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Old November 10th 07, 07:16 AM posted to alt.autos.ford,rec.autos.makers.ford.mustang
Jim Warman
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Posts: 630
Default Rusty Brake Lines, SAVING YOUR SANITY

Good post, BYM..... Strangely, here in small town Alberta, I have found an
aftermarket store that can supply some of these oddball lines..... They wont
be preformed and they might not be the right length (maybe go longer and put
a vibration loop in a decent spot).... but they are there and they can work.

When faced with a rusted line, do NOT use compression fittings to replace
only the obvious affected area ( brake lines can rust from the inside out).
If replacing a line, follow it "upstream" (towards the master cylinder) and
replace the line from "that" connection to the end.

Brakes are too important to fudge with....


"Backyard Mechanic" > wrote in message
2...
> Just replaced my second (different cars) rusty broken line in a
> month..what does that say about my life!
>
> Here's some good advice, I think.
>
> Forget Autozone and the like for parts.. they'll have the flex lines but
> when it comes to solid lines, Autozone particularly is near useless, they
> dont have everything you might need...EXCEPT for the double flaring tool
> which you can rent for nothing or buy cheap.
>
> Find a parts house that supplies local shops.
>
> 1. Is the line good or bad... If it has "flaky cakerust", it's gonna go
> soon if it hasnt already.
>
> 2. Get QUALITY tubing wrenches, not no-names.. you shouldnt need more
> than two or three
>
> ***THIS IS THE MAIN POINT OF THIS POST:
> 3. Dont waste your time trying to get rusty fittings loose.
> - If it's a bad/rusty line anyway, cut it at the nut and use a GOOD six-
> point socket.
> ****NO TUBING WRENCH IS AS GOOD AS A SIX-POINT SOCKET!*****
> - If the whole connection is solid rust, replace that other part as well.
> Example: rear line goes into flex line at body bracket, and you see
> a solid mass of rust, including the bracket itself. Cut the solid line,
> remove the entire bracket and flex line as an assembly and chip rust away
> to remove the clip. Replace the Flex line too.
>
> ****TRYING TO "MINIMIZE THE JOB" USUALLY ENDS UP IN YOUR REPLACING THE
> PART ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!****
>
>
> 4. Overestimate the length of the tubing you're replacing when you buy
> the new one(s) or get several. Cheap enough and you can take the ones
> you dont use back. It's easy enough to take out excess length by looping
> the tubing... if you try to "stretch or short-cut" it, you may end up
> with broken or worn lines soon
>
> 5. Ford has a bad habit of using two sizes of fitting on the same line.
> Look close.. wrench size doesnt matter, it's threaded barrel size that
> matters. Get male/female adapters.. if it's 3/16 line, get a couple of
> 3/16 to 1/4
>
> 6. Bending: good brake line bends easily without kinking but always bend
> over a round object as the mandrel, not a sharp one.
> - Dont try to exactly duplicate the bends..just make sure it follows the
> same path and is in same area... double check for clearance and rubbing
>
> 7. Flaring. Completely replacing a front to back line is usually a
> bitch... and you probably dont need to anyway. The back half is usually
> the section that rusts badly. So you will want to splice in new...
>
> Find the rear-most section with no rust between it and the Master Cyl,
> and where a splice can be made without it ending up exposed to speed bump
> and road trash.
>
> DO NOT use hose or flex tubing of any kind, do not use compression
> fittings or single flare.. The rings will eventually leak, the single
> flare will eventually crack.
> There's VERY high pressure in these lines, so obviously you dont use hose
> and clamps
>
> Most people have had bad experieces trying to double flare, and that is
> mainly because the tool they used was junk... the amateaur couldnt afford
> the precision pro type tools so ..gasp.. they bought crap and the thing
> usuall would clamp or the bobbin tool deformed.
>
> Thanks to the Chinese 'Red Army, Inc' who are trying to Out-Japan Japan
> in terms of product quality, that's no longer always the case. The tool
> you rent at Autozone IS inexpensive but works well
>
> - Google double flare for directions
> - Go to Lowes Plumbing Dept for the mini-tubing-cutter, must be rated for
> 3/16
> - knock off ragged edges... dont go nuts and ream it out
> - INSTALL NUT BEFORE FLARING!!!!!!!
> - INSTALL NUT BEFORE FLARING!!!!!!!
> - Tighten end of clamp closest to tubing FIRST, then the other end
> (Leverage, ya know) Use the round bar through the wings of nut for
> leverage to tighten
> - Dont skimp on how much should be projecting from clamp, double flare
> takes more length than you might think.
> - Double check... DID YOU INSTALL NUT?!!!
> - Insert the mandrel, run the tool down HARD till mandrel bottoms on
> clamp
> - Remove and look.. should be a "bell" almost to the lip of the tool
> opening.
> - Finish the flare.. dont run it down as hard as the first step, just a
> firm resistance.. if in doubt take it in stages.
>
> 8. tighten all fittings to good snug, dont overwrench them
>
> 9. Get a brake bleeding tool
> - free the bleeder screw with a six point socket if it resists at all,
> - make sure you dont run the reservoir dry, if you have, then "bench
> bleed" master cyl, first... directions found by google, parts avail at
> store.
> - Bleed 'far side' brake cyl first.. till you get liquid, then the other
> cyl. till mostly liquid
> - with bleeders closed, pump brake pedal about ten times slowly.
> - bleed cyls again till no air comes out
>
> 10 Start Engine, apply brakes hard - Check all fitting and lines, if a
> connection is leaking or seeping, tighten no more than 1/4 turn, wipe off
> and check again. If that 1/4 turn didnt do it..MAYBE another 1/8th
> turn... if that didnt do it, you have a crack or dirt interfering.
>
> Remember: Time is money, and frustration from poor planning or wrong
> tools breeds low self-esteem and that ends up costing you money.
>
> Knowledge of a job well done and done right is PRICELESS!
>
> If you could buy it... you'd pay 75 to 100 bucks and hour for it.
>
> Yeah... like a Shrink's fee.



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