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Damaged brake line question

MrTruck805

MrTruck805

1/2 ton status
 Premium
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Apr 19, 2012
Posts
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Location
Santa Barbara, CA
Hey everyone,

Yesterday a small engine bay fire burned a hole in one of my brake lines close to the master cylinder. Just looking for ideas on what to do... I was debating cutting it off below the hole, re flaring the line and screwing it back into the master cylinder, or just replacing the whole line..... or whatever better idea the ck5 geniuses have :D

Ideas anyone? Thanks for the help!

The pic below is the damage.
ebbiuw.jpg
 
Well, brake lines are flared all the time and work fine. But there are a couple of things about this setup.
First, this part of the system has those curved lines. They will tend to straighten when you clamp them in the flare block, but then they won't want to line up right when spliced.

I have spliced straight sections before, but never that part.

The bottom line is, this concerns your brakes.

Trust a guy who drove a single master cylinder Jeep for almost 9 years through terrain that caused a broken brake line and no brakes at least 3 or 4 times per year.
Losing even part of your brakes is no fun.
Given how many of those things were made over the years and are available in junkyards, plus can be bought online, I would not splice it unless I was in the swamp and needed to do so to get home.

Don't run the risk of finding yourself money rich and brake poor when you are approaching a busy intersection.

And keep the hot wires away from the brake lines next time.:D
 
Thanks a lot for the reply. I agree replacing the whole line is the best option.

I've never replaced a brake line before... I assume it's doable for a decent do it yourselfer.

Is there a website or brand you can recommend? Are braided brake lines superior? I figure I might screw up trying to bend and flare solid steel lines. Or is this a no brainer job anyone can do?

Thanks!
 
Buy a tubing wrench. I don't think you will have to buy but one. It looks like a regular box end wrench with a small section cut out to slide the tubing through.

It fits on the flare nut, and goes almost all the way around it, and keeps you from rounding off the nut.
Someone here should be able to tell you what size you need.
There might be two size nuts, but you can usually get a double end wrench with the sizes you need.

When I said replace the line, I meant just that part. It comes out of the master cylinder, and goes down to the proportioning valve where the other end will come off.
Don't try to bend a piece of line to look like that, and braided line would give problems.

If the rest of the system is in good shape, head out to the junkyard and take one of those sections off for a replacement.
Get a good replacement before you take that line off.

If you were going to replace an entire system, go to someplace like inline tube,
http://www.inlinetube.com/

Or classic tube. http://www.classictube.com/shop-online

They sell prebent brake line kits with all the fittings and everything already on. You can get them in original or stainless.
 
Fordum said:
If the rest of the system is in good shape, head out to the junkyard and take one of those sections off for a replacement.
Get a good replacement before you take that line off.
Click to expand...

Considering your location and lack of brake line replacement knowledge, I bet you could go to the JY and pull a complete line as a direct replacement for what you have.

Bleeding the system will be your next big hurdle. Bleed the master first, it will take 2 people. If you need instruction on how to do it, just ask. Then you need to bleed the rest of the system. One of those hand held vacuum bleeders will work wonders, just don't forget to use some thread sealer on the bleeder screws.
 
Are you guys serious?

Get your little ass down to pick-n-pull, take the replacement off yourself, pay the nice spanish speaking girl behind the counter the $5.99 + tax, and get home and install it.


Sorry about sounding rude, its been a long day with lots of stupid involved in ways they shouldn't have been.
 
x2, Go to the junkyard, swap lines, bleed, done...
 
BoondocK5 said:
Are you guys serious?

Get your little ass down to pick-n-pull, take the replacement off yourself, pay the nice spanish speaking girl behind the counter the $5.99 + tax, and get home and install it.


Sorry about sounding rude, its been a long day with lots of stupid involved in ways they shouldn't have been.
Click to expand...

That's what I said, in slightly nicer terms. :D
 
496truck said:
Considering your location and lack of brake line replacement knowledge, I bet you could go to the JY and pull a complete line as a direct replacement for what you have.

Bleeding the system will be your next big hurdle. Bleed the master first, it will take 2 people. If you need instruction on how to do it, just ask. Then you need to bleed the rest of the system. One of those hand held vacuum bleeders will work wonders, just don't forget to use some thread sealer on the bleeder screws.
Click to expand...


Sorry, I saw "JY" and immediately thought why is he talking about a YJ jeep product.
My AHAADD kicked in at that precise moment, and your comment was suddenly gone from my mind.:doah::dunno::D
 
Thanks for the input everyone.

The junkyards were a total strikeout as I was suspecting they might be. Here in California we have way more priuses and civics than K5s and Suburbans. :(

I guess I'll hit up inline tube for a replacement.

So the bench bleed of the master cylinder is a must? Obviously I'll have to do the new line, just wondering if I have to do the master as well.
 
Guessing the front portion of the master is empty, bench bleeding it is a must. You can "bench bleed" it on the truck though.

OK, it's a brake line for crap sake. I'd have had this all fixed days ago in about an hours time, maybe 2 if I was slacking. Do you have flaring tools? Do you know how to use them? If the answer is "NO" then just stop here. :whistle:

The fitting that goes into the master is special, parts stores usually have them in stock that will adapt to standard SAE double flare line. And that should be 1/4" line. (thinking now your brake line replacement selection at the parts stores may be different in your part of the country as stuff doesn't rust out there the way it does here)

Cut the line off with a proper tubing cutter on a straight section, somewhere below that coiled part. Remove the line from the master and bring it with you to the parts store to get the proper adapter. Also get a section of 1/4" line with flared fittings on each end, long enough to cover the length you are replacing. You will also need one 1/4" fitting for where you have cut off and will flare it. Don't forget the 1/4 union as well. And some brake fluid too. A good parts store can help you put all this together, bring the line, bring a pic on the phone to show them, etc. Don't be afraid to ask them for help.

Put the new fitting on the cut end of the line still in the truck (make sure it's facing the right way), then flare it. Bend up the new section of line by hand, your thumbs will hate you for this. You don't have to replicate the coil exactly. A couple turns will call it good. Don't try to coil it as tight as the original either, larger diameter coil, don't kink the line. Work slowly and progressively. Connect your newly bent line to the old line you flared with the union. Then connect to the adapter that goes into the master. Then tighten all connections. Commence bench bleeding the master on the truck. After that you can start bleeding the rest of the system.
 
My mother is here in Utah right now, she lives in Sacramento, is on her way back soon. I could go rob one of several hundred here at Pick-n-pull and send it with her. have her call you when she gets back to commiefornia? let me know.
 
If they have good parts stores like ours here,he should be able to buy a ready made line with the proper fittings on each end,that ARE different at the master cylinder that typical ready made lines fittings are,wich would both be identical...........or he can buy the brass adapter fitting to make the ready made lines with the 2 identical fittings work..................................................................................................I would just cut the old line off at the master cylinder,so I can use a 6 point socket to remove the original fitting from the master ,then get a new brake line ,cut off one of the new fittings,install the original line nut,flare the tubing,and install,then bleed the master cyl. and brakes on whichever end the line failed on....this shouldn't take more than a half hour or an hour...if you can buy a line with the right fittings,even quicker...............................
 
Thanks for the offer Boondock5, that is very generous, and for the input everyone else. I live in Santa Barbara though, which is quite a ways from Sacramento.... would be pretty difficult to meet up with your Mom.

I ended up just placing an order with inlinetube. Paid about 10x whatever it would be at the junkyard, but oh well. That's what I get for living in a beach town in California where I only see maybe 1 K5 a month.
 
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