I am trying to replace the Brake Master Cylinder on my daughter's 95 Accord EX. I can't get the brake lines to break loose. I am using a 10mm line/flare wrench, but it is starting to round the nuts off. I have sprayed it with PB Blaster several times and tapped it a bit. I even scrubbed around it with a toothbrush and then with a wire brush. Is there a trick somone isn't telling? It's not reverse threaded is it? Based on the paint which was on the nuts, I'd say it's still the factory m/c. I am just about ready to put the reservoir back on and pay someone to do this after wasting most of the day on it.

 

If the flare nut isn't too bad, you can try putting on the line wrench, secure the line wrench on the flare with one hand, then give the top of the wrench one quick sharp hit with a hammer or rubber mallet to try to break it loose. Vice grips (if you have them) might get the job done.

 

I used a 10mm flare nut wrench when I changed my MC about a year ago. The nuts are not reverse threaded

 

Instead of pulling on it really hard, try banging it with the palm of your hand... this will cause instantaneous torque and usually won't cause you to round off your parts.

if it's too far gone, you could try some vice grips or something.. might have to roughen up the flat surfaces with some sand paper or something to get a good grip on something that small.

 

If nothing is in the way try and get a little heat on it, heat always does the trick, acetelyne if you can but probably not enough room, try a lil propane torch or even a bic.

 

Thanks for the replies. I just ran out of time and patience. I guess the 10mm flare wrench from Advance Auto Parts was just too cheap. I called a local shop and he charged me $100 to swap out the mc and vacuum bleed the system. Not too bad considering where I was. I just hate that I had already wasted so many hours trying to do what should have taken 5 minutes or less. The mechanic said that it came off easy enough for him, but he had trouble getting it back on because of the nuts being rounded off. Hopefully it really is sealed good and will last another 200k miles or so.

 

it shouldn't have lasted 200k miles to begin with... if you waited 200k miles to service your brake lines, then you need to reconsider... glad you don't work on MY car!

You're supposed to flush the lines every 10-12k miles, and bleed as necessary.

 

Flushing brake fluid doesnt require opening those fittings. Might have the same problem even if flushed every year.

 

X2 on what Jim Blake said. You bleed the brake lines from the caliper, not at the master cylinder. The lines were likely flushed if the master cylinder lasted 200K.

 

Thanks for the backup Jim & PA. As a new guy on here, I hate to point out something like that. Seems to me that the original mc lasting for 200k is a great thing. I honestly have no idea whether the fluid was ever changed or not, I just bought the car for my daughter a couple of years ago. I know I haven't done it and, in fact, I just recently found out that it should be done regularly. I had a '96 Accord which I bought new and drove for nearly 250k before it got totaled. I never knew to have the system bled on it and it performed flawlwessly with just a few sets of new pads. I appreciate the knowledge and experience that you, who are better mechanics than me, share with the rest of us. I have found, thru a similar board for my Honda VTX motorcycle,that it tends to save me a good bit of money in the long run.