florindi

I was swapping out my rubber lines and I had a hard time with two of the lines. The front right and left rear. Now the nut is totally stripped and I even tried heating it up. I don't know what to do to get it off. I even tried vice grips, no luck either. Unless someone has a easy way to re-flare the end after cutting or I am going to have to replace the line. Has anyone replaced a brake line on a 996/997?

MichaelL

I saw your post on 6 speed also. An almost new car should not have these problems. Get the car to a good aftermarket shop or the dealer. Any defective or damaged parts should be replaced. Brakes are a vital safety system. I don't mean to be critical, but this looks like one of those labor rate schedules where the cost is "$100/hour or $150/hour (if you worked on it already)".

Edgy01

I would suspect that you started off with the wrong tools. Did you use a conventional box-ended wrench? You should use a line-wrench on those connectors. If the things are still salvageable then you you should use the correct tool for the job. If not, then the entire line needs to be replaced.

I suspect no one has HAD to replace a brake line on a 997 yet because you don't HAVE to. Why changeover to SS lines when Porsche put the seriously first rate rubber ones in originally? I love it when people start replacing things on these cars as if they know more about an integrated engineering solution than Porsche. Most "upgrading" materials will be found, in time, to be lesser products.

florindi

First off, I used a line wrench. This is not my first car I have worked on in my life. I was very surprised how seized the line was. I heated the line and even sprayed it with the freezing lube stuff. This did not work. So everyone keeps talking about how good the stock lines really are, so I decided to cut one in half. There is nothing special about the stock lines. They are rubber with a rope type braid. You can feel a slight improvement with stainless lines. Anyway, I am forced to replace the line. The line is cheap only $30. I can only pray the labor won't be too high.

Edgy01

I'm glad to hear that this isn't your first rodeo! The stock lines will take you well beyond 100,000 miles without getting spongy, but as long as there are SS line manufacturers out there, there will always be home mechanics that believe that moving to SS lines makes a significant deal. Go look at what they put on the GT2 and you'll see the same lines.

Sadiq

true no difference for street cars, but helps with brake fade at the track

florindi

This is where I expect to feel a difference. I figure for a little cash and if it keep the pedal a little firmer, then that was the intent. Porsche uses SS braided lines at the ABS unit end. Rubber tends to dry out and harden up. It probably would last 100K if you did that much driving in a P-car. My car is 4 years old.