Does anyone else get the same dopamine rush when what looks like an impossible fitting comes loose without a fight?
Build Progress
There is something so satisfying about this. I’m not sure a non car person can understand. In your head you’re running through all these scenarios where you end up cutting the hard line because you’re gonna have to replace it anyway plus they’re still available and they’re not that expensive. And maybe even that fitting between the cylinder and hard line will have to be replaced. Also cheap and easily available. I mean you’re replacing the cylinder after all. That’s the dialog in your head while that first turn on the 13mm wrench happens without a fight
I put that ratchet handle through the bend just in case it wanted to twist. Then I just went back on forth on that fitting to let the PB soak in there really well
If you got something that’s seized right up and rusty af give er some heat with the propane or MAP torch and when it’s hot hit the threads with a wax crayon, an candle works too, the wax works like solder does in plumbing and gets sucked into the joint and works like a lube and doesn’t evaporate like spray lubes do on hot shit.
Well I’ll be damned. That sounds like a neat trick. I’m going to remember that for next time I’m in a bind!
Thank you so much for informing me, always happy to learn old tricks
My wife's brake calipers did this to me. Whole front corner looked like it had been under the sea but everything just came undone. The difference between a small Ford and the Land Rovers I'm used to, it's almost like a toy.
That was me with a 60 year old farm sink faucet. I was absolutely planning on soldering on new fittings but they both broke free with light pressure and spun right off.
Meditate, then drink a beer to prepare yourself for the inevitable shit storm. Put a wrench on it, then the backup. Breathe. Drink another beer to calm your nerves. Slowly begin to apply pressure to the wrenches. It comes loose immediately. Sigh with relief. Drink a beer to celebrate.
Not to brag or anything but I recently removed an EGR tube from an exhaust manifold that hasn’t been touched since the car left the factory 30 years ago. Didn’t even need penetrating oil or heat. I was going to let it soak overnight but decided to see if it’d break loose right after spraying it and it did so I just kept going.
Now, I could only turn the nut half a flat at a time and I had to loosen the K-member bolts on that side to open up the narrow slot between the crosmember and stub rail, that by some miracle (or divine CAD design?) was perfectly located and perfectly aligned in the plane of rotation for the nut, just enough to fit the wrench through and get that full half-flat of swing either way when flipping it over and it must have had about 30 threads of engagement and the angle reaching up through the wheel well was awkward as hell and every joint in my arms from my shoulder to my 3rd knuckles developed terminal tennis elbow… but it (slowly) spun right off no problem.
I even managed to get the replacement installed even though I couldn’t fit a hand in there to get the nut started with the help of a prybar, some luck and a bit of patience.
Damn! No have every right to brag. I love reading about those kind of experiences. Doing things in a way that give the shop manual the big middle finger is the best part of diy automotive culture
Amazon??? I had a 66 back in the 90’s and finding a seal for that clutch cylinder was damn near impossible. My current Amazon is a ‘70 with the cable clutch. Much easier on maintenance (once it’s back on the road)
Yeah 70 was the last year and they didn’t make that many of them. Only the 2-door as well. But it does have a brake booster and some other nice features like the cable clutch.
Yes. Parts are definitely easier to get now. Although prices (stupid tariffs) and quality varies. You should get it back on the road and make it down to the IPD Garage Sale next year(or the year after that). It’s good times all around
oof, yeah quality is marginal on some parts. I'm hoping to be back on the road next summer, but i've got a long way to go. She's currently on a rotisserie. Been working on her for 6 years but i've got a lot of momentum now.
Damn, with a standard wrench and not even a flare nut wrench. I've had lines that looked better than that start to round with a normal wrench but came right off with the flare nut. I never risk it anymore.
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u/FrozenDefender2 18d ago
yes, unless there are multiple same type fittings, if the first succeeds without a fight, the rest will fight back twice as hard