Brake line

I have a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan. I just put on new brake pads and I cannot get my brake line to seal properly. (I loosened it to drain the line so I can push back the caliper).

I now tighten the banjo bolt and it will not seal tight enough. I cranked it so hard, the factory bolt broke and I got a new one from a car parts store.

Any ideas???

you are using new crush washers on both sides of the banjo arent you?

the bolt needs TWO soft copper washers when you reassemble it. ensure you have TWO NEW washers on each side of it to seal. one washer goes next to the caliper, the other goes between the bolt head and the other side of the banjo.

since you are opening this up, you must bleed all the wheel in the proper order to get all the air out.

Recognize that crush washers (ref: Oldschool’s post) once used should not be reused. That may be why you’ve having so much trouble.

For future reference you may want to bleed the calipers through the bleeder nipples. Do so into a small bottle hanging as close to the caliper as possible and with brake fluid in it and a tube from the bleeder into the fluid. The air in the tube will burp out of the fluid in the bottle as the fluid gets pushed out of the caliper and into the bottle, and any recoil of the piston will then draw back only pure, air free brake fluid.