thread tapping into new caliper is not entirely straight. Ideas? Maybe double up on the washers between fitting and caliper??

2) Even though I had weeping, I decided to open the bleeder valve and fill the caliper with fluid. Pushed brake pedal to floor, released and no fluid out of the bleeder! I took the hose off the caliper, tried same thing, and nothing came out of the  hose! Yes, reservoir is full. I suspect I have a collapsed hose which may have caused all this in the first place. So now I want to remove the hose:

What is a reasonable way to remove the passenger rubber hose? I tried getting to the ridiculously unaccessible flare nut fitting and hex fitting inside the passenger side frame rail. Other hard lines are right there and so is the fuel pump, preventing me from getting any leverage on my wrench. I have a line wrench but I can't seem to get it to move once I have it on the line nut. Also, I can't get my adjustable wrench on the 15/16" hex fitting. I don't have a stubby or offset 15/16" wrench.

If I remove the C clip on the tire-side of the hose, I could push the brake line through the framerail into the engine compartment, correct? I could get some more room I think to get my wrenches in there right?

Alternatively, if I remove the C clip and cut the hose, I could get a wrench on the flats on the hose. Could I then unscrew the hose from the hex fitting and flare nut by just twisting the hose? That might be easier for me to do.

[Captkaos]

It has been a while since I messed with one like this, but I ended up getting a stubby 15/16" Craftsman wrench to get it loose.

[roundhouse]

Nothing wrong with cutting the hose.  Going into the trash can anyway


I thinks there is a fitting that's supposed to be pressed inside the caliper where the rubber hose screws in and bottoms out against this fitting
 look inside
Your new calipers and see if its there

Ive bought several "new" calipers that were missing that fitting

You can pull that fitting out of the old caliper and
Press it in

[bake74]

     I would suggest doing both sides with new hoses.  You will not be happy to have to do the other side 2-3 weeks from now.

[SUX2BU99]

Any tips about taking that c clip off?

[bake74]

Any tips about taking that c clip off?

      If it is the one I am thinking about, (the one that holds the line in place) I used a screwdriver that I heated up and bent just right to be able to reach it and tap on the bend.

[SUX2BU99]

Yes, it's the one that prevents the hose from being pushed into the engine compartment. I want to remove this clip so I CAN push it more into the engine compartment, giving me more room to get my wrench in there and take the hex fitting off and the flare nut.

Other question: once I get the hose off, brake fluid will pour out of the hard line. What's the best way to prevent my MC from draining?

[SUX2BU99]

I need some help here; I'm at about my wits end with getting this stupid hose off. Here is the situation so far:
- tracking down a 15/16" stubby was impossible. Could not find one anywhere. The one set I did find with that size was discounted because one of the 8 wrenches was missing. Guess which one it was....
- borrowed a friends 15/16" stubby which was a regular wrench cut about 60/40. Still wouldn't work because I still can't get to the dang hex nut!
- my fuel hard line comes from behind the fuel pump up and over the hex nut, which blocks wrench access above and to the right of the nut. The line then extends to the left of the nut, does a U bend and then feeds the fuel pump with a bit of rubber hose. It really blocks my way.
- there is a bulge in the frame on the left side of the hex nut that also restricts access on getting any kind of 15/16" wrench or crescent wrench on it. How is this done???
- I can get my 3/8" flare nut wrench on the brake hard line flare nut, after bending it to a 45 degree angle. But it won't budge!!! How can I crack this thing loose without rounding this thing over? I've sprayed some Liquid Wrench on it but not sure if that stuff does anything at all.
- Tried tackling it from the flex hose side where the flats are on the metal end of the hose before passing through the frame. A 5/8 stubby barely fits on it but not great spot for leverage to try and loosen it but would this work anyway?

If I can get that flare nut loose all will be better so I need some detailed tips or tricks on getting this thing loose or getting to that hex nut. GM made millions of these trucks and chassis for almost 20 years so there must be a better way.

Anybody have a service manual?

[bake74]

     Go get yourself some CRC-freeze off.  Like this 

     Use it for work on the really hard, stubborn nuts and bolts that regular liquid wrench and the such does not work on.  It works great if you follow the instructions.

[VileZambonie]

Push the line through the frame and tighten down on the nut with some vice grips. Now just twist the hose end off.

[SUX2BU99]

How do you push the line through the frame when the C clip is on there to prevent that from happening

[eventhorizon66]

I replaced my brake hoses years ago and I can remember the passenger side was a bit of a pain.  I also remember that I did it without removing the c-clip first, and since I don't own a stubby 15/16" wrench, I must have either done it with a crescent or a full size open-end wrench and snaked it in there.  But removing it like Vile said seems like a good idea.  I can't remember just how I removed the c-clip but I imagine a punch and hammer was involved.

The only advice I can offer is to remove all the nearby clips holding the other hard lines to the frame (the clip that bolts to the crossmember, under the engine mount, is a pain in itself though).  That way you can move them around a little to get to the hose easier.

[DnStClr]

Here's a video that should help.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZxOUGGNklk

[SUX2BU99]

Thanks. He has the same C clip I do but he really didn't say HOW he got that clip out. He also has a U shaped clip on the inside instead of the 15/16" hex nut that I have.

This guy has a series of good videos and this shows the same hex nut I have:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvi_-JvpMn4

When he did the passenger side, he somehow got his 15/16" stubby wrench in there and got the nut off first, pushed the line through the frame and then tried to get the flare nut off.

Looking at the service manuals on this site (which is AMAZING by the way, to whoever loaded them up; they are over 1000 pages each!) for removing the flex hoses, the information is unfortunately incredibly weak. It's a uninformative as my Haynes manual. It literally says remove brake pipe (hard line) nut, take off clip holding flex hose on and remove hose. It doesn't even list the sizes of wrenches to use. It does say to use penetrating oil though so they know that those fittings get frozen on there. Ugh.

I've been shooting the flare nut assembly with Liquid Wrench twice a day for the past 3 days. Maybe it will have actually done something by now.....

IF I can get either the flare nut off OR that C clip off I think I'll be golden.

[VileZambonie]

So you are stuck because you can't get the stamped nut off? If you can't lever a stubby try turning it with a punch and a hammer.