Running brake lines for the first time.....

[767Jockey]

First time I'm running brake lines. I don't think I need stainless, and I'm told it's tough to work with anyway. I bought a nice bender / plier setup from Eastwood, and a single / double flaring kit from them as well. I'll practice with the flaring kit before I try it on the car, I'm told that the "difficult" part is getting the flares right. A few questions:

-What size line should I run?

-Are all brake lines (not counting stainless, as I don't want to mess with that) the same quality and material?

-Single or double flares? What's the difference?

-What angle flare is used?

-The front calipers and masters are Wilwood. The rear calipers are Girling's from a E type Jag. Same flare and tubing size on both?

-Are all fittings the same quality? What should I get?

-Anything else I should know? Any tips for a first timer?

[RICK LAKE]

767 Jockey Get per made brake line where possible You want double flare on them all. Pep boys and Autozone carry a good supply of all different lengths. You will still need DOT lines from the body mounts to the calipers. Stainless is the best way to go. The brake lines will need retainers about every 12" to hold the lines in place. As far a size 3/16" line I think. Some people run a larger line to the front calipers like 1/4" if you are running to master cylinders for front and rear brakes. A bias valve is also recommended for rearend lockup. 60-70% of braking is done by the front brakes. If you flare your own lines, make 100% sure you don't crack the double flares. It's real easy to do. They have a machine for about $400.00 dollars that makes a double flare that comes out perfect everytime. It's hydrolic. We have one at work. Give me a call when you have a chance. Rick L Get all the lines cut to rough length or pre made. You will need couplers for the lines and the plastic retainers and self tapping screws to hold them in location.

[Tommy]

I agree with what Rick said. I once tried to flare my own tubing with a simple flaring tool set and I wasn't satisfied with the results. As I recall, my auto parts store had pre-flared brake line tubing in two diameters in English sizes and about the same in metric. They had a rack of many different lengths and I selected the ones I needed. All I had to do was bend them to fit and secure them in place. I selected the diameter based on the size fittings needed to match with the other components (master cylinder on one end and calipers on the other).

[vector1]

napa has the nice coated stuff now, doesn't cost that much more. 3/16" line. i've made my own single flares with no problem. when you put the fittings together cycle them a few times to get the mating surfaces to match. doesn't take that much torque to hold a line. i use the steel fasteners with rubber liner to hold the line to the chassis, usually find them cheap at airplane surplus parts warehouse, etc. use rivnuts to hold the fasteners to the frame. can find the gun cheapest at lefthander chassis.com with fasteners and can be used endlessly for other stuff so get extras if you go this route. course you want flex stuff on the ends and get two of all the hard stuff, you'll want to do it perfectly and you'll make a trip back so it might as well be to return unused line. the flare is standard whatever they have at the parts house, not AN stuff.

[Dirty Harry]

I found that the local parts store usually carries pre-made brake lines in two sizes-an inch too short and a foot too long. So I made some of my own. It's a trial and error experience, but entirely do-able. Just examine them very carefully after you make them and don't be afraid to throw away a few that don't look perfect. I'd use the pre-made lines wherever practical.

[elmariachi]

I ran all new lines on a 4x4 I built a few years back and I dropped the pre-measured lines at a brake shop and they charged me $25 to flare all of them, about 6 flares total. Cheaper than buying equipment you will maybe only use once.

[Michael C Henry]

The flare set, if it's a good one, will be used some where else down the line, trust me. Brakes are always double flared. Keep the lines in protected areas away from heat sources. Make sure that when bending it doesn't colaspse or kink. Exscess lenght can be used in exagerated bends. Try to keep the ups and downs to a minimum . The master cylinder resivoir as the highest point in the system will make so many things so much easier. A down from the master cylinder and an up to the axle and then to the calipers or brake cylinders. You'll find gravity and time will help sort out a lot of the bleeding problems. Fill the master cylinder resivoir and pump fluid through the lines and bleed out air and some fluid out the brake cylinders untill no air bubbles are seen. Don't let the master cylinder go empty so you do not reintroduce more air. Let the system sit a while, any air in system accumulates at the higher points in the brake lines. If you watch the master cylinder resivoir any air at that end will come up through the fluid in the resivoir, When the pedal and piston is moved slightly. Make sure when you set up the pedal and master cylinder that you make sure the piston in the master cylinder is going all the way back it's rest to the internal snap-rin stop. The master cylinder is engineered to have the spring loaded piston rest against the snapring stop and reveal a passage from the presure bore to the resivoir. (If you adjust all the freplay out of the pedal and piston you may move the piston off it's engineered stop ,closing off the passage. As the brakes wear or any fluid is lost the master cylinder will start loosing it's effectiveness. The pedal will start getting lower and lower. When the pedal is adjusted properly,master cylinder piston will rest against it's internal snapring a verry small amount of travel of the pedal off it's rest the will start moving the master cylinder piston. You'll notice a slight movement of fluid in the master cylinder resivoir fluid, that is the passage between the piston bore ahead of the piston seals and the resivoir being sealed off and brake actuating fluid is being pessurized. If you have adjusted the pedal linkage properly if you say, change just the mastercylinder, you can work any air introduced into system out the resivoir just by moving the pedal and piston slightly back and forth. The air in that end of the system wiil come up through the fliud as bubbles to atmosphere. I have 3 Tilton master cylinders (2 for brakes front and rear brakes and another for the hydraulic clutch) with 2 remote resivoirs (one larger common resivoir for both brake systems and a maller resivoir for hydraulic clutch) . The pedals and master cylinders are mounted to the floor and the resivoirs are mounted up on the firewall where the fluid levels can be maintained. Real easy to bleed when I change master cyinders or reseal the calipers.

[mickmate]

We've been using the seamless stainless aircraft 3/16 tube. We've been single flaring it and running it into adapters for the double flare hardware. I would go with the premade stuff these guys suggest. I don't know what the coated stuff does where you bend it. Kugel makes nice line clamps and brackets. You'll soon get a feel for it. I would try your particular set up without a bias adjustment first as it should be pretty close on the front/rear, ask me how I know..........