Technical Mk.1 rear brake pipe nut rounded

[wavestar]

ok guys, anyone know the size of the rear brake pipe nut on the wheel cylinder, Mk1 Punto ?
I've got a 10mm / 11mm brake pipe spanner , the 10mm is too small and the 11mm is a bit loose and I rounded the b**** thing today.

So what now ? time for mole grips, pipe wrench or do Fiat have a ' special'
tool / technique ?

 

[rallycinq]

Sounds as though 10mm is the right size, a layer of corrosion had caused you to think its 11.

Moles will do the job, just be careful.

Cheers

SPD

 

[fingers99]

There is a propper tool for it. It's a six sided spanner with a slot cut in one face so you can get it over the pipe. Not special to FIAT, though. Halfords (etc) do them.

Attacking them with open end spanners is suicidal.

You may just get away with the propper tool. Failing that, it's cut the pipe and put a 6 sided socket on it. Such is life.

 

[wavestar]

thanks , but I gave up in the end !

I was replacing the offside trailing arm and managed to get the brake backplate off over the stub axle, complete with shoes , without removing the brake pipe or handbrake cable

i'll order a brake pipe anyway ready for when the brake cylinder needs replacing, sods law states that'll be sooner rather than later now.

 

[DaveMcT]

thanks , but I gave up in the end !

I was replacing the offside trailing arm and managed to get the brake backplate off over the stub axle, complete with shoes , without removing the brake pipe or handbrake cable

I'll order a brake pipe anyway ready for when the brake cylinder needs replacing, sods law states that'll be sooner rather than later now.

You could cut the metal brake pipe further back somewhere handy to get at and joint on a new length. Don't forget to paint the steel pipe where any plastic coating has to be removed. It will rot rapidly without protection.

My proper flare nut spanner gets used about once every 10 years, but when it does its worth every penny.

 

[Mary Faere]

You may just get away with the propper tool. Failing that, it's cut the pipe and put a 6 sided socket on it. Such is life.

Hi again Fingers Oops - nightmare! We've rounded our nut on our rear brake line. Could you give us a little more info on what the 6 sided socket you mention is? And what you do with it? My other half is just about ready to scrap the car

Oh dear...

Mary

 

[s and b]

Hi again Fingers Oops - nightmare! We've rounded our nut on our rear brake line. Could you give us a little more info on what the 6 sided socket you mention is? And what you do with it? My other half is just about ready to scrap the car

Oh dear...

Mary

if you are going to cut the pipe then you dont need the 6 sided wassname because you can mole grip it off
if you intend using the end again you can carefully mole grip it off and mole grip it on again but to be honest any small independant garage would make your husband a pipe up for about £10 is reasonable

if you are doing the radius arm as the thread suggests then as someone posted in 1999 you can do these by taking off the backplate complete with pipe and moving it out of the way so no need to even bleed the braking system or touching the shoes

 

[tinytim]

I would replace the pipe back to and including the flexible hose and replace the wheel cylinder; if replacing one trailing arm might as well replace both sides and check/renew all the rear brake parts including rear pipes (with copper) and flexible hoses while everything is apart and accessible; the steel pipes corrode and were subject to a recall........

 

[Mary Faere]

if you intend using the end again you can carefully mole grip it off and mole grip it on again but to be honest any small independant garage would make your husband a pipe up for about £10 is reasonable

if you are doing the radius arm as the thread suggests then as someone posted in 1999 you can do these by taking off the backplate complete with pipe and moving it out of the way so no need to even bleed the braking system or touching the shoes

Hi, thanks for posting! We were trying to replace a seized cylinder (not learned what a radious arm is yet).... still can't get that rounded nut off...think our mole grips are poor. So my chap's tried getting the cylinder moving again instead by taking it apart, cleaning and greasing it. I thought it might be better to keep trying with the rounded nut and put the new cylinder on...

Shocks still need replacing too. We got some from the scrap yard but they're off a mk2. I'm sure they're the wrong ones... Gosh, it's all so tricky... sigh

 

[Mary Faere]

I would replace the pipe back to and including the flexible hose and replace the wheel cylinder; if replacing one trailing arm might as well replace both sides and check/renew all the rear brake parts including rear pipes (with copper) and flexible hoses while everything is apart and accessible; the steel pipes corrode and were subject to a recall........

Thanks for post TinyTim. Our pipes look ok... not pitted or anything. I've read Fiat coated them with something and it's that which can cause havoc with getting the union nut off (learned that's what it's called ) It was our cylinder we were tring to replace as I replied to SnB... still no joy...