Brake hard line - repair or replace

[theoldwizard1]

I'm sure many of you are keeping older vehicles on the road longer and if you live in the midwest where they use road salt, or near the coast where there is a lot of salt air, you know that rust is your enemy !

For the life of me, I will never understand why automakers won't pay a few extra bucks and use stainless lines for fuel and brakes, but they don't. So over the years, they corrodes, especially at the fitting where they join a flex hose. Eventually the corrosion is so bad the the connector will not longer spin on the line. If you are lucky, you will be able to undo the hose end and install a new hose. If not ...

Do you replace the whole hard line back to the next good joint or do you just do a compression splice at a convenient place and insert a new piece of line, pre-flared, with a fitting on it ?

Remember, on most vehicles, the brake and fuel lines are installed long before many other components, so replacing a long section of line may be difficult. Also doing a proper double flare (which is challenging enough for a rookie) on the vehicle may not be feasible.

 

[purplezr2]

I have done both with no issues. When doing a double flare you just need to take your time.

 

[flht1997]

Pretty sure a compression fitting on a brake line is a no-no, and personally wouldn't ever do it on one of my cars, just replace the whole thing.

 

[A_Pmech]

I always pull the lines out and make new ones to match the originals.

 

[PinkLinc]

If it looks possible, I would try to repair the line first. Worst thing that could happen is you screw it up and then you replace the whole thing. I agree that trying to get a high quality double flare on a line with it still connected to the car will be challenging.

 

[Jagmandave]

If it's rusted at all you need to replace all of them, your brakes are your life!

And don't scrimp, there are stainless kits available now.

 

[jayoldschool]

1. Find leak.
2. Cut out bad section.
3. Double flare tubing,on the car (add nuts first).
4. Add unions.
5. Insert replacement tubing, tighten.
6. Bleed brakes.
7. Wish we lived where they don't use road salt.
8. Drink beer.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

don't be a cheap ***; replace the entire line

 

[Murphy4570]

I replace as needed. Usually the only line that is a PITA to replace is the one going to the rear brakes. That line I either replace the whole thing, or cut up near the master cylinder somewhere, and put a double flare union fitting in.

A good trick for when the fitting is so rusted, that the line will not spin inside it, is to just cut the line and use a socket, rather than a flarenut wrench. You can use a punch or drill bit to get the rusty line out if you need to reuse the fitting.

Never ever use compression fittings. Double flare or bubble flare it as needed.

 

[kmkalf]

i replace all the lines when one goes out for the fact that the pressure will blow another out pretty soon. Last thing you want to do is have your love ones or a trailer behind you and have your brakes fail, pick up the 25' rolls from the local parts store and run new lines, this will minimize leaks for only 2 flares per line

 

[srmofo]

1. Find leak.
2. Cut out bad section.
3. Double flare tubing,on the car (add nuts first).
4. Add unions.
5. Insert replacement tubing, tighten.
6. Bleed brakes.
7. Wish we lived where they don't use road salt.
8. Drink beer.

This....why replace the entire line if only a section is rusted which is very common...obviously you have to replace enough to get to a good spot, not only a rust free section but also an area where you have room to work. I understand sometimes you dont have a choice, but many times you do.

Of course if a customer wants to pay me to replace the entire line (or every single line ,like some suggested) then Id be more than happy to do that...Cant say Ive ever had that happen though

 

[tpwalsh]

If you're DIYing it why not just replace the whole line? I just did my whole truck for under $100 in lines. It took me about 8 hours to replace all the lines so the major shop expense is labor. The piece of mind knowing I don't have rotted lines that I'll have to replace a year down the road(unlike the rest of the truck) was worth every extra minute.

 

[rocklobster]

Replace the line. It will probably be cheaper than purchasing a bandaid and compression fittings if you DIY (but will take longer). Also now is the time to inspect all the lines and replace sketchy looking ones as they are all probably the same vintage!

I am no expert but can lines rot from inside out from moisture in the fluid?

This is also a good time to flush all the lines with fresh brake fluid while you have the system open and are bleeding.

Do it right the first time...

 

[Flathead Red]

Remove, replace, flush. It's your life and the lives of your family/friends. No brainer.

Red

 

[countryroad82]

I know it is frowned upon (putting on flame suit), but I am guilty of doing both. When I have done compression fittings it is normally on some pos that isn't long for this world and not worth my time to fix correctly. Most of the time I replace the whole line to the next joint when I can.

 

[SIDECAR BOB]

replace the whole line, liability and safety are not worth risking it

 

[bad_idea]

I have replaced the brake lines on two vehicles now. A 79 Camaro I ordered a stainless steel brake line kit that was prebent. Just pull out of the box and bolt in. The second was a 56? (I forget the exact year now) TR-3A. I was able to find a set of copper nickel lines pre-terminated. I just had to bend the lines.

