I have a 1987 240 and recently my left caliper started leaking fluid, causing brake failure. I bought a new caliper and went under the car to replace it but this turned out to be harder than I expected. The bolts connecting the brake hoses to the caliper were rounded, as were the bolts connecting the hoses to the lines. In order to replace the caliper, I clearly need to remove the hoses at least from the caliper end, and I would like to remove them from the frame end as well (so I can just replace the hoses altogether).

I have sprayed them like mad with WD-40, I tried vice-grip pliers; I even filed them down to a smaller wrench size, but nothing I do will get them to turn. I am wondering if there is something I don't know about removing hoses: some standard procedure of which I am completely ignorant? One thing I have seriously considered doing is taking a blowtorch to the damned things, but I don't want to do that if there's some much easier way that I've just never heard of.

Any advice? Even if you have to start off by calling me a total moron, as long as what you have to say will help me, I want to hear it.

The hoses on my old '86 240 were so corroded on there, I ended up breaking almost every connection I tried to get off. I had to replace all the front brake lines because they broke! I hope that doesn't happen to you because it can get very expensive, since there are two lines to each caliper.