unit

I'm doing a heads & cam swap on my 04 C5 coupe. Trying to drop the steering rack but I cannot break the 18mm nut on the power steering cooler return hose free. I have an 18mm flair line wrench and the wrench handle is flexing due to the pressure I'm putting on it. I don't want to damage the nut, so I'm stopping until I get some advice. How do you get this nut off?

Rise of the Phoenix

iTrader: (27)

Can you get an impact on it? Maybe spray it down with some WD40 or liquid wrench and give it some time to penetrate and then try again.

unit

A regular socket or box wrench won't fit over the power steering line. The nut requires a line wrench - a better one than I have! I'm considering buying a crows foot flare line nut wrench but I'm not sure that's the best tool. An open end wrench fits but will almost certainly round the corners off of the nut.

unit

I got it!!!! Warming up was a good idea. Small taps weren't helping so I put a long extension on the nut and gave it a few good whacks with a hammer and it broke free with almost no effort.

Rise of the Phoenix

iTrader: (27)

Yeah, the longer you can extend the wrench, the more torque you can get, which equates to better "breaking" ability. Glad you got it loose. I know how frustrating that **** is when you can't break them loose.

EnergyCC

Ouch! That's happened to me a few times too.... just get more leverage

farmington

iTrader: (14)

Don't force it, just hit it with a bigger hammer, I always say.