Leaking brake lines

[DaveSluder]

I have a 98 Forester, last night in the middle of a pizza delivery, I saw a snow filled field. Finding the temptation too great, I went for a little spin. Well anyways coming out of the field I applied the brakes and the went to the floor! So, I pulled onto the road popped the hood and found the resevoir low. I then pulled forward slightly to find a puddle on the rear right side. Today I went under for a look and it looks like the leak is coming from on top of the fuel tank. So I am assuming it is going to be a hard line. Is there one up there? How can I go about replacing that one? I guess there is 1 or 2 lines coming from up front. Anybody got any suggestions? What flare style do these cars have? Thanks in advance for your help...

 

Dave

[nipper]

I dont think you broke it, I just think it was ready to go. I dont have a Fozzy shop manual, but I would suggest you check all the lines up there for rust. Usually if one is bad enough to blow others will follow.

 

 

nipper

[DaveSluder]

Yes, I think it was a coincidence!:-\

[WoodsWagon]

Yes, the brakelines go above the gas tank. If you want to replace them so they're the same as factory, you need to drop the rear diff, subframe, and tank.

 

OR, you get yourself some bend it yourself brake line, get the poly coated stuff rather than the plain steel or galvanized line, it lasts way longer.

 

There is a junction block under the right rear side of the car, right under the seat pretty much. If you can get the lines undone here without breaking the lines that go up into the body under the seat, that makes it easier. If you do break them off, you need to take the back seat bottom off and splice into the lines there. You need a double flaring tool to do this. DO NOT USE COMPRESSION FITTINGS. Lots of parts stores will sell you them, they are not rated for the pressures generated in a braking system during a panic stop, so you will think they work great right up till when you really need the brakes.

 

Bend the new lines so that you can secure them to non-moving parts of the body and they don't come too close to the exhaust pipe. They must be secured, otherwise vibration will snap the lines off at the fittings. Make an estimation on the length of lines you will need with string, then get lines longer than that that are pre-flared with the right thread nuts on the end of them. Gently bend them to fit, using your thumb to support the inside of the bend as you do. Brake lines are easy to kink if you don't bend them carefully. They also metal fatiuge quickly and snap, so don't try to straighten and rebend the same area of the line if you can help it. Use zipty's to hold the lines tight to the body and bleed the brakes.

Edited February 8, 2010 by WoodsWagon
Sphelling wuz to bd evn fer me

[nipper]

Ive always found it is easier to use some stiff larger gauge wire as a templet. Then you just bend the tube to match it. It usually gets you pretty darn close on the first try to what you want.

[OB99W]

To minimize the chance of kinking the tubing, use a bending tool if you can.

Here's a link to one type, and the page also shows some flaring tools.

 

http://www.amazon.com/CTA-Brake-Line-Tube-Bender/dp/B000GKEXS4

[MilesFox]

you can install a length of hardline along the old line between the junction block and the flexible rubber line at the wheel.

 

typically, for what i have seen on subarus, is the lines will get rusty and break out where the steel lines go through the plastic clips that secure them to the body.

 

i had trouble doing a suspension swap on an old gl, and every time i changed one line, the next would blow out, and i ended up replacing all of the rear lines from the junction box(with factory fit used lines from a donor car.

 

it would be worth your time to replace the other lines to while you are under there, or at least clean all the rust an crud off the lines where they go through the body clips.

[naru]

To minimize the chance of kinking the tubing, use a bending tool if you can.

Here's a link to one type, and the page also shows some flaring tools.

 

http://www.amazon.com/CTA-Brake-Line-Tube-Bender/dp/B000GKEXS4

 

 

Bending tool is a waste of time.Brake tubing bends easy.

[OB99W]

Bending tool is a waste of time.Brake tubing bends easy.

Its true, the crappy line that some sleazy people use does bend quite easily, especially when some of the tighter bends the factory tubing originally had aren't duplicated.

[nipper]

Its true, the .... line that some .... people use does bend quite easily, especially when some of the tighter bends the factory tubing originally had aren't duplicated.

 

 

Yes the line should require a tool to bend it. If the line is "soft" fill it with sand and cap the ends. It will keep the line from collapsing or kinking when bent by hand. I've always used a tool even on soft lines to make tight bends.

 

nipper

[WoodsWagon]

Its true, the crappy line that some sleazy people use does bend quite easily, especially when some of the tighter bends the factory tubing originally had aren't duplicated.

