Un doing brake unions - How much heat too use????

[Error404]

Steve you can try freeze spray, but heat will almost defiantely do it for you i think

Other than that unless you have a proper flaring kit I'd say for ease just take it to your local garage TBH

[macspring]

A nightmare

Panzerwagen, you are so right, these brake unions are real nightmare, unless you're blessed by someone has greased the threads before you. With the RHD passenger side one it is OK to "wreck" while trying to open it as it is a short run from the ABS unit down to the inside of the wing. You will be able to get a replacement in the breakers yard and cut it out of the car and then separate it on the bench with decent access. You will also find it gives a slight bit of extra access if you undo the bracket that holds the metal to flexible hose joint in place under wing. It is held in place by two small nuts on the inside of the wing in the engine bay opened with a 10 spanner.

The RHD driver's one has a much longer run around the back of the engine so one has to be very careful with this one. I haven't had to to do the rear ones yet. But whenever touching these brake pipes make sure you do not need to use the car for at least a few days as you'll no doubt be disappointed and frustrated.

BTW, does anyone have any tips on pressing in new the front sub-frame's four VAG bushes or a photo of the factory tool or a tool they've made up, the same also applies for the big crosshead screw on the power steering pump?

The breakers yard bit also applies to the adjustable "double ended" threaded rod that joins the steering rack to the ball joint at the end of it.

And one last reminder whilst I'm dispensing all these pearls of wisdom, (hard experience) remember to make sure to free off all joints that are used in the adjustment of the tracking and suspension in advance, so that whoever is doing the tracking work is not tempted to gunther your car just to get the job done?

Also I wondered why three of the front sub-frame bolts are opened with a 19 spanner and the fourth with an 18 spanner and it is that the one at the passenger feet on a RHD car (18 spanner) is a fixed captive nut and the other three slide around for adjustment of the sub-frame when reinstalling it. Assuming the car is straight, does anyone know how to line up the sub-frame? I doing mine on my drive and will then put on the wishbones, (tightening same when on the ground rather than wheels hanging so as the new factory bushes are not torn before the car is even used), before bringing it off to be tracked somewhere in Dublin?

Sorry for the rambling post, but presumably you get most of it?

Kind regards and thanks !

[gedu]

Brake unions are #¤"!"#%&% indeed, changed back brake hoses last night, passenger side union to hose decided to round it self. Thankfully I had needed tools to be able to cut the pipe, and re flare it with new connector piece.

As David said, be prepared to either modify your pipes, or to build new ones.

[sheppardnias]

I've resorted to using Vicegrips on brake lines and bleed nipples many times. Never keen to do it but sometimes you just have to....

Things I go by are:-

If it has to come off it has to come off. You can't break what's already broken. Just change the way in which it is broken.

Vicegrips must be good ones, preferably genuine Vicegrip not copies.

You may very well take the edges off the nut with Vicegrips BUT if it comes undone, it will be worth it. You can always trim a pipe and reflare or bodge it and use Vicegrips to refit the nut at a pince....

Copper brake pipe is cheap and easy to fit. A flare costs less than £20 and it's not the end of the world to have something else to polish under the bonnet. Just use a pipe cutter and heat to anneal the stuff and you'll end up enjoying replacing the pipes... Honest!!

Finally... Be grateful you are working on an Audi. They at least tend to come apart. Many cars don't. Peugeot had the great idea of using Alloy calipers with steel bleed screws on Peugeot 205 GTI's and you will never move the bleed screw on one of those. Better to curse a pipe fitting than a caliper full of air....

[Fat Audi 80]

/\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Good post.

I tried vice grips last weekend, but it would not budge. I has been soaking in WD40 all week, so I will see if that helps. If not I may have to cut the ****er off....

Cheers,

Steve.

[dest]

I would try something abit more suited for the job than WD40, such as Plusgas

[Fat Audi 80]

That's what I was thinking when I wrote it!

Cheers Martyn.

[re2500]

Ahh Plusgas, possibly my favourite tool! Especially if you can get it in a drip can rather than an aerosol!!

[sheppardnias]

I must get some Plugas. keep hearing good things but have never tried it. I have WD40 knocking around But I rarely seemm to use it. Always end up spraying 3 in 1 or dripping 3 in 1 around. Have to say it has been a while since I couldn't undo a bolt on a VAG but it does happen.

I don't think that the front caliper to hub bolts will ever come undone on the S6 and I sheared a pince bolt of the Passat when I tried removing the 2 top arms last year. Fortunately the bolt then fell out and was a standard length bolt that I had replacements for in the shed. I did pull a strange face and made unpleasant smells as I felt the bolt shear though.


Also had a front wheel bolt shear on the Passat last year. Had new tyres fitted by a mobile fitter and the air gunned the bolt in cross threaded. So glad I checked the torques that night to makes sure the wheels would come off in an emergency. Fat man on a 2 foot extension bar was needed to shift shear the bolt to get the wheel off. For once being big was an advantage!!!


So where can I get my hands on Plugas then?

Ahh Plusgas, possibly my favourite tool! Especially if you can get it in a drip can rather than an aerosol!!

[re2500]

I Get my Plusgas in a drip can from Maccess which is an Automotive Parts and Accessories Wholesaler. Its like Makro though, you need a business and a card (Or a freind with a card) to get in. You can get it in an aerosol can from Motorworld though.

[sheppardnias]

That's me off to Motorworld then....

[Fat Audi 80]

After the rave reviews of Plusgas, I have ordered some from here:

https://www.toolsforwork.com

Thanks for the tip.

Cheers,

Steve

[Dpicariello]

I had to cut two of my lines when I changed to 996's.

It actually turned out to be no problem at all. Me and Tris (merlin's S4) tried for hours to try and get the passenger front and rears to budge but to no avail.
I cut the lines. For the front, I removed the whole line from the ABS unit and for the rear I removed it from the T peice under the fuel tank. Then Tris kindly got me two new copper lines made up at a local garage for nowt. Bent to shape and fitted and haven't had any problems.

If the plusgas doesn't work then you shouldn't have any problem with cutting them.

Dan

[EspenW]

Brake unions can indeed be a pain in the behind, but I have found that gently hitting the end of the wrench with a hammer beats steady pressure applied by hand. Sort of like the principle behind an impact wrench. This method has easily loosened unions that I was about to round off using normal hand applied force.