[Kevin3]

I'm dropping out the rear cross member on my mk2 golf to clean it up. For opening the brake lines though at the copper to hose connection is there more than one size copper end? I'm finding a 7/16" spanner is fairly tight on most of the copper ends but it seems much too big for others. I've no photo of it but a 14mm spanner is tight on the hose end but I've too much power then and the copper ends are starting to round.
Maybe there is another way of opening them that I'm missing?

 

[Oisin]

I cant remember the size but Im pretty sure they were all the same. If you worried about damaging/rounding them, replacing them isnt overly expensive and maybe easier especially when you go to reattach them all up. If you have a look threw the mk2 project threads, someone on here made themselves new pipes and fittings and found it not too hard to do.

 

[Mk2McG]

the hoses are 14s and the one on the copper is an 11 put new copper hoses and flexy hoses in my mk2 a few days ago

a bit of heat will help if you cant get them opened

 

[Geo]

Most are 11mm but the odd one is 10mm. You are better off using a proper brake pipe spanner rather than a normal open end spanner as there is less chance then of rounding them off. Sometimes there is nothing you can do to stop them rounding off in which case the only tool that will open them is a vice grip. If that fails then you have to cut the end off and use a socket on it. Then you have to make up new lines. Making new metal brake lines is not particularly difficult but is very time consuming to get them to look like the originals.

 

[Kevin3]

Thanks for the replies. I got them off anyway, going into the back of the brakes were 11mm and opened fine and the vice grips worked on the other end at the hose.
I didn't know there was such a thing as a brake pipe spanner, I won't be able to get one this weekend now so might sacrifice a ring spanner for it.

 

[mercedeslimos]

kevin i got an automec copper brake line kit for my mk2, still yet as unfitted! (lazy me!) think it was 110 delivered. supposed be great job.

 

[GSBellew]

€7.89 in Halfords

or a 10 & 12 is €8.19