I wouldn't try to repair a rusty, corroded old line. Not worth the trouble when you can buy pre-bent kits.

 

[.mike.]

Replace the line, with either stainless or poly lines depending on the application.

 

[Tim Kennedy]

Not sure in MI but here in PA, if memory serves me right -- it's not legal to splice a run, it has to go fitting to fitting. Any PA inspection mechanics out there for a confirmation?

 

[70Chevy]

If you buy a new straight piece of line and bend it yourself you don't have to following the exact same route as the original if it's really hard to get around the frame, suspension, exhaust, etc. Just route the new piece up and out of harms way...I try to use the lines that are already flared - at least one can use one end if you have to shorten it.

 

[plinker]

I repaired a line on one of the Dodge trucks at work. We had to replace a frayed caliper hose and the nut fitting twisted the line off. (rust seized the nut, causing it to twist the line)

So I looked the situiation over and determined that we didnt have enough line on hand to completely replace it, so I checked the line again and the OEM had plastic coated the line almost to the end of it (about 3" was not coated), I cut off some of the coating and found rust free line.

So I got the flare tool out and flared the clean line and put a union on it and bent a small piece of line and it was done, no issue's. Not exactly what I would have liked to do but it worked and saved time.

 

[gtixpress]

Not to side-track the thread, but what is a good tool for bending brake lines? I have a tool like in the link below, but I'm not crazy about it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GKEXS4/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[jsaw]

I use these, quick to use, & they work good

 

[buick64203]

A compression fitting on a brake line will not pass NY state inspecton. A flare and a union, mid line is perfectly acceptable.

The Mastercool hydraulic flaring tool is hands down the best flaring too Ive ever used.

 

[skiingman]

A compression fitting on a brake line will not pass NY state inspecton. A flare and a union, mid line is perfectly acceptable.

The Mastercool hydraulic flaring tool is hands down the best flaring too Ive ever used.

I found a "professionally" repaired line leaking at the joints last season due to continued corrosion.

Patching a line when all of them are in dubious condition along their length is just stupid, but stupid runs a lot of used car lots.

 

[buick64203]

I found a "professionally" repaired line leaking at the joints last season due to continued corrosion.

Patching a line when all of them are in dubious condition along their length is just stupid, but stupid runs a lot of used car lots.

Agreed. But in a case where there is only an isolated area of rust/ rot, cutting the line and repairing it is perfectly acceptable. Many times the line rusts because of the armor shield that is installed in vertain sections of the line (the coiled abrasion resistant shielding).

 

[MustangRick]

I repaired about a foot section with compression fittings only for it to blow out when I was almost done bleeding the brakes. I then rented one of those flaring kits from Oreillys. If that is a $200 kit, you better buy a $1000 kit if you want to be able to lay on your back to fix rusted out brake lines with any luck. I spent 10 hours on that job and never could get it perfect.

I spent 1 hour replacing a brake line on a pickup today using pre-made sections of brake lines using plain jane unions. Replaced it from the Y block on the axle to the proportioning valve up front. I had to put an 8" loop to burn up some extra line, so I wrapped that in vacuum tubing that I had laying around just to protect it.

I would buy custom lines if it mattered, otherwise I would definitely do the entire line next time.

 

[digdug18]

Where is a good place to buy quality line and compression fittings? I'm guessing stainless steel vs steel or alum?

Andrew

 

[IndyGarage]

I had to replace all the lines on my Suburban a couple years ago. Even though I replaced all of the lines one of them - going to the RF brake - was impossible to install in one piece. I had to put a union in the middle of it.

I would never use a compression fitting however.

They make a double flare union fitting which is perfectly acceptable for that situation. It was a big job replacing all the lines, and only the last 2 feet of mine were bad (where the idiots at GM had them going right through the road blast of gunk from the LF wheel) . If I had it to do over again, I might just put unions in all the lines and just replace the rusty part.

Good online source of brake line and equipment is either Eastwood or Jegs. I love the eastwood double flare brake line tool, which they also sell on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002QBRHD4/?tag=atomicindus08-20


OT - another reminder if you have a Chevy truck made from 99 to 05 to check your brake lines - crawl under and look for rusty lines just under the drivers seat.

 

[rodm1]

Make it easy on your self and replace the hole line with Kunifer Advanced Auto has it pricey but you can bend it with your bare hands and it will never rust out. Small price to pay to only have to do it one time IMHO.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...-x-25-NiCopp_16190029-P_N3106A_A|GRP2037_____