me vs. brake bomb

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pagz_e24
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me vs. brake bomb

Post by pagz_e24 »

So decided to tackle the brake bomb job since the actual bomb I ordered has been sitting in my garage for a couple of weeks. If you order the Febi through autohaus AZ, it comes with the o-ring.

What a PIA!! After about 4.5 hours, multiple cuts on my hands, a sore lower back and puddle of ATF in my garage, i finally finished the job. All the lines to the regulator were super tight. Loosening them without rounding the nuts took about an hour by itself. But that was the easy part. When i finally wiggled the regulator and bomb out of the engine bay, that's when the real fun began.

So i don't t have a bench Vise and only have a limited amount of tools...

-Stupid me thought i could just unscrew the bomb by hand...not.
-Found an old oil filter wrench in my garage....to small.
-Found a bigger one, hooked it onto the bomb but had nothing to hold the regulator.
-Found a small old pipe wrench that kept slipping off the regulator....then the oil filter wrench snapped (in the process broke a lead on a pressure switch)
-said some bad words
-Went back to the auto parts store and paid way to much for a new switch and also picked up a a strap wrench and borrowed a bigger pipe wrench from a neighbor.
-Took a break ate a bag of chips, had a shot of scotch and chased it with a beer.
-Attached the neighbors pipe wrench to the regulator (with both switches now off), tightened the strap wrench to the bomb and finally broke it loose. But, in the process, slammed my left hand into my work bench and cut up a couple of knuckles.
-said some more bad words
-attached the bomb to the regulator and cleaned it all out.
-forgot to put the o-ring on the bomb.
-unscrewed it again (didn't hurt myself this time), put the o-ring on and tightened it back up.
-attached all hoses back- and stared at the bottom 17mm connector facing the firewall and wondered how the hell i was going to tighten it.
-had another beer.
-called a friend who had a set of crowfoot wrench set. (Waited 30 min for him to come by)
-watched him laugh at me as my hands were all jacked up.
- finally tightened all hoses and smiled
-went to put the power steering reservoir back together as i replaced the power steering filter and forgot how it went back together as i took it apart about 3 hours ago.
-went on BigCoupe and found out how to put it back together
-finally put ATF back in the reservoir, started the car and watched the fluid disappear - smiled.
-turned off the car and pumped the brakes and watch the fluid level come back up - smiled again.

Took it for a test drive and brakes felt perfect. I'm sure if i had to do this again it wouldn't take this long...Although i was frustrated, mad and in pain, it was all worth it in the end. Now just going to wait for something else to go bad.
Pagz_e24

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GripGreg
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Post by GripGreg »

Great story!! Thanx for posting it.
Sorry 'bout the knuckles though. :(
May be time for some proper tools?
Happy you're smiling again.
Greg
Hit the apex
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Hefeweizen
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Post by Hefeweizen »

Sounds way too familiar! I took the test for the basket weaving after I did my brake bomb and I passed! :lol:
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slofut
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Post by slofut »

GripGreg wrote:Great story!! Thanx for posting it.
Sorry 'bout the knuckles though. :(
May be time for some proper tools?
Happy you're smiling again.
Greg
I never back off of buying a proper tool! Whether a bench vice, an air compressor, a BMW transmission filler plug wrench, or nice used SnapOn hand tools off ebay. Last big one was a 2 post lift a couple years ago. I can't believe I waited this long to have one...

But I do feel your pain on the brake bomb, it can be a real pain in the ass. But LOTS easier with a bench vice. BTW... Don't get the harbour freight or ASC type china made ones, an extra $30 will get a real one.
Last edited by slofut on Sun Jan 25, 2015 4:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by hornhospital »

slofut wrote:Last big one was a 2 post lift a couple years ago. I can't believe I waited this long to have one...
Same here. It's sitting on the trailer, waiting for the slab to be poured. No more crawling around on the ground!
Ken Kanne
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slofut
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Post by slofut »

hornhospital wrote:
slofut wrote:Last big one was a 2 post lift a couple years ago. I can't believe I waited this long to have one...
Same here. It's sitting on the trailer, waiting for the slab to be poured. No more crawling around on the ground!
Dude! Pour that slab, you don't know what you're missing! Build the shop around it!
:mrgreen:
'87 635csi, 5sp man, dk blu on pearl beige
'88 635csi, auto, black on grey
'63 BMW Isetta
'75 XJ6C, 2dr, warm 350
'86 XJ6, th700r4
'75TR6
'64 Olds 88 conv
"68 T120 Bonneville
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pagz_e24
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Post by pagz_e24 »

live and learn...i've tinkered with cars in the past and can do the basics with basic tools. I've owned my 6er for a little over a month now and aside from the odo gear replacement, this is the only other thing i have done.

definitely going to start investing in better tools and building my garage around my baby....as long as the wife lets me. :roll: [-X
Pagz_e24

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diamondschwartz4ever
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Post by diamondschwartz4ever »

Congrats and completing the job!

I feel your pain too!

I've been wrestling with my brake bomb for the last couple of days!

So far I have avoided smashing fingers and those $$ switches.

