<VV> Too Old to Learn?

[hihal6 at gmail.com]

I bought my first Corvair in 1960 and have owned at least one every year
since then. One constant maintenance item has been the braking system. In
my part of the US--(Ohio), use of rock salt on winter highways causes the
brake line fittings to virtually weld together. More times than not, the
fittings are mangled by wrenches and locking pliers or the line is twisted.
Today, while taking a break from working on one of those stubborn fittings,
I used a new approach------ I Googled the problem.

Most forums repeated all the flawed methods I had tried over the years with
the same weak results.

One forum however; I believe it was the  Opel or Triumph, had a suggestion
that the writer said never failed. HEAT works, he said. He said soldering
irons don't provide enough heat and welding and propane torches are
overkill and dangerous. He recommended an electric heat gun, normally used
to remove paint. Specifically, a Wagner model which has two heat
ranges.       I went to the local Wal-Mart today and bought one in the
paint dept. for $23 bucks.

Back home in the garage, I turned on and aimed my new toy (I mean't tool)
at the connector which kept me occupied for 2 hours last night. In 3 or 4
minutes smoking parts told me to try the wrenches. With only slight
resistance, the threads released 43 years of solidarity.

I highly recommend this tool for brake lines, but not so much for gas
lines. A word of caution though. It is about the same size as a hair dryer
and looks about the same. I believe this heat gun would set your hair on
fire in no time.

And so, I proved to myself for one more day at least, I am not too old to
learn.

Wade Halsey