transam85dudeman

(The following was my experience with swapping a master cylinder on my ride/ The brake pedal was to the floor, even while engine off, and brake calipers weren't working)
11-14-2009
im in the process of replacing the master cylinder. I stripped the top flare on the master cyl. but was able to remove the stripped flare with vise grips. as a result the brake line 5" needs replacing because of top strip. (didnt want to use the vise grip to tighten after swap

I have two questions...
1. the flare nut to combination valve (12mm) is hard to remove. Any TIPS?
2.I got a 12mm flare wrench on the flare nut on combo, but the wrench ends are opening slightly wanting to strip the nut..is that normal to do that?

ps. im wanting to use pb blaster. but dont want to contaminant the lines. is that too lame?

Update. I sprayed it with brake cleaner, and put the vise grips on it. a little flexing and it worked! at the expense of breaking the warning switch on the combo. i busted the brass terminal going into the combo, i tested the switch doesnt work.

update #2
i bought a new pre fabed brake line 8iches. its 3/16 is that right? a 12mm flarewrench fits it. i turn the flare nut into the master female bore threads, and it screw half way in a stops. im thinking something is obstructing the thread hold. im going to torque past the obstruction and see if that help, maybe excess metal chip painted in the threads inside. its a reman. master cylin btw. I bought a caliper, on the reman, caliper i got, the inside of the piston on the front caliper is rusted with paint painted over the rust (cheap reman .brake calipers from AZ.) .
AND when inspecting my old master-rez was gunky, clogged my vacuum bleeding tool tube when removing fluid from the rez. the whole inside is a 1/16 inch thick of slime gunk. probably from the seals. I think maybe it clogged the brake line to the passenger brake caliper, because after installing just the caliper, i bleed it two times and it wouldnt close/clamp. new brake hoses too.im going finish replacing the master and then after i bleed the brake all around, leave the bleeder screw out, and press the brake to force out the gunk if it is that. if the gunk from the master rez clogged my 1/4 tube on brake bleeder, imagine the skinny brake line tube. ..il update in a few hours.

update#3
I pulled the master cylinder out.i seen it was leaking into the brake booster area where the rod connects. I the master rez was brittle that it broke upon removing it from the old master. the brake line i got was the wrong one, i removed the old brake line to take with me to the parts store when i get the rez, new lid gasket.. This whole time i couldve gotten the Napa reman. Master cylinder comes with everything 24 bucks instead of getting parts separate.
Flare nut size for the front brakes on the master is 12mm and coarse thread, the back brakes port is 14mm fine thread. for the search people.
-I wanted to know what failed in the master cylinder so i took it apart. the seals weren't riped or torn. just worn.the secondary seal on the rear brakes piston was worn badly and was flat. no visibly lip extruding beyond the piston. And the large primary piston's o ring was worn obviously because of the fluid in the brake booster area. The Gunk that was found, had to have come from the lid gasket only explanation.. it only makes sense. whats surprising though, is even after the brake hoses install a month earlier the the fluid still was black. before changing the master cylinder, i changed the brake caliper and bleed about 16oz of fluid through the caliper to get bubbles out. When i poured the fluid into a bottle from the master before removal I noticed that it was black black black. floating gunk. suck nobody gots the rez for the master. i gotta order it.

update:4 11/16/09
Well Im officially a idiot. I break everything i touch. I got my master Rez today form AZ, came with cap, lid gasket, Rez body. i cleaned them good with cleaner and installed them to the master clyinder on the bench. As i was installing the bleeding kit plastic nut, i stripped the same nut as the hard line but this time plastic bleeder piece broke into two pieces. the thread part it stuck broken in the master now. sometimes i just ruin everything. the way im working ill probably ruin everything from the master to the caliper. probably will ruin the brake line while im at it Earlier ruined the combination valve.. anyway, i tried looking for the brake line piece i ruined last friday, nobody in town has it. i have to BUY it online from a brake supplier (15 bucks) gezz. i can do the work but i ruin it in the process. just like when i changed my struts, i stripped the nut at top. a whole 80 dollar strut mount was needed then. the breaking parts giant i am. ill continue to update until im done and stop on a dime.

update 4 1/2:
i got the plastic out, i had to clear the hole and bleed out the crap it was clogged. but its out. i bench bleed by pushing a trolly jacks lever and pressed the master cylinder on the bench up against the wall instead of a vise. and installed the minor stripped brake line with the end connected to a clear tube and ran to waste. it all workd so far, rock hard. im going to install it ill post back in about maybe an hour after bleeding the wheels.

update:5 geez 11-16-09
Ok i bleed the wheels which took forever. with one man bleeder vacuum mity vac. i prefer the partner bleeding. with the one man bleeder, i had to take out each bleeder screw (gravity bleed each wheel too while i wrapped the bleeder screw threads) I put it all back together and cleaned up. washed my hands and sat in the car..i took a breath and pressed the brake pedal.. stiff as a rock baby!!! i pumped them doesnt even count as a pump pedal is hard, doesnt move, i can hear the rear calipers clamp. Before i swapped the master cylinder, the pedal would go to the floor, have to pump multiple times still no stiff then. but its hard now. In the end i used the same stripped flare nut brake line, Until i get the new one in the mail along with the combination valve (broke the warning switch got brakes though im going to go to a car wash and clean the car, test the brakes fully. ill update later.

update6: so i i tested the master cylinder out on the street. works 10 times better. stiff. travels 2/3 less than before. with the car off the the pedal is super hard. the car brake normal now, no pulls anymore. im still going to get the combination valve, well case close, thats my experience. i personally liked the ghetto bench bleeding(pressing the m/c up against a wall stud, and using a trolly jack lever handle, i had to use hip against the handle, while it when from spongy to rock solid. brings back memories in 2005 when the booster "went out" before a corner, had to cut the corner no brakes going like 25 or so, maybe less. some Knight Rider status. im changing the title to my experience with a Swapping a Master Cylinder.
-i liked the fact that i didnt have to bleed the system more than once after the swap. Next thing i gotta do is rebuild the steering box, and steering pump. it leaks. so sad.