Brake lines and a rant.

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fleming442

Captain Tenneal
Dec 26, 2013
13,046
24,221
113
Are you able to get the rear brake line installed without lifting the body? I replaced the brake,emission, and fuel lines on my bonneville . I got the all the line brackets off but there was no way to get the lines out without cutting them or lifting the body. I loosened the mount bolts and lifted the rear several inches and still couldn’t get them out without bending them all up. I didn’t want to screw up the new lines going back in so I lifted the body off.
timo22
If you want to be 100% factory correct, yes, lift the body.
 

a.graham52

Greasemonkey
Oct 19, 2017
105
27
28
splice in a section of brake line just big enough to patch your leak and make adjustments to the line location. bleed it, race, then fix it the way you want. tad more work but then you can atleast race. the nickle alloy brake line bends easy and a manual flaring tool can be had for as little as $20.
 

Texas82GP

Just-a-worm
Apr 3, 2015
7,990
18,710
113
Spring, Texas
If the line was up against the header then it needs to be relocated. I had to do this when I installed the headers on my car. The installation instructions called for relocating the passenger brake line from behind the engine crossmember to on top of it. I had brand new pre-bent stainless lines that fit real nice. I didn't want to mess with them. It was a pain to reshape/relocate the line with the engine in the car but I got it done. You need a minimum of I would say 1/2" clearance between the brake lines and the headers.

Take a look at posts 352 and 372 for some pics of my brake line/header fitment issues/solution.
https://gbodyforum.com/threads/space-city-1982-gp-build.55501/page-36
 
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1KWIKSIX

Greasemonkey
Jun 26, 2017
235
340
63
Mississauga , Ontario, Canada
No need to lift the body to change those two(passenger and drivers side) front brake lines. I just did this using replacement front steel lines from in line tube. Wasn't too bad working under the car on jack stands on my back!
 
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STLRegal

G-Body Guru
Jun 22, 2007
636
129
28
St.Louis
Ok so I tore into to the car yesterday and this is what I found.
Good news it wasn’t leaking brake fluid. It was coolant from one of the hoses leading to the heater box, mixing with the oil from another leak that just happened to run onto the header tube that was touching the lines.

Either way it needed to be addressed. You can see in the picture where it was wearing on the fuel return(which isn’t hooked up), vent line, and brake line. Thankfully the brake line took the least of it.

I’m not going to try and fix until it becomes an issue. But I still need to prevent it from continuing to wear on the lines.

What do you all suggest? Move the lines? Dent the headers? Which ever is easiest is what I’ll probably do. I don’t mind denting the headers. They are starting to rust and I’m going to take the time while it’s out to wrap it.
 

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online170

G-Body Guru
Oct 28, 2010
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I got the all the line brackets off but there was no way to get the lines out without cutting them or lifting the body.

You're doing it wrong.
 
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online170

G-Body Guru
Oct 28, 2010
726
319
63
When the lines started to go in my wagon, one after the other, instead of buying prebent lines or paying someone, i bought a double flare tool, pipe cutter and pipe bender. About $150 CAD, you can get much cheaper ones from harbor freight. Took about a weekend, but i replaced all the steel lines. It was absolute hell, but i can do them very quickly now, for the cost of steel line and fittings.

Stainless is cool, but factory steel lines lasted this long, they will last another 30 years no problem.
 
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