Brake line replacement question

[Longroof79]

My friend is in the middle of replacing all the steel brake lines on his Cutlass Cruiser wagon. The one line in question is the long one going from the combination valve to the rear end. he'd like to know how it's accomplished without lifting the body off the frame. He had mentioned the few obstacles he's found in order to achieve the routing of this line.
I'd be curious as to what maneuvers you guys used to route this line.
Thank you!

 

[81cutlass]

I just went through replacing a section of that line on my cutlass because the fitting had rusted to the hose that goes to the rear end and it twisted the line off when I went to replace the hose.

I put a splice right in front of the LCA mount in the frame. I was able to snake the OEM steel line out and bent my own replacement up out of new NiCop line. I had to bent the line slightly to put it in and take it out, but it's 90% right. It's never going to fit as nice as OEM but you can bent and get it generally in location. If its an aftermarket re-pop line kit it's only going to be 90% right anyway.

I don't see a way to do it as 1 piece with the body on. Did he get a kit from inline tube or similar? I just replaced the entire line kit on Dad's 4th gen firebird and the line that runs from the prop valve back to the rear end came shipped as 2 pieces with a union in the middle about where I would put it if it was a G body.

 

[Longroof79]

Thank you for your input, Jake.
I think he was also thinking about cutting the line and use either a compression fitting, or another type of union configuration.
He apparently purchased the lines from Inline Tube. I don't think he's that concerned about it looking OEM. I like your idea about bending a new line using the NiCop tubing. Either way, I think he's also resigned to the fact that it will need to be done in two pieces.

Lifting the body off , I feel, will open up a whole new can of worms. Of course, that will lead to replacing the body mounts and possibly some bolts, and perhaps accessing some of the caged nuts. That's a whole project by itself.
Thanks again!

 

[Bonnewagon]

I put a splice right in front of the LCA mount in the frame. I

union

That is how I did it too. They put the lines on the frame, then the body on the frame. It is absolutely impossible to snake it through without ruining the line. I use double flares and proper unions so they will not leak and be safe. NO HOME DUPA COMPRESSION FITTINGS! I know people say they are OK, but would you risk your life that way?

 

[81cutlass]

That's the line I made just cutting the old one with a tube cutter and bending the new one using the old one as a reference.

I did the same thing on my wagon in like 2017.

 

[Longroof79]

That is how I did it too. They put the lines on the frame, then the body on the frame. It is absolutely impossible to snake it through without ruining the line. I use double flares and proper unions so they will not leak and be safe. NO HOME DUPA COMPRESSION FITTINGS! I know people say they are OK, but would you risk your life that way?

Mark,
I think he mentioned doing it with double flares. He said it looked like an absolute bear to snake that line thru. Like you said, the lines were plumbed in while the body was still off the frame.
Thanks for your input.

 

[Longroof79]

That's the line I made just cutting the old one with a tube cutter and bending the new one using the old one as a reference.

I did the same thing on my wagon in like 2017.
View attachment 236076

Thank you for posting the pic of the new line next to the old one, Jake. I guess you were still able to flare the other section while under the car ?.

 

[mikester]

I did mine with the car on stands as high as I could raise it. Snaked it, twisted it and eventually got it in. It was not easy though.

 

[403Olds]

I did mine several years ago also, was able to get it thru in one piece. I think I did have to take a control arm loose or something to get it in.

 

[81cutlass]

Thank you for posting the pic of the new line next to the old one, Jake. I guess you were still able to flare the other section while under the car ?.

I wouldn't say it's fun but it's brake flaring so it's never fun haha

Totally doable though