Brake line help

[76k5blazerr]

So as I was reinstalling my tranny/tcase today I geuss I accidentally pinched the rear brake line that runs down the passenger side frame rail because it's leaking now. I geuss that's what I get for being in a rush... Anyway it got pinched right at the passenger side rearmost crossmember bolt. I noticed it leaking when I was finishing up. I JB welded over the hole and I think I have stopped the leak. My question is, with a hole in the rear brake line, the rear brakes will not be working, at least not well, BUT, since the front brakes are on a seperate line, will they continue to work fine? I really need to be able to drive this truck. I was driving it tonight and the brakes were working as in the truck will stop and it's not really dangerous as long as I allow breaking distance but I don't want them to go out while I'm driving... That'd be bad. What should I do. I really need to know asap whether my front brakes will continue to work till I can fix it. And do you guys have any ideas about a temporary fix or any way to fix the line without buying a new one? Do parts stores have like emergency brake line repair kits?

 

[dremu]

IIRC, brakeline pressure is crazy high, like 1000psi. What you have now is begging for catastrophe. Fix it ASAP or your friends will console your widow in ways generally unacceptable to you.

That said, the hardline is easily/cheapily available, though you'll need to bend it to match. The auto parts places have that line in various diameters and lengths, so you'd just get the next longest one and bend to match. (Ideally you'd order a pre-bent one from someplace like inlinetube.com who are very good, but it sounds like you're in a rush.)

Don't quote me on it, but I think the rear brake hard line is 1/4", so verify that, measure it for length, and ask the parts house for whatever diameter fuel/brake line. It comes with the ends on it. If you need a weird length, you might need a coupler to put two together, which would be an inverted flare coupling and a good parts house will have from e.g. Edelmann.

-- A

 

[dremu]

Also, are you sure it's the brake line and not the fuel line? That's also bad, but it's in that same set of lines and I forget what's at the bottom.

-- A

 

[76k5blazerr]

O yes, it's the break line I smelled it, the fuel line runs at the top of the frame rail, brake line at the bottom. So the line that I crushed, where does it connect to on both ends? And do you have any idea of how long it is? And will I need a bender to bend it or will the straight line work? How expensive do you think it will be to replace that 1 line?

 

[76k5blazerr]

And will my front breaks continue to work fine until I fix this? Planning on fixing tomorrow, Saturday at the latest but I need to know if I can semi safely drive without worrying about losing all of my braking power?

 

[dremu]

O yes, it's the break line I smelled it, the fuel line runs at the top of the frame rail, brake line at the bottom. So the line that I crushed, where does it connect to on both ends? And do you have any idea of how long it is? And will I need a bender to bend it or will the straight line work? How expensive do you think it will be to replace that 1 line?

You can bend the line, sort of, by hand -- it's thin wall. Just don't try to bend it real tight. They sell benders for the tight loops but I've had varying luck with them.

The stuff's cheap enough, depending on length, less than ten bucks for most sizes last time I checked. You'll spend more on the set of flare nut wrenches you really should have to do the work (something like these.)

You should crawl under and look, but IIRC the line goes to the junction block to the rear soft line in the back, and then continues up the frame rail to a coupler somewhere. It'll vary by truck and year, but I don't recall there being any length more than a few feet before it gets coupled again, not like it's a 20' long line in one piece.

You'll also need to bleed the brakes of course. The fronts will prolly be okay, but the rears definitely need doing. I'd do all four until you get clean fluid just to be sure.

The front and rear circuits are separate, yes, so the front brakes should maintain even with a leak in the rear. However, that assumes that the combo aka proportioning valve doesn't leak as well, as it does have both front and rear circuits in it. I've never driven a truck with leaky hydraulics on the street.

-- A

 

[76k5blazerr]

Alright, I'm gonna pick some brake line up this morning and try to fix it, I'll let yall know how it goes.

 

[76k5blazerr]

Well I got it done, didn't take long at all and was actually pretty easy. I haven't bled the rear brakes yet because I didn't have fluid but when I get home I have fluid there so I'll get them done, ended up buying 2 thirty inch pieces of 1/4 line with fittings and a coupler in the middle and bent them to fit.

 

[dremu]

Good news! And yeah, it seems daunting but it's basically just plumbing.

I of course categorically deny ever having an oops like that myself (Actually I was fortunate, and just snagged the wiring harness on the driver's side. Still a pain to feather it out and solder/heatshrink it.)

-- A

 

[diesel4me]

I'd never trust J-B Weld for a leaky brake line,and I've trusted it for many things I shouldn't,like my rotted oil pan!..the 1500 lbs pressure a brake line has will pop off any epoxy!...I've even see copper tubing someone used split open under that pressure after a panic stop..

When I worked at a parts store,one customer came in and asked me if he could just use rubber fuel line and hose clamps to "splice" a rusted out brake line!..the answer was a loud "HELL NO!"...seems his VW Beetle failed inspection after the line popped ,and he wanted a quick fix...I sold him the proper tubing..

I know one guy who used 100% copper tubing on his "yard truck" he only uses around his farm to plow and haul hay,etc,and he's had no failures,but one good stomp on the pedal just might rupture the tubing...I consider copper better than old rotten steel brake lines,but its not road legal for that reason..

You can now buy "copper-nickel" terne metal brake lines that are supposedly never going to rust...its not all that much more $$$ than the cheaper stuff thats coated with some special paint,which I haven't had much luck with--it still rusts pretty fast...

In a bind,I have used brass compression fittings to quickly splice a piece of new brake line to one that had a rotted spot,but only for temporary use..they are NOT rated for the pressure,or reccomended for brake line repairs,but I have seen dozens of vehicles with them and they never "failed"..

I even found THREE of them on the rear brake line on a truck I bought and had driven 5+ years.and didn't discover them until the line rusted through and failed!...they are not the right thing to use,but much better than any epoxy or putty,or rubber hose,etc...

 

[76k5blazerr]

Yah, they only reason I used JB to begin with was just to stop it from leaking, wasn't trying to get the brakes to actually work, because the front were still working.