I am sad to say my 944 has been sitting for just over a year so I'm trying to get her back on the road. Me and the wife were in the middle of buying a house and she failed inspection for the windshield and front wheel bearings and I just didn't have the time. Anyway, front wheel bearings fixed, windshield ready to go in, new battery, cleaned her up some, and she started right up on the second try. I was started pumping the brakes after having had the brakes and rotors off and everything tightened up and all of a sudden something broke loose in the system and the brakes went back to being spongy. Looks like a brake line busted in the rear close to where the T in the lines is. None of my brake lines look great, but I really want to get her back on the road. I ought to go ahead and replace all the lines. What's the best way to go about this. Most of my lines are rusty so taking them off is going to be a chore, but what do I go back with? There's some parts cars in the area, but fishing the new/used lines in would be a nightmare, especially the long ones that run under the car from the front to the back. Looks like Pelican has some new steel-braided lines, but that's only for the lines going direct to the calipers. What do I do for the long ones? Any tips, tricks, or advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

Go to your local parts store and get the lengths of nickel copper tubing, or perhaps a roll of it..It will never corrode/rust again. (Required in Maine). You will also need to get a double hydraulic flaring tool and get prepped to do some bubble flaring of the ends. You should also get the appropriate tube nuts for metric bubble flares.. AND WHYIT, you might also consider running new fuel lines, also. Perhaps there's a u-tube video of how to do bubble flares with the flaring tool. There's a sweet little flaring tool that's carried by AutoZone in the OEM tool section for in car tube flaring. Costs about 20-25 dollars. Better and easier to use than the larger one. Works only on 3/16ths line though. Or you can have your local wrench fab up the new lines....hope this helps some.

 

So after doing some research, I think I may end up doing away with the metal lines. I'd rather have metal lines for longevity, but there's a lot of mixed reviews on bending and flaring your own ends, and while I'm up for that, I'd rather not fool with it if I don't have to. Not to mention, the metal lines, fittings etc. corrode and rust over time and the homemade flare doesn't always seal the best. I found some brass M10 x 1.0mm bubble flare to 1/8 NPT adapters with is going to be a much easier fitting to work with. I work at a CAT dealer and I work in the hydraulic hose shop, so I'm planning on making some 1 or 2 wire braid rubber hoses rated at 2800+ psi with 1/8 swivel pipe threads, that way I can route and build the hoses as long or as short as I need them. Not to mention, years down the road if another brake line ever busts, I keep the parts in stock to build a new hose. Now the rubber hoses probably won't last quite as long as the metal, but shoot, those hoses last for years on our machines, I'm sure they'll do great on a car. I'll probably end up getting some wire loom or some type of armor to help protect it from the weather and any road debris. The hoses to the calipers are already rubber hoses (although they're only fiber braided) so I don't see any problem going with this route? There's pros and cons for either route, but am I totally off my rocker here? Thanks for the input.

 

Landen, I admire your creativity and don't doubt your skill. But I think the direction you're headed is only going to create a future nightmare. If there's a possibility that you'd ever sell the car in the future, a) what you're doing creates a big personal liability for yourself as the seller, b) if I ever did a PPI on a car with these kind of changes, I'd wash my hands really quickly of the thing.

The steel factory lines will last from twenty years to forever, depending on conditions. The rubber hoses (you are proposing to install) have a much shorter life span, again depending on use, environment, etc.

I agree with Tiger: get quality steel line materials and do it right. Lots of sources, but I like working with FedHill/ who have the right stuff: lines, fittings, etc. Rent / borrow / invest in a flaring tool. Given your profession and experience, I think you'll figure out how to install and flare the proper lines in about five seconds. Good luck with the project!

 

And that's why I ask questions like this. Tiger, Kevin, I appreciate your input. I've never done much brake work besides pads etc. so thanks again for the advice. I will move forward with the steel lines.