brake line standard or metric?

[WmWatt]

Does Festiva use standard or metric brake line?
Any tricks to replacing steel brake lines from junction box (name?) in engine compartment to front wheel wells?
Size of flange wrench to buy?
Chemical rust disolver to try?
Assume air cleaner and pulse air unit must be removed to get at junction box.
Thank you.

Original owner of sivler grey 1989 carburetted Festiva, 105k km.
Sorry if duplicate. Third try posting this topic to forum.

[oxbrain]

I didn't replace the entire hardline, just changing the hoses. IIRC they were all 11mm, and make sure your flare nut wrench is actually an 11mm. I had a shitty craftsman that measured 11.7mm and it was rounding off all the flarenuts. I got a $2 harbor freight one that measures 11.3mm and it works like a charm.

PB blaster works pretty well as a rust disolver and kinda-sorta as a penetrating oil. Navel jelly works amazingly well as a rust disolver, but is more work to use(wait a minute and wipe it off). I also keep a small butane torch and a bottle of freeze spray in my toolbox for the seriously stuck stuff.

[mattswabb]

Hardlines are metric. I used a 10mm flare nut wrench on all mine. The bottom line on the block that goes to the left front sucks to replace with the engine in. Trust me.

[WmWatt]

I've cleaned off all the rust but the nuts are not turning. I'm thinking of trying a blow torch, a mechanic's tool with which I am unfamiliar, having used it only to melt plumbing solder. I plan to try it on some rusty nuts on an old lawnmower before torching the Festiva. How long do people hold the flame to the frozen nut? Does one count slowly to ten or maybe wait for the nut to turn cherry red? Also is it safe to heat up brake line nuts with fluid still in the line? I hope to use the torch to free up the bleeder nipples too.

I bought a 10mm flare wrench. It's a good fit but if I apply too much pressure the end opens up and it starts to slip on the nut.

My plan to deal with the bottom line on the junction box in the engine compartment is to unscrew all the other lines, cut the bottom line, unbolt the box from the firewall, and unscrew the bottom nut on on the workbench. I expect the new bottom line can be screwed to the box outside the engine compartment and worked into position on the firewall as a unit. I guess I'll know when I get there.

[snag]

I'm doing the same thing as we speak. My bleeders were all stuck so I hit them with pb blaster for a couple days. They were rusted so bad that the nut dia has gotten smaller so I ended up using a vise grips and torch. Heat them for 1 min spray some pb let it cool down a little, wiggle the nut back and forth, repeat as necessary. Then when I get the bleeders off I replace with a new bleeder screw. Its a process that tests your Patience. I have the luxury of another car so I would work on the bolts until I got frustrated then I would just spray them with pb and let it sit and try again the next day.
Good luck

[WmWatt]

Thanks for the info. I used the blow torch and locking pliers on the rear bleeder screws and the line nuts with great success. I held on for a full count of 60 seconds in spite of the smoke and flames (penetrating oil being burned off?) hoping there would be no damage. Looks okay. Today I am going to jack up the front end and torch those fittings as well.

All that remains are the line nuts inside the engine compartment. Three out of the six nuts on the combination valve (I was calling it the "junction box" before) on the fire wall came loose with penetrating oil alone but the other three aren't moving. Would it be safe to use the torch on the combination valve, assuming I can avoid melting any hoses or wires in the engine compartment? Has anyone used a torch on those nuts without doing damage to the combination valve?

Thanks. Slowly but surely the old brake line is coming off.

[snag]

I wouldn't torch the junction box. I cut the lines off at the nut then used a 6 pt socket on sat to get mine off. I cant say for sure bu it looks like there may be some rubber around the box.
Snag

[freshtiva]

I bought a 10mm line wrench for about six bucks that worked fine at the master cylinder, wasn't much rust there though. Line wrench is probably same as flare nut wrench ?

[WmWatt]

I measured the length of all the brake line today except were the rear brake lines enter the engine compartment. They disappears into the motor support and come up underneath the brake power booster unit. It would be nice if the power booster unit could be removed but the bolts are hidden behind the steering column inside the car. Could I ask what people remove from the engine compartment to replace the lines to the rear brakes? Master cylinder? Charcoal canister? (I already have the air filter off and will take out the brake combination valve.)

PS. A sales clerk at a parts store tried to tell me yesterday it's okay to use brass compression fittings to join brake line. I said I thought that was illegal. She replied if it was they couldn't sell it. I think she was confused because brake fittings were located next to the other tube hardware and some compression fittings just happen to come in the same diameter as brake line.

PPS. I think a cheap line bender can be made by cutting out disks with a hole saw from 1/2" plywood and bolting them onto a piece of plywood. I have a tube bender for copper water pipe to use but might try the plywood idea just to see if it gives tighter bends. Also I rummaged around in the workshop for some wire that will fit inside the brake line to shove in when bending to make sure it doesn't collapse.