Any tips or tricks I should know about to properly seal the brake hose to the caliper? The fitting is a square block with a slightly recessed grooved sealing face machined on both sides of the block, using a copper sealing washer on each face to seal the banjo bolt and fitting to the caliper. The fitting seems to nestle into a recess in the caliper to prevent rotation and the banjo bolt was torqued to the recommend 35 ft/lbs.

But It leaks!!

All I can figure is that the aftermarket part is slightly oversized and is not seating in the recess in the caliper all of the way, or the ID of the inner copper washer is large enough to allow an edge to drop out of the recess in the fitting during assembly and get pinched?

It turned cold here, so I haven't pulled it apart yet to see what might be wrong. I though I would ask and see if this is one of those, "common problems" before I get back to it in the next day or so.

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'81 D150 with "Lean Burn"

you need to use new copper washers, the old ones have work-hardened and will not conform to their new position in the seating grooves.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

You can re-use the copper washers if they are in good shape. You need to relieve their stress by heating them with a torch, make them red hot for a second, then let them air cool. All work hardening will be gone. I've used this trick on copper washers for aviation spark plugs, it's pretty common, but this fitting came with two new washers and were installed, so that is not it.

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'81 D150 with "Lean Burn"

Just wondering out loud here....are the New washers from China??? Are they too hard new???? If you have the old ones try the reheat trick and see if that works.
I have had some problems with "hardware" being China crap even with USA made goods.
My 02.
Frank

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Scrapple: Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste.
73 Duster - Race Car
66 Dart Wagon - DD
178" FED
82 D150
All Slant powered

how badly does it leak? if the leakage is slight, you can spray the area clean with brake cleaner, air dry, apply momentary brake pressure, then get under there and dust the fitting with talc to contrast the leak against the fitting. i use a squeeze bottle of baby powder and angle it so the whoosh of air is just applying a light cloud of talc. this should pinpoint your leak to a crack in the fitting, a poor crimp on the hose, or either washer. you will need good light and good room all around so you can see it from as many angles as possible. support the car safely with stands and block wheels.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

when this crap happen in my shop, i just go to the drawer of crush washers and keep trying new ones til it works. but to think of it, i think ive only had one or two new crush washers on me not work. they are copper, they will get thin and weak over time. just grab some new ones...

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'72 Valiant DD for over a decade-225-Disc brakes, big T-bars, big Sway bars f/r, carter bbd/super six, GM HEI, 2- 12" subs in trunk, 1000w amp...
'77 cherokee cheif widetrack-360-33x12.5 tires-no lift. keeps driveway dry-project/backup DD/mudder

I have better luck reusing the old ones, as the new ones I get are noticeably thinner and i can never seem to get these to seal. Especially after having to go to NAPA of all places for "normal thickness" replacements and charged $5 per washer some years back. Granted brake fluid leaks are nothing to screw with, but that was ridiculous! This "thin washer that refuses to seal" problem seems to have gotten worse, since imports have taken over the replacement brake hose market. (they usually toss a couple in with the replacement hose) and Ive never had to heat and "anneal" one to gain a seal.

I agree with VolareDon.

The originals are nice and meaty and the new China copper washers are paper thin.

I have never had to heat one up to have it re-seal either.

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1969-1/2 Dodge Super Bee A12 (440 Six Pack, 4-spd, Dana 60)
1974 Plymouth Duster 360 (4-spd, 8.75")
1973 Plymouth Duster (225, auto, 8.25")
2001 Dodge Ram 1500 QC 2wd (5.9L, auto, Dana 60)

Yup, it was the washers, sorry it took so long to reply.

Here is the leak, obvious after I cleaned the area up:
<img src="http://bigcoupe.com/ims/pic.php?u=21GvpX2&i=334" border="0">

Sure enough, the new washers are nearly half the thickness of the old ones:
<img src="http://bigcoupe.com/ims/pic.php?u=21GvpX2&i=335" border="0">

But they should still work if it weren't for the fact that the Caliper AND the Fitting, BOTH have a recess machined in them. The thin washer just barely stands proud of the recess in the caliper. I reused the old thick washers and it sealed right up:
<img src="http://bigcoupe.com/ims/pic.php?u=21GvpX2&i=336" border="0">

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'81 D150 with "Lean Burn"

so with the thinner washers the banjo was contacting the nonmachined portion of the boss and preventing the washer from sealing if i understand you correctly?

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Yup, That's it exactly.

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'81 D150 with "Lean Burn"