Two steps forward, one step back!

Ok got most of my parts today for my winter project and after work I got to it! Started with the brakes, front disks to be precise!
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Everything came off just fine until...
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Why in the world do they make those line so flimsy??? I even sprayed penetrating oil on it before I tried to take it off. The bad thing is that both sides now need replacing. I am sure the passenger side it not cheap since it runs quite a distance! ARGGGGGGGGG

Anyway I got both front disks installed, new bearings and hoses. Should stop real well as soon as I replace the MC to Caliper lines!!!

Tomorrow I work on:
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Wish me luck :)

I have only done three or four drum brakes in my life so it should be fun!!!

Have a nice evening all,
Chad
 
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It's a bit late to tell you this now, but maybe it will benifit someone else ...

If the nut isn't turning on the tube, or actually the tube is frozen to the nut, you gently work the tube back and forth without twisting the tube too much. You can try to hold the tube with grips but that usually just ends up denting or crushing the tube.

Easiest way is to remove the hose from the caliper, unclip the hose from the frame bracket, then spin ght hose from the tube nut. Take a torch (propane or MAPP Gas has enough heat) and heat the nut, work it back and forth on the tube till it comes free. Or soak the hell out of hte nut with pennatrant oil and work the nut once a day or so until it comes loose. Then you need to flush the heck out of hte tube to remove any burnt fluid or penatrant oil.

On reassembly slather the nut and tube with Never-Seize (ie) making sure not to get any in the system.


At this point if you can even find the tubes they will be real expensive!!

Your looking at repairing them or making them / having them made.

Problem with repairing them is finding a section of unrusted tube to place the splice. If the tube has any pits, etc, it could lead to a fracture, probably under high pressure meaning when you need them the most.

The entire line should be replaced ....

If you have them made for you by a 'mechanic' it's probably going to be expensive.

If you choose to do it yourself :D :rlaugh:

Not laughing at you, I'm remembering how big a PITA it is. IIRC the left side is easy, wait till you see where you have to route the right side. Wait till you see the bends you have to make ....

If you do this yourself I suggest buying a quality double flair tool. I've used the Craftsman and SummitRacing level tools ($20~$40) but found the Ridgid set (a little more $) worth the investment. Get the mandrel off a little and it's real easy to break it's tit. The Ridgid is self centering.

You'll need a tube bender too. No need to spens a whole lot on this but get one that wraps the tube around a mandrel, not the cheap POS's that push the mandrel into the tube. Gentil bends can be done by hand, tight bends need a bender.

Tube comes in rolls that have alot more material than you need. Pratice flaring and bending before starting the actual piece.

Remember, this Hobby Car thing is all about having Fun!!!

Enjoy!
 
http://www.classictube.com
These folks do a nice job making replacement lines. I've ordered 2 complete brake line sets from them for the II's and they fit well but you can order just the front or rear. I also went with stainless, no problem with rust but more $$$$. There's a company called inline tube that also makes lines for our cars. Good luck
 
As to your question of why the lines are so flimsey, they really arent. Brake lines are in tensive loads during use, not torsional loads.

According to Mark Williams site an absolute minimum of pressure a system should develop is 1,000 psi. It should produce 1,200 psi. Let's use 1,500 psi.

Per lineal inch the fluid inside a 3/16 line will produce under 300 pounds (281) at 1,500 psi. And since there are two walls to share the load the walls are being loaded to only 150 pounds per lineal inch. I couldn't find a 'real' reference for the actual thickness of brake line. The reference I found stated the walls should have a minimum thickness of 0.028 inch wall so let's just use a thickness of 0.020. In a lineal inch a wall would have 0.020 sq inch, dividing the load by the area gives us the yield point the material would need to be made of. 150/0.020= 7,500 psi steel. That would be pretty junky metal.

To find the lineal load on the tube take 1,500x(3/16 / 2) squared x Pi. = 165 pounds. I hope an average sized person could hang from a brake line. I would need actaul measurements to work this one.

I've slanted these numbers to present brake line in it's worse possable light but as you can see it's way more structural than it needs to be.

Just don't twist it.


BTW, Any one care to check my figures? I could be all wet.
 
IIxs said:
http://www.classictube.com
These folks do a nice job making replacement lines. I've ordered 2 complete brake line sets from them for the II's and they fit well but you can order just the front or rear. I also went with stainless, no problem with rust but more $$$$. There's a company called inline tube that also makes lines for our cars. Good luck


Would you happen to remember how much you paid?
 
mustangs unlimited also carries them, although i cannot attest to how they fit. i need to purchase a compete set for my car and that price is 110. dont know about the individual sets as i havent really looked at them. i also havent found stainless through them. good luck!!
 
Would you happen to remember how much you paid?


Not off the top of my head but I'm sure the complete set was less than $200 in stainless. Not alot to spend on brakes, IMO. Plus I don't trust myself with the flaring tool that much. :) The classic tube site has an online catalog that has a price list. I remember in the complete sets you could only get them with lines prebent for cars with PB. That's not really a problem because the lines are the same except the short ones going from the M/C to the prop valve. Classic tube also makes the prebent fuel tank to pump lines and they fit well. The only problem I had was they only had the fuel line for the early cars (early 77 and back) in the computer, so I had to send my line in to be duplicated. Hopefully they saved that info and now you can get either the early or late fuel lines. They did a nice job and it's duplicated exactly like the factory lines. I think it was like $120 for the fuel line in stainless.
 
MadMark said:
If the nut isn't turning on the tube, or actually the tube is frozen to the nut, you gently work the tube back and forth without twisting the tube too much.
MadMark, thank you so much for your suggestion. The back two were stuck just like the front but I used your method above and got them both off with a little work! You probably just saved me 2 more brake lines :nice:

Got the drum all rebuilt new wheels cylinders and everything! Was not as big of a job as I thought!

The guy at the parts store gave me the wrong studs for my rear axle so I have to take them back....

And you will love this. I took my new Mickey Thompson’s to get them mounted on my rims and they guy comes out of the garage throws my tire on the ground and says "that tire wont fit that rim! Them there tires are 14's and your wheels are 15's!" crapola I told him he was crazy so he got out a tape measure. He measured from LIP to LIP and said, "See it says 15 1/8 inches!" I told him it was the bead measure that mattered! Arggg he would not mount them for me still saying they would not fit! :bang: So I will just go somewhere else tomorrow to get them mounted!
Chad