Where to get copper sealing washers for brakes?

I just ordered a set of SS brake lines from Iron Rock. I was doing some reading on putting them on and noticed people recomending new copper sealing washers. Where can i get some of these at?

thanks, Brian

You should be able to pick them up at any auto parts store. They'll usually be in the "HELP" section if they have one.

I've usually had very poor luck trying to reuse those copper washers. Like fasteddieyj said, you should be able to get them in any auto parts shop.

ironrock doesnt ship their lines with them? im pretty sure my oem lines came with them.....
(or was it the calipers?)

If anyone does know where to source these speak up, b/c i've never really been able to find them.

As a really good trick so you can reuse them, you need to do what is called ANNEALING. Here is the run down. You start with fresh copper, anytime it is flexed/bent ect, it gets harder and less malliable(sp?). So if you just try to reuse the current crush washers they are going to be too hard to conform b/c they were previously flexed. So how you make them 'like new soft' is very simple. Take them and hang them from something like a coat hanger, hit them with a propane or mapp gas torch. get them glowing very bright cherry red, then immediately quench them in water. You will be able to pick them right up out of the water, no need to wait a few minutes, they cool off very fast. Now they should look very fiery red/orange. now you are ready to reuse them its that simple. This process can be done over and over and over again.

every auto parts store i have ever set foot in has them.

not really a hard to find part

Banjo washers, ANY auto parts store worth opening its doors will have them in many different sizes.

The help section should have them. However you can anneal the washers by heating them until they are red hot.

Napa has em, 10 or more different sizes actually. as stated above, ANY auto parts store should have them available.

Ditto.

I brought the old ones in to my local Napa and walked out 10 minutes later.

I wouldn't want to reuse them since they also get thinner every time, but I guess it's good info to have in a real pinch.

RockAuto has them (under extras, brake/wheel hub, hydraulic brakes, brake bleeders), so do most of the parts stores I've been to.

IIRC they are 10mmx16mm

Talyn said:

The help section should have them. However you can anneal the washers by heating them until they are red hot.

Click to expand...

Half marks - heat them red hot, and then drop them in water (copper and its alloys behave in an opposite manner to iron and its alloys in response to heat-cycling - heating and gradually cooling makes copper & alloys harder, while heating and quenching will anneal.)

File them flat first tho - use a double-cut fine mill file or bastard file to do this quickly without going too far. File, and then anneal.

I've been able to get away with reusing dead soft copper washers in this manner once only.

As mentioned, any parts house that is worth being called such should have them either in the HELP! section or in the back with the brake hardware, and you should be able to pick them up by the dozen without any trouble.

Failing that, find a local fluid power supply house (a Parker-Hannifin dealer is usually good for these - and for making hoses if required!) and you can get them there without any trouble. Since you'll need two for each banjo screw, may as well get a dozen or so so you'll have spares (no reason for them to cost too much anyhow.)

5-90 said:

Half marks - heat them red hot, and then drop them in water (copper and its alloys behave in an opposite manner to iron and its alloys in response to heat-cycling - heating and gradually cooling makes copper & alloys harder, while heating and quenching will anneal.)

Click to expand...

You don't have to quench copper in water for annealing. Air cooling is fine. Air cooling will not harden copper.

I am an impatient person. If I can use water quenching, I will :roflmao:

Talyn said:

You don't have to quench copper in water for annealing. Air cooling is fine. Air cooling will not harden copper.

Click to expand...

If im cleaning and gapping plugs and dont have new copper washers, I heat them up cherry red then dip them. All the old crud comes off of them making them look like bran new! Good ol' annealing. Its in the "standard practices" AC 43.13. If it works for the FAA it should work for a jeep! :rof: