Keenan Keenan

First attempt at anything like this. I moved provinces and needed to have my car pass a safety inspection by a mechanic. It failed due to rusty steel lines. They quoted me about $2000 for them to replace the lines. I can't afford that much. Even if I have to miss a full week of work to do it myself, it'll cost less for me to do it.

I'm wondering if anyone here has enough experiece to help me create a shopping list for myself to get this job done. I know I'll need a whole lot of steel brake line, a line cutter, and more brake fluid, but what else should I be picking up?

I have access to lots of basic tools such as jack stands, wrenches, lights, screwdrivers etc..., just looking for help figuring our what brake specific tools I'll need.

Thanks for your help everyone.

mikey1

holy crap,

i wouldn't wish this job on my worst enemy without the use of a hoist,

might as well replace the rubber lines at the calipers while your at it, they are probably more likely to burst then the steel is,

get one of those bleeder devices that you hook up to the calipers or bleeding will take you forever

5johny5

Most important tool you will need is a brake line flaring kit. You need to put a double flare on the line before it will seal. So you will need the appropriate fittings and unions to do this. Not an easy process, and even harder when trying to do it on your back. A tubing bender would also help you out.

ezone

Learn the basics of how to flare the lines first, then bending.
The Zone rented the flare kit here.
And look into the softer more flexible brake line tubing, it's much easier to deal with the bending. Google 'copper-nickel alloy DOT approved brake line' for more info.

If you are comfortable with the basics, you can buy brake line in rolls and make up your own in whatever length you need.
If not comfortable, you can purchase premade lines in various lengths and bend to fit.

Avoid flare union fittings from Autozone. The ones I tried would only take about 2 threads then strip out, they were not deep enough for the last line job I did on my own old car. Spend the extra money to get fittings that work correctly and are not dangerous.

Keenan Keenan

Thanks for all the replys.

I have just started this project today (it feels like it's been longer). I took off some of the old lines and they have bubble flare, not double flare. Why is this so? I bought a double flare too, can I get away with that? Also, the flare tools that are easy to find are pretty frustrating to use no?

What are flare union fittings? I want to build these lines in parts, but all of the parts stores I've gone to have told me that it can't be done. Are they crazy? Thanks for the help and replies.

ezone

Because the engineers didn't ask us first.


I don't get to deal with fabbing brake lines at work for customer cars, nobody is willing to pay what I feel it's worth to do a good job. The last car I fabbed brake lines for was my own, I bought 25 foot rolls to make them up.

The only other things I seem to make lines for is our snowplow trucks LOL.




Bubble flare is easier to make than double flare, IMO.
Once you learn the techniques it gets much easier to adapt on the fly.


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Got a NAPA or any other store that caters to professionals?
A parts store that employs people that know what they are doing?
Stay away from parts stores that stay open on Sunday and only hire people who have no clue what a fratostat is. (LOL)

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You should use the same type of flare as the part you are connecting to requires.

Example: If a wheel cylinder uses a bubble flare, you need to make your new line to match it. Same if the master cylinder connection uses a bubble, make it match.

However.... If you just need to join two lengths of brake line between those two items, I'd say use whatever style is most convenient for you.






Double vs bubble:












Brake line union fitting, bubble flare:


Brake line union fitting, double flare:










Compression fittings on brake lines are strictly verboten in my book.


And finally, a training video!


HTH

Keenan Keenan

Thanks for all the info.

The reason I'm doing this on my own isn't that I'm not willing to pay, it's that I can't afford to pay.
I work for 18$ an hour. The mechanic charges $115 an hour. For every 1 hour I pay someone else to bend metal, I could not work, bend metal for 4 hours and still save money. It it was affordable I would pay. I don't want to be dealing with as much rust as I am.

Thanks for the training video.