Setting Crush Washers

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ssn696

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Amidst all the crap on YouTube, I find the occasional useful nugget.


Use a couple careful whacks with a hammer to help make brake line joints leak tight on used or refurbished calipers.

This video describes it. My inner geek explains it. The tightened banjo bolt is under tension just under the head. The hammer blow overcomes the tension and bonks the dead-soft copper into any pits or scratches. Note how he got a little more turn out of the bolt when the washer flattens a little each time.

Seems like good advice to me.
 
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Bonnewagon

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I have never had a leak at that spot. But I also always use a new washer every time. I never try and re-use an already crushed washer. Still sounds like good insurance to give it a whack just for good measure.
 

69hurstolds

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Good idea. And then re-torque them to the proper specs just to be sure. Bet some didn't know there was a torque spec for those things...

Stock G-body brake line at caliper torque- 33 lbs.-ft. All other steel line fittings torqued to 18 lbs.-ft.

Just so ya know.
 
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Wraith

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Another tech tip is to re-anneal the old washers by getting them red hot with a torch, it gets them back to "soft" after they have work hardened. Done this many times if I didn't have a new washer around.
 
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Wraith

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Work hardening is from repeated cycles of stress in the metal, not one time tightening up..

Not to start an argument but it may not be "traditional" work hardening as you are talking about such as with steel.

From the internet:
Copper has a cubic crystal structure (Face Centered Cubic) that gives it high ductility. Bending the copper causes work hardening (or strain hardening) because working or straining the copper introduces defects, known as dislocations, into the structure. These defects interfere with further deformation, making the copper harder and stronger, thus making it more difficult to bend further.

Annealing causes the structure to create and grow new grains that are free of strain. The new grains remove all dislocations and other defects caused by the deformation, thus leaving the material in its original soft condition, although not in its original shape it will still be the same shape as after deformation, but can be easily bent again.
 
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Built6spdMCSS

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Completely agree with that, given I've annealed shell brass for reloading, but the initiation of smokeless powder and the physics involved in that process of a cartridge separating in the chamber of a weapon is much more involved than turning down a fastener, once, by hand, with hand tools, on a copper washer.

Just throwing out there you're over thinking and over working this one. :)
 

69hurstolds

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84 cents each list price at the GM dealership right now under p/n 20102386. Usually comes in a bag of 10. If you get a discount, that's even better. Buy a bag.

For as often as you need to do brakes, just toss the used ones and install new ones. I bought two bags of them 20 years and pretty sure I've got a lifetime supply.
 
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Bonnewagon

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Harbor Fright has a whole box for sale, all sizes. I use them for oil drain bolt washers. No leaks!!
image_15873.jpg
 
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-dw-

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Just a day ago I prob coulda use this. Coworker couldnt get several sets of copper washers to seal on a reman caliper and hose. Could easily see only one side of the washer was being crushed. I got it to seal with a set of alum washers.
 
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