[cranelec]

I'm in the process of installing a customized BBK from an F80? M3 series car. Every Brake Pipe Coupling on my '11 E90 335i xDrive, from the MC, is "frozen" at the transition to the flexible brake hose due to road salt.

Despite using a variety of penetrants, I still managed to twist up the first coupling/bubble fitting I tried to remove. Although I purchased a decent bubble flaring tool and taught myself how to use it, it is time consuming for me to produce a worthwhile flair. Unless someone has a better suggestion, I plan on using a small torch to heat the coupling along with penetrant.

Other than cosmetic damage to the brake pipe and the possibility of burning up my car or my garage & house, does anyone have a better course of action?

[Tambohamilton]

If the hard line is that rusty where it enters the flexi, save yourself the trouble of trying to free them, and just replace all the hard lines that fail....it's a time bomb anyhow. I just did this for the rear end of my car. Funny how many turns you can put into the hard line before it fails completely, right!?

Also, if you do decide to apply heat to the flares, I'd say replace the flexis while you're there...they're just plastic and rubber, so no real way to tell if you've cooked one until you really need it. I also don't fancy that heat will help much, but that's pure speculation.

Good luck!

[davidwarren]

heat and penetrating oil will probably break them free. A couple pointers- If you are concerned about burning your house down, do it outside. It is very unlikely that any flare-ups would occur, but things happen. Also, if your connections are still tight in the brackets, give the connection a few hits with a hammer and punch. A little percussive engineering can go a long way. Finally, make sure you are using flare wrenches to help keep from stripping the nuts.

oh yeah, as a rule, I always have a fire extinguisher in the area if I am using a torch. Just a good practice.

[Volasko]

Originally Posted by cranelec

does anyone have a better course of action?

I tried every DIY trick I could dig up trying this. Eventually just gave up and towed my car to a shop so they could re-flare all my hard lines. The hard lines that are ONLY on the rear sub-frame aren't that expensive so I just bought new lines and did the install myself. Complete PITA though, one of the few times I had to give up on a DIY and bring my car to the shop.

[cranelec]

David Warren & Volasko:
Thanks for taking time to respond. I'm in the process of retrofitting a '15 N55 motor into my '11 N55. This fact made replacing the right front brake line easy. The thought of replacing the remaining three brake pipes without giving some heat & penetrant a shot seems like abject surrender.
I appreciate the guidance and advice!

Mike

[cranelec]

Originally Posted by cranelec

David Warren & Volasko:
Thanks for taking time to respond. I'm in the process of retrofitting a '15 N55 motor into my '11 N55. This fact made replacing the right front brake line easy. The thought of replacing the remaining three brake pipes without giving some heat & penetrant a shot seems like abject surrender.
I appreciate the guidance and advice!

Mike

Thank YOU!
Heat & Sili-kroil are friends.