Disconnecting the brake lines

Hi all,

I've run into a bit of a roadblock and I'm hoping that someone here can offer some suggestions. I did a search but found nothing applicable. I'm replacing the OEM rubber brake lines on my '12 with a Galfer S/S brake line kit. I'm not adding the kit for any improvement in braking performance...but since the bike was going to be taken apart for suspension work and various other items, I figured that this would be a good time to install a S/S kit and then never worry about the brake lines again for the life of the bike.

The Galfer instructions are piss-poor. After draining the brake lines, it simply says "Remove the stock hoses on the front of the motorcycle, and replace with Galfer hoses labeled..." Neither the Galfer instructions, nor the OEM or Haynes service manuals discuss *how* to remove the lines. The clutch line was a bear, but I got it done eventually.

My problem now is the junction between the rubber lines and the metal pipes where the lines exit the frame at the steering head, as shown in the exploded parts drawing:



I've tried an open-end 10mm wrench on the fitting and rotate the metal block with an adjustable wrench. No luck...the metal pipe started to bend as I applied some torque. I gave up before I could do any more damage. I'm going to acquire a real brake line wrench before I attack it again, but is there something I'm missing? Anything else I can try to get those fittings loosened and removed from the metal blocks?

Thanks for any suggestions.

I understand that you've already bought the Galfer lines, but just a data-point, my '07 has around 239,000 miles on it, with original rubber brake lines, and they are working just fine. So unless you're planning to run your '12 well beyond that mileage maybe just leave them be

Btw, I remember reading other posts on here from folks who did the line upgrade to their Gen 1 bikes and didn't find any improvements to the braking abilities of the bike... And the Gen 2, bikes with the ABS will be an even bigger PITA to do for no apparent/significant benefit.

JamesK said:

I understand that you've already bought the Galfer lines, but just a data-point, my '07 has around 239,000 miles on it, with original rubber brake lines, and they are working just fine. So unless you're planning to run your '12 well beyond that mileage maybe just leave them be

Btw, I remember reading other posts on here from folks who did the line upgrade to their Gen 1 bikes and didn't find any improvements to the braking abilities of the bike... And the Gen 2, bikes with the ABS will be an even bigger PITA to do for no apparent/significant benefit.

Click to expand...

uhhhh. Yup!

Besides using a correct brake wrench, applying some heat (we're not worried about the old rubber lines) with a

heat gun should help.

Another set of hands to hold the block while working the line would be helpful too...

You may want to put something behind / around the area your working in to prevent any

un-intended damage.

A little clarification please?

1-The 10mm flare nut breaks loose from the junction block and begins to turn but the nut won’t spin freely on the metal line that goes back to the ABS unit? We run into this often where the lines are exposed to road/sea salt or even regular moisture and grime, especially down near the wheel, and the nut ends up rusted or seized to the line. It’s hard to imagine that being the case on such a new bike, or in that area.

Or

2-The flare nut won’t break loose from the junction block.

Or

3-Something else.

Either way-Kroil

https://www.kanolabs.com/

Morecowbell said:

I've tried an open-end 10mm wrench on the fitting and rotate the metal block with an adjustable wrench. No luck...the metal pipe started to bend as I applied some torque. I gave up before I could do any more damage. I'm going to acquire a real brake line wrench before I attack it again, but is there something I'm missing? Anything else I can try to get those fittings loosened and removed from the metal blocks?

Click to expand...

To remove the line, use penetration oil (I used PB Blaster) on the thread and let sit for a while. Do NOT rotate the block, rather secure it in vice grips or an adjustable wrench and use a flare nut wrench to turn the 10mm nut. I've done this successfully to replace my brake line with a three inch extended version when I installed the Heli Bridge. It was very stubborn but the PB Blaster(in my case) and flare nut wrench did the trick.

richsp51 said:

To remove the line, use penetration oil (I used PB Blaster) on the thread and let sit for a while. Do NOT rotate the block, rather secure it in vice grips or an adjustable wrench and use a flare nut wrench to turn the 10mm nut. I've done this successfully to replace my brake line with a three inch extended version when I installed the Heli Bridge. It was very stubborn but the PB Blaster(in my case) and flare nut wrench did the trick.

Click to expand...

That trick worked beautifully. I picked up some PB Blaster at the auto parts store and squirted some on the threads...then let it sit for a few days while I was out of town for work. Then I held the block with the adjustable wrench and cracked the fittings loose with an actual brake line wrench. Easy-peasy. I was doing it all wrong at the beginning. Now comes the fun part of fitting the new s/s lines.

Thanks for the suggestions.