Hard to soft line flare nut problems..

[sssgtr]

Anyone got any tips on how to get the flare nut connecting the hard and soft lines together in the wheel arch undone? They are simply not budging even with plenty of WD40 and my 10mm pipe wrench is useless, it just seems to be rounding the nut which then means i have to file some sort of squareness back into it.
Would it just be easier to drain the fluid and cut the hardline just above the not and stick a new flare nut on, then re-flare the end?

[dattoman1000]

Either way your best to fit a new nut however it pans out.

Vicegrips......not too tight as the nut is hollow and will crush.......not that it matters if your putting a new one on.......if you have enough pipe to reflare.

[sssgtr]

Thanks for the reply dattoman. I'm getting my hands on some new flare nuts this week with 11mm heads and not 10mm like the bastards i'm trying to get off. If i can't get the nut undone i'm just going to cut through it and the hardline and get it off that way, put the new one on and reflare the end.
I came across a handy tip for undoing rounded nuts like those:
- An inexpensive box end wrench that you can cut a slot into to get the wrench on the flare nut (like a pipe wrench)
- seat the wrench on the head of the nut, then with vice grips clamp the wrench like so:
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/tools/pics/fnw5.jpg

I haven't tried it yet, so i'm hoping it works.

[Belly_up]

or if you're going to cut the hardline, a 6 sided socket works well. Or even with the setup you've shown above, try for a 6 sided spanner, less chance of rounding than the multi corner type ones.

or if you can get the fitting at the other end of the hardline undone, try threading a full ring spanner along the line to get to the fitting you want to undo. may or may not be possible depending on the routing of the line.

[Zac]

Do you have one of those proper brake line spanners?
I have used locking pliers before but obviously it ruins the nut!

[260DET]

Yeh the proper slot ended spanner (flare spanner?) is a must at all times, fairly decent ones can be readily bought quite cheaply.

[Zac]

Yeah they are reinforced around the outside and are 6 sided, not 12 so you can put heaps of torque on it.

[sssgtr]

Yeah i picked up a sidchrome 10/11mm pipe wrench, but i won't be swapping the lines over till next weekend when i've got time.

[sssgtr]

Just to let anyone with this problem know, the method with the modded ring spanner and vice grips worked out perfectly.
Had to buy a kit to redo the double flares on the hardline though ($90).