Brake line replace

[jester@westfailure.net (jester@westfailure.net)]

On Sun, 3 Mar 2002, Brian Dettling wrote:

> And a good ISO flare bender is not cheap or easy.  Consider off-the-shelf 
> lengths using threaded unions if necessary. 

I agree with this,

the VW's dont use a "double flare" they use a "metric bubble flare." The
tool to make this flare is NOT cheap.

I did the brake lines on my 81 pickup and as long as you have the stock
one to copy its easy.

Just pull the old one out without bending it too much, & measure its
length with a string following all the curves, that gives you your total
length.

Measure this string with a tape measure/ruler If its over 7 feet, figure
out what two off the shelf sizes will add up to that and buy the 2 lengths
& a METRIC BUBBLE FLARE COUPLER a regular coupler will not seal right. If
you are between sizes go longer, you can coil the stuff or put in extra
bends, but you cant stretch it ;)

Most auto parts shops wont have the metric stuff and will try to sell you
a bunch of flare lines & flare to bubble flare adapters, don't do it, it
will add way too many unions to the brakes that are just extra places to
leak, fail & send you off the road. Adding 1 coupler per line doesnt worry
me, any more than that & you are getting into a risky area. VW specified 2
6 foot lengths with a coupler, if 1 coupler is good enough for VW its
good enough for me, brake nazis can eat my shorts ;)

NAPA carries metric bubble flare line up to 7 feet lengths, and the bubble
flare couplers needed. Autozone, advanced etc. do not have the couplers &
five feet is their longest length in bubble flare.

Once you have your new lines, just start at one end & you can bend the
stuff by hand to match more or less what you pulled off. Final bends can
be tweaked on the car, just get it real close as to the distance of the
bend from teach other & the end, and which direction, the angle can be
varied a bit as you lay it into the clips on the car. Make sure that the
line DOES NOT TOUCH ANYTHING BUT THE RUBBER CLIPS if it rubs on the
chassis, especially over a sharp edge, eventually it will cut and you will
loose brakes. Not good.

Doing both rear hardlines on my bunny pickup took maybe 2-4 hours once i
had figured out where to get the lines/couplers.

take care,

Steve

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