Brake line replacement or repair?

[CharlieB]

Despite my best efforts I managed to break the brake line at my front driver's side caliper when I was attaching a new brake hose.
(BTW, removal of the old brake hose was a breeze thanks to responses to my previous post).
The brake line broke off flush with the fitting. My first question is, is replacing that brake line the only option or is it possible to reflare the existing line?
My second question is what is the name of the part in the engine bay that the brake lines run to from the master cylinder? (Brake pressure sensor maybe?) How do I remove a brake line from this part? I can get the fitting unscrewed all the way, but the brake line is in there tight.
What am I missing?
Thanks for helping a newbie out.

[lglade]

Same thing happened to me, and fortunately that one is the easiest of all to fix. It's fairly easy to fab a new brake line to replace your existing one, but it's unlikely you'll have enough material to allow you to re-flare your existing line. A trip to Harbor Freight and about $50 will get the bending tool and the ISO flare tool. Autoricambi sells the inverted nuts (they're a funky size, so you won't likely find them at O'Reilly's) if you need them and the brake line is available at most autopart stores.

Just try to take the original out of the car in one piece so you can use it as a template. I think mine took all of an hour to actually fab and install once I had all of the parts and tools in hand.

[CharlieB]

Lloyd, thanks for the response.
How did you remove the brake line from the brake pressure sensor (not sure if that is the correct term) in the engine bay?
I have the fitting unscrewed and free but not sure how to get the brake line out of the sensor.
I noticed you have a 1984 so I'm not sure if you have the same setup.

[lglade]

There are likely some minor differences between our setups, alright; my line attached directly to the master cylinder. But if yours is still just a hard line with an inverted nut, then you likely just need to give it a good tug straight (by hand) out of the hole. If it's been in that same location for forty years, then likely it just needs some "gentle persuasion" once the nut is loose.

[Turbofiat124]

Some people may not agree with this but I've spliced brake lines together without replacing the entire line.

I have not found the actual size fitting (8mmX1.25?) that screws into the hoses but have found adapters at Car Quest.

if you can find a brake line/fitting that actually screws into the hose, get a new section (6"), cut the 6" off the existing line and use a compression fitting to connect the two together. That minimizes bending. You may get by with only having to make one bend in the tubing.

I would use stainless steel over brass if it were me.



I don't know if this is factory but I know of at least one compression fitting that connects two brake lines together on my 68 Ford.

[DieselSpider]

The entire Association of Automotive Engineers, DOT and NTSB would take exception with using a compression fitting on a brake line.

[CharlieB]

Thanks for the input everyone. I finally got the brake line out. I bent a new line last night and will order some new fittings today.
Lloyd, I took your advice and got a flaring kit at Harbor Freight. I made a few test runs on some scrap line just to make sure I knew what I was doing. The whole process was fairly painless.
Thanks again for the help.

[aevansgatech]

The flaring tool is nice, huh?

I also found making new lines to be fun.. the pain is in removing the old one

[lglade]

Charlie, I'm glad to hear you're having success. Depending on the locations of your bends and the configuration of your flare tools, you may find that you have to make the flares first before bending the line (don't forget to put the nuts on first). But it sounds like you're well on your way. You now have another skill that will save you money. I think that's one of the great joys of our cars--finding out that you really can do just about anything & everything on your car that's needed to keep it on the road.