Brakes: Aggravating banjo bolts

[Guest]

What is it with banjo bolts leaking? I hate to really crank down on them for fear of breaking them off in the calipers...
Should I get longer ones? Use some goo in the threads? Different washers than the copper ones I'm using?
Thanks!

[sweetolbob]

What is it with banjo bolts leaking? I hate to really crank down on them for fear of breaking them off in the calipers...
Should I get longer ones? Use some goo in the threads? Different washers than the copper ones I'm using?
Thanks!

Tom

Nope, Nope and Nope. Just be sure you are using the correct copper washer and you are using new washers each time. If mine were leaking, I'd get new washers for both sides and tighten them gently. You really don't need a lot of torque to seal them. Over-torquing can distort them. In fact, run the banjo bolts in, without the brake fittings, to see what the gap is to be sure they are not bottoming out before a seal is achieved.

If that doesn't work I'm pretty much at a loss a copper can deform to handle a lot of small irregularities better than most methods.

Bob

[Guest]

Gotcha! Thanks, Bob. I'll try that today with new washers.

[WCP]

You may have to rotate the hose 180 degrees. There usually is an offset at the banjo end of the hose. Make sure that the hose fitting isn't contacting the caliper housing. If this has been the problem, you will find the washers tapered with non-uniform impressions on the surface.