Lighting a Torch for Removing Brake Line Fittings

Video Transcript

In this clip we're going to talk about the proper service procedure to inspect, remove and replace your steel brake lines and bleed the braking system on a Ford Explorer. In this step I'm going to talk about the proper lighting procedure for your torch. You're going to use a torch to heat the fittings and the bleeders up on your vehicle in order to break them free. If the vehicle's older than five to eight years, more than likely you're going to have to use a torch to get the fittings out. If you break them off you're going to have to replace a component which was otherwise not bad. I'm going to take and crack open my (indiscernible) gas, light it. We're looking for a flame several inches long, just about so, and I'm going to turn on my oxygen. And that's it right there. I'm going to take and put my torch up on the fitting. All right, once you have it hot enough to break loose and take and put your socket on there and unscrew the fittings. Your new lines are going to come with new fittings, so don't worry about having to reuse them. All right, there's the brake line fitting for you right there. I'm going to go ahead and repeat the procedure for the bleeder, which is located right above the line. Go ahead and re-hit the connection and reheat the connection. You're actually heating the wheel cylinder and not the bleeder itself. You're heating what would be the female portion of the connection. What you do is, that heat applied to it just using the laws of physics, makes that metal expand and what that expansion does is fractures the rust, which is holding the bleeder keys inside of the cylinder. The trouble with brake line fittings and bleeders is that they're hollow, and they're generally made out of a very mild grade steel, or even brass and they break off very easy. So, it's better to apply a little heat to them than damage your components. The torch will pay for itself in just about one use. All right, I'm going to go ahead and take the bleeder all the way out. I'm going to inspect it and make sure it's still free-flowing and that it's not plugged. All right, there's my bleeder. You're going to want to not touch it for a few moments. I'm going to let it sit, and get right back to it. Once you've allowed your bleeder screw to cool off, and that is crucial, because you're going to be handling it, you want to go ahead and inspect it and make sure that the orifice there is free-flowing and that you'll be able to bleed the brakes through it. What you'll want to do is blow some air through it, or feed a piece of wire through to make sure that it's free-flowing. If it's not, it's going to inhibit the bleeding process and you will have to replace the bleeder screw. That is the proper way to heat your fittings and remove them from your brake components.

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