 

Yup, exacly like the line subaru used. Some of the really tight bends you can't reproduce with commercially available bending tools, like the bend where the line hooks to the rear flex hose by the wheel. So you do an approximation. I can get lines a lot better bent by hand than I can with a bender.

 

I reuse the lines run inside the body of the subaru's I strip out and send to the junkyard. They bend just as easy as the aftermarket poly coated lines do.

 

Using sand isn't needed for brake lines. The diameter of the tubing is so small that it won't kink unless you're trying something stupid, like a 1" 180 degree bend like the factory did in the aformentioned location. Bigger tubing yes, it helps a lot. So does melting bizmuth sp? into the tube and melting it out later. I use the spring sleeves that help support the wall of the tube.

[OB99W]

[...] I can get lines a lot better bent by hand than I can with a bender. [...]

I'm sure that those who have worked with it enough can get an adequate bend of soft tubing by hand much of the time. However, not knowing how much experience DaveSluder (or someone else reading the thread) might have, I thought it wouldn't hurt to provide some info on available tools.

 

If you can do a proper/safe job without a particular tool, I don't have an issue with that. However, I've seen replacement brake tubing bent with a much larger radius than the original, probably to avoid kinking. Depending on location, that can cause it to be more exposed (and vulnerable), because it isn't tight to the frame/underbody like the factory had it.

[naru]

Yes the line should require a tool to bend it. If the line is "soft" fill it with sand and cap the ends. It will keep the line from collapsing or kinking when bent by hand. I've always used a tool even on soft lines to make tight bends.

 

nipper

 

SAND??? in a brake line?

 

That is the STUPIDEST thing I have ever heard!

[naru]

Its true, the crappy line that some sleazy people use does bend quite easily, especially when some of the tighter bends the factory tubing originally had aren't duplicated.

 

 

Crappy line? Sleazy people??

 

Replaced a lot of brake lines have you?

 

Your iinexperience is showing,fool.

[CNY_Dave]

Heh, naru is quickly heading down the path of getting shunned, I'd say.

 

 

Dave

[OB99W]

Crappy line? Sleazy people??

If you saw some of the brake line repairs done with cheap bulk tubing that I've seen,

you'd understand why those terms are appropriate on occasion.

 

 

Replaced a lot of brake lines have you?

 

Your iinexperience is showing,fool.

Your arrogance is showing.

[allwheeldad]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA:lol:!!!!

[WoodsWagon]

SAND??? in a brake line?

 

That is the STUPIDEST thing I have ever heard!

 

In larger diameter lines, like 3/8" and bigger, packing them with sand or a low melting point metal turns the pipe into a solid rod. You can bend solid rod without kinking it, unlike tubing. So using sand is a legitimate method. Brake lines are usually small enough that the kink point is at a lot tighter bend.

[nipper]

SAND??? in a brake line?

 

That is the STUPIDEST thing I have ever heard!

 

You only show how stupid you are by calling others ideas stupid. It is tried and true method as long as there has been tubing that had to be bent.

 

You need to use clean dry sand to it, and sometimes a little heat helps.

 

 

nipper

[nipper]

Heh, naru is quickly heading down the path of getting shunned, I'd say.

 

 

Dave

 

 

He's already there.

 

nipper

[naru]

You only show how stupid you are by calling others ideas stupid. It is tried and true method as long as there has been tubing that had to be bent.

 

You need to use clean dry sand to it, and sometimes a little heat helps.

 

 

nipper

 

BULL************

 

Putting sand in a BRAKE line is downright dangerous.

I can`t believe anyone would defend such a practice in public.

Lawyers for the folks you kill w/your failed brakes will be reading w/interest.

[naru]

Heh, naru is quickly heading down the path of getting shunned, I'd say.

 

 

Dave

 

I can`t tell you how worried I am about that!

 

I suppose you would rather listen to people who would have you put sand in a brake line.

[CNY_Dave]

shun active

[johnceggleston]

Putting sand in a BRAKE line is downright dangerous.

 

 

you do not leave the sand in the brake line. you just use it as tool to bend the line without kinking it. then you remove the sand, clean the line and install it on the car.

[naru]

you do not leave the sand in the brake line. you just use it as tool to bend the line without kinking it. then you remove the sand, clean the line and install it on the car.

 

So,how do you know when you have ALL TRACES of silica removed?