Technical Tip of the Week

Brake Pipe Nut Problem

 This challenge occurs when replacing hydraulic brake and clutch cylinders, and appears as the impossibility of starting the threads of the pipe nut  in the new cylinder. It can appear anywhere, on brake master cylinders, wheel cylinders or slave cylinders, etc. The accompanying diagram clarifies the problem. Note the blackened section of the illustrated nut. This is the section which has been flared outwards by over tightening of the nut. Ideally the pipe will have been changed along with the cylinder in question, but as an emergency alternative the flared portion of the nut may be filed away, effectively allowing insertion of the nut into the cylinder. When filing the nut, be sure not to do so in the vicinity of the hydraulic system, as the smallest of particles, even of dust, can be dangerous to the proper function of hydraulic components. 

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