car fixing

[nibot]

So I still have this 1992 VW GTI in Pasadena, currently inoperative and collecting dropped citrus fruit in the driveway. I maintain some illusions about fixing it, though I have to admit that the Click & Clack "1-800-Take My Car Please" ads are sounding more and more appealing.

The showstopper right now is the brakes. The brake pedal goes to the floor—I'm pretty sure the master cylinder is busted. But for the life of me I can't get some of the brake lines unbolted from the master cylinder. They are rusted together. Then again, I haven't tried anything more exotic than penetrating oil and a flare nut wrench.

One website says:

Q: How do you remove rusted brake line connectors from master and wheel cylinders?

A: Sometimes it is impossible to remove them even with vise grip pliers. You may have to cut them off and replace the whole brake system lines and all.

great.

Comments

Heat?

[spencerfern.livejournal.com]

I had some like that on my 71 datsun that I was able to free with the proper flare nut wrenches, liquid wrench, and a micro butane torch.

Of course, I rounded three of them before I figured this out, and decided to replace the whole system with pre-fabbed stainless steel tubing. In part because datsuns use a weird inverse double flare, which you can't find a tool to create very easily, and the fittings are also hard to find.

So I feel your pain, but I don't know of a foolproof solution (of course, I am a superior fool.)

Re: Heat?

[spencerfern.livejournal.com]

Re: Heat?

[nibot.livejournal.com]

ha! great photo.

Re: Heat?

[nibot.livejournal.com]

What's the technique with the butane torch? I've heard tell of the use of torches, but have been afraid of things catching fire, exploding, etc.

Re: Heat?

[spencerfern.livejournal.com]

Ideally, you heat the female part, but I had success applying heat to the flare nuts themselves. I don't quite know if this works because it crushes the rust that has formed inside, or if it is just the differential expansion of the metal of the threads vs. the rust that makes a little more room.

Anyhow, apply flame to the nut for 5 seconds or so and then try the wrench. If you get it to move at all, you are done with the heat. If not, repeat. It may still freeze as you back it out, but then you just wiggle it back and forth, and the rust will work its way out.

DOT 3 brake fluid will burn, but it is has a fairly high flash point and is easy to put out. All new brake lines are almost certainly cheaper than skin grafts, but thinking like that is kind of contrary to the shade-tree mechanic ethos, no?

Also, I just remembered reading someone recommend this kind of vice grip, but I've never tried them.

http://www.irwin.com/irwin/consumer/jhtml/detail.jhtml?prodId=IrwinProd100328

Re: Heat?

[nibot.livejournal.com]

I got a butane pencil torch... but then was able to get the fastener to move with just vise-grips and oil. Got the old master cylinder off with no problem after that!

Though when I got here, I found the car no longer starting. It just goes click-click-click-click... is that just low battery? I don't hear it try to turn over at all.

Re: Heat?

[spencerfern.livejournal.com]

Almost certainly the battery. The click is the starter solenoid. It has two jobs, act as a relay for power to the starter motor and push out the pinion in the starter motor to engage it with the flywheel.

As soon as it completes the circuit powering the motor, it sees load which your enfeebled battery can't handle and the current drops so low it can't even power the solenoid. Once the solenoid retracts, the load drops back to a low level, and it starts over again.

[nibot.livejournal.com]

Yup. Put a charger on it overnight and it started right up in the morning.

Still having some trouble with the master cylinder. Three of the brake lines attached easily enough, but the fourth is acting cross-threaded or something: it screws in a little bit, but then comes right out. )-: