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Clutch Hose Hell

4K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  RandallM 
#1 ·
OK, it was time for some clutch hydraulic intervention on my '74 Spider...the clutch was creeping back to "Go!" while at stop lights, and the fluid level was beginning to drop in the reservoir. The master cylinder appeared in fine shape with no visible leaks, so I thought I'd try replacing the hose and the slave cylinder. God, I hate springy type objects, but I was able to eventually get the two "circlips" off the slave cylinder and get that removed...man, this job was going quickly and better than I expected! I just had to remove/replace the hose, piece of cake, right...the only remaining challenge would be to do the bleed. So, I went to turn the nut securing the hose to the metal fluid line (lefty loosy, and keeping the nut on the metal line stationary)...oops, the nut runs into the metal line "flare nut" (?) before the hose is off. No problem I thought, I'll just turn the rubber hose side the opposite way, and free it that way...no go...the rubber hose nut is secured and unturnable by the little metal bracket. So how am I going to remove this hose? Am I supposed to "violate" that "flare nut" on the metal line, and crank on that thing? I have visions of having to replace the whole she-bang...Help!!!
 
#2 ·
Plan B failed, back to Plan A...

Well, having not figured out how to get the hell-hose out, I thought I'd try skipping that part, and just going with the new slave cylinder and a bleed.
Guess what!!! On bleeding, I find the old (unremovable) hose has a pin-hole leak. So, I'll try cranging on that nut on the metal line, and fully expect to have to replace it...may as well make it a clean sweep, and replace the master cylinder, too. Hey, I've had the car over ten years...shouldn't I quit pressing my luck and start replacing all that kind of stuff? (Rubber stuff, water pumps, anything hydraulic...what else?)...can't stand not driving the car!
 
#4 ·
More feedback in the `Spider - 1966 up`chapter

Well, having not figured out how to get the hell-hose out, I thought I'd try skipping that part, and just going with the new slave cylinder and a bleed.
Guess what!!! On bleeding, I find the old (unremovable) hose has a pin-hole leak. So, I'll try cranging on that nut on the metal line, and fully expect to have to replace it...may as well make it a clean sweep, and replace the master cylinder, too. Hey, I've had the car over ten years...shouldn't I quit pressing my luck and start replacing all that kind of stuff? (Rubber stuff, water pumps, anything hydraulic...what else?)...can't stand not driving the car!
Hello farklevill,

Interesting sybject! You might get more feedback on your question in the `Spider - 1966 up`chapter. Ask smestas or one of the others to move your thread if you want to.

Ciao, Olaf
 
#3 ·
You're going to need to have a wrench on the hose nut and turn the flared nut the other way or you'll break the little bracket that the hose nut fits in to. The hose just slides out of the bracket after you loosen the flare nut. Pop out the slave cylinder and disconnext it from the hose.

I suggest you spend the extra money and get the european built slave cylender from Spruell.

Good Luck
 
#5 ·
I'll give it a go!

Thanks for the confirmation, Randall...I'll give it a try. I was worried turning the flare nut would twist the metal hose line. I'll try to secure the hose nut with a clamp, then try turning the flare nut, while gently holding the metal hose in place...we'll see how it goes, and I'll report back.

And thank you, Olaf...I have asked to have the thread I so clumbsily misplaced, move to a more appropriate section. I was wondering why not more response! The members have always been so helpful, I haven't even minded the occasional poke in the ribs. There are a lot of very bright and talented people contributing to this board, and they are amazingly kind to "novices" (code for dumb$#%*'s) like me...Ciao!
 
#6 ·
I just had the exact same problem as the OP while replacing my clutch slave cylinder. Removal of the spring clips on the cylinder was nothing compared to trying to disconnect the rubber hose from the steel hydraulic line. I thought that I would share my experiences and what I did as a solution.

My problem started when I tried to remove the flare nut that connects the steel hydraulic line to the rubber hose (see diagram below). The rubber hose has male flare end that extends about an inch past a 17-mm hex-shaped portion. That hex portion is held in place (supposedly) by a C-shape bracket that is welded to a vehicle cross-member below the bell housing.



As I tried turning the flare nut, two things happened: (1) the hex portion of the rubber hose end began twisting in the bracket; and (2) the steel line began to twist with the flare nut. Neither of these things is good.

Because I was replacing the hose (and didn't care about damaging the old one), I clamped it to the cross member to secure it, since the bracket prevents you from being able to put a wrench on the hex portion. But that didn't do anything for the steel line twisting.

I didn't want to replace the steel line but nothing worked to separate the line from the flare nut. I tried PB Blaster and liquid wrench, but 26 years and 166,000 miles had taken their toll. So I made the decision to replace the line, without really knowing how difficult it would be to find a replacement. I cut the metal line, and then was able to remove the flare nut from the hose and remove all the old parts from the car. I disconnected the steel line from the master cylinder.

Rather than looking for a a 25-year-old replacement line, I set out for a local solution. As you know, you can buy pre-flared brake lines in all sizes and lengths at any auto-parts store, but none of them (at least that I found) has the female flare nut on them that is needed to connect to the Alfa rubber hose. I was going to have to be more creative.

Eventually, I decided to buy the right diameter and length of steel line, cut it with an appropriate tubing cutter, and replace the fittings on the line with the old fittings (including the flare nut) from the old line. I would then need to put an appropriate flare on the end of the line that I cut.

Taking the old line with me, I purchased a 1/4 in x 40 in tube for $6 at a local auto parts store. I looked at both the 1/4 in and the 6 mm tubes, and am convinced that the old one was 1/4 in. (Maybe a PO had replaced it at some point but given that it uses flare fittings, the small difference between 1/4 in and 6 mm wouldn't matter). I cut about 6 inches off one end so that I could replace the fittings. (At this point, the line was longer than needed, but I wanted to bend it to shape starting at the end connected to the master cylinder and then cut the other end to length when I got it aligned properly).

Next was to get the tools to bend the line to the right shape and to create the flare. I went to Autozone and was able to get a tube bender and flare tool at no cost through the loaner tool program. (The flare should be a double flare, which I had never done before, so I practiced on the 6 inch piece I cut off until I was comfortable with the process.)

Using the old line as a guide, I used the tubing bender to bend the new line to the proper shape. I attached it loosely to the MC and then marked the line at the proper length for attachment to the hose. I removed it from the car, cut the line at that position, and used the flare tool to create the proper double flare.

I reinstalled the line at the MC, connected the hose to the line using the old flare nut, and tightened the retention nut on the hose at the bracket. I bled the clutch, and it is working great with no leaks. Sorry I don't have any pictures, but this is not a difficult procedure if you run into the same problems I and the OP had with disconnecting the hose from the metal line.
 
#7 ·
Those things are supposed to fail much sooner than yours did so they don't freeze up and and a 15mm on the flare cap and a 14 on the nut on the end of the hose will be easy to get off because it's done every several years:)
 
#11 ·
Sorry for the scare guys. I was reading on the Spruell site that they started purchasing slave cylinder that were coming from china, but found them quickly failing. So, they went back to the european manufacturer. More expensive, I'll pay more for quality.

I'm not sure where the IAP ones come from. You can always call them. Don't get me wrong, I Buy a lot of stuff from IAP, but when I'm under the Alfa, I only want to do the job once.

Best of luck.
 
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