I have the bomb in a bench vice and am trying to remove it with a brand new large oil filter wrench,

I just can't seem to break it free from the pressure regulator.

are these brake bombs always so difficult to remove?
1985 635csi 5-speed
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Post by diamondschwartz4ever »

OK, so I removed the brake bomb by using a pipe wrench as suggested for extra leverage, that thing did not want to come off!
1985 635csi 5-speed
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slofut
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Post by slofut »

pagz_e24 wrote:live and learn...i've tinkered with cars in the past and can do the basics with basic tools. I've owned my 6er for a little over a month now and aside from the odo gear replacement, this is the only other thing i have done.

definitely going to start investing in better tools and building my garage around my baby....as long as the wife lets me. :roll: [-X
Damn fine stable you got there! You need a garage as bad as anybody. :mrgreen:
'87 635csi, 5sp man, dk blu on pearl beige
'88 635csi, auto, black on grey
'63 BMW Isetta
'75 XJ6C, 2dr, warm 350
'86 XJ6, th700r4
'75TR6
'64 Olds 88 conv
"68 T120 Bonneville
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sansouci
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Post by sansouci »

Did the same job myself recently. Any tough job is a good excuse to buy more tools.
The keys to this sucker are 1. Flare nut wrenches to remove the hydraulic lines 2. A Stanley shopmate work bench which has a built in vice 3. a plumber's chain wrench that bites into the bomb 4. The best advice was to install the hydraulic lines BEFORE remounting the bomb/master cylinder to the bracket.

Welcome to the gang.
-Ken
Sansouci
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pagz_e24
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Post by pagz_e24 »

sansouci wrote:Did the same job myself recently. Any tough job is a good excuse to buy more tools.
The keys to this sucker are 1. Flare nut wrenches to remove the hydraulic lines 2. A Stanley shopmate work bench which has a built in vice 3. a plumber's chain wrench that bites into the bomb 4. The best advice was to install the hydraulic lines BEFORE remounting the bomb/master cylinder to the bracket.

Welcome to the gang.
-Ken
i agree with you on the flare nut wrenches. Instead of the plumbers chain wrench, i used a Pennzoil Oil Filter strap wrench like this:

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detai ... ter+wrench

The larger one worked great with a pipe wrench on the regulator. Should have taken off the pressure switches first though.

My only advice for anyone else is to take your time. When i read other posts stating that your low back would hurt, i thought they were kidding....not kidding... My low back is still stiff from being bent over, and i am a short guy!...Feel sorry for the tall guys tackling this job.
Pagz_e24

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songzunhuang
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Total Tangent...

Post by songzunhuang »

Hey, I noticed you live in Elk Grove! My brother in law lives there and we visit him quite often. I'm down near Santa Cruz.

My bomb just came in from AutohausAZ. I am planning to tackle the bomb this weekend. I got a special strap wrench with a chain and you use a 1/4" rachet to turn it. I was hoping to remove it in place. I got a feeling that's going to be a pipe dream. One can hope.

I'm beginning to think I need one of those crow foot wrench things. So 17mm Huh?
-----
Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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clipper47
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Post by clipper47 »

I replaced the bomb on my 6'er last month. Fortunately it was a relatively easy task since all of the fittings except that bottom rear one came free with line wrenches although not without a struggle. That rear bottom 17MM fitting was a concern but what I did was remove the fitting at the brake servo instead as it was easy to reach. The whole unit came out and was replaced without removing that rear 17MM at all . I was actually surprised at how easy it al went. Bench vice and chain strap made bomb removal a snap. I can see how it would be a real PITA with very tight fittings or without proper tools.
Dave
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Post by sansouci »

HF Chain wrench 97073
http://www.harborfreight.com/media/cata ... _13114.jpg

You won't need it often but it allows you to remove the accumulator without removing the booster. However, I do not recommend it as you are stressing the mount where the booster is bolted to the firewall. After you remove the booster, the chain wrench and a workmate table is the way to go.
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Post by songzunhuang »

sansouci wrote:HF Chain wrench 97073
http://www.harborfreight.com/media/cata ... _13114.jpg

You won't need it often but it allows you to remove the accumulator without removing the booster. However, I do not recommend it as you are stressing the mount where the booster is bolted to the firewall. After you remove the booster, the chain wrench and a workmate table is the way to go.
Oh man! I bought that chain wrench in the hopes that I could change the bomb without removing the entire assembly first. I'll have 2 people (one to hold the assembly while I wail in the wrench.

But after the message about how some folks don't find the process of removing the assembly so difficult, maybe I'll reconsider.

My experience so far has been to expect the worst. Nothing on this car has been easier than expected.
-----
Song Huang
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Post by clipper47 »

Song, I looked at the possibility of removing the bomb without removing it from the car but there just seem to be enough room with the chain wrench I have. Also when I removed the entire regulator it gave me the opportunity to clean everything up.
Dave
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Post by songzunhuang »

clipper47 wrote:Song, I looked at the possibility of removing the bomb without removing it from the car but there just seem to be enough room with the chain wrench I have. Also when I removed the entire regulator it gave me the opportunity to clean everything up.
In the end I did remove the assembly and the strap from Harbor Freight didn't work. I had to walk the whole assembly to my neighbor - who has way more tools than I. He had a monster bench vise.

I did buy a set of flare wrenches and a set of Crowfoot wrenches. All came in handy, although I only used one of the Crowfoots.

It's been a few weeks and the brakes are soooo much better.
-----
Song Huang
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Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
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