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Upgraded Brake Lines to SS Brake Line Set

Joined
Apr 29, 2001
Messages
2,141
Location
Rio Rancho, NM
Corvette
1981 HD Suspension; ZN1 Option
Well folks,

Gail's brakes where scaring me a bit. When I pressed the brake pedal relatively fast, it would travel further than if I pressed the brake slowly, and so I embarked on a troubleshooting quest to get to the bottom of the problem.

And with a car on its 30th year since production, there were a lot of parts that lended themselves as the culprit. The proportioning valve was the original. The brake calipers had been refurbished/converted to Stainless Steel finishing process 14 years ago. The original brake booster was replaced about 18 Years ago. The Master Cylinder was the original (with a refresh seal kit done about 10 years ago). After replacing all those parts during the last 6 months, what was left was the brake lines.

So I upgraded the brake lines to Stainless Steel (SS). In the process, I found this line >>>>
SAM_0319.JPG



<<< with the caliper end loose, and a crack near the flared end.

The hardest line to replace is the one tying the rear brakes to the proportioning valve. And it snakes from this brake connecting block, forward and down, and inboard while in between the back of the driver's side floor board and the frame. Just a pain in the neck. Breathe deeply and take your time.

SAM_0320.JPG


On this image one can see a small portion of the rear cross over line. Not too bad to replace.

SAM_0326.JPG



And here is the front brakes' crossover line.

SAM_0322.JPG


By the way, I bought the kit when they had one of those Corvette Central specials with free shipping...that was sweet;)

GerryLP:cool
 
Gerry,
When I first got my '81 some years ago now, I was fighting air in the brake lines. After replacing the master with no improvement I went for the calipers. On the right front I found the junction of the rubber line to steel line so chewed-up...someone had used pliers on the fittings....it was terrible. I ended-up replacing all the brake lines like you did. The line from proportioning valve to the rear is quite fun. I read that the body had to be lifted off the frame in order to get the line clips out / in. So like all of us...."while I was already there"....I replaced the body mounts. I only lifted the body off about 1/4 inch which is all I needed to get to the clips and get the body mounts off and new poly bushings installed.

Just sharing.

Lanny
 
Hello Gerry,

Replacing the brake lines with the body still on sounds to me like a hell of a job! Could you take a look at the picturelinks because I don't see them. :)

Greetings Peter
 
... I read that the body had to be lifted off the frame in order to get the line clips out / in....Just sharing.

Lanny

Yeah Lanny, that's one way to do it, but I did not want to go through that project just yet (if I retire in about 6 years, I plan to remove the body then). No, what I did was go to Sears and see what they had for wrenches. Luckily, they had their new ratchet wrenches combos that have one size on one side of the ratchet socket, and different size on the other side of the ratchet socket. Because of this arrangement, it allowed me to brake loose the torque on the clamp bolts, and I was able to remove the old line. Sears also has those wrenches with the swivel lever ends that would have worked fine as well, but they didn't have them "a la carte"...;):L

Installing the new line, I expected it to be harder to accomplish, but I got lucky, and it went pretty smooth (not withstanding the tireness at the end of the day :) ). I still have to return back under the vehicle and bolt down one clamp (the one behind the floor board), but we were expecting a winter storm to come by on Tuesday (after MLK Holiday), and I had still to put everything away, test the Vette brakes, and park my 1963 Chevy II Wagon project and the Vette nuzzled in the garage (and will you believe that the garage door opener stopped working as well?).

Gail drove fine, but stopped divinely on a dime too. This past Friday, I drove her to work again, and the brake's performance is holding-up still. One more week wait, and I'll take her to work before I am convinced that the issue is resolved.
 
Hello Gerry,

Replacing the brake lines with the body still on sounds to me like a hell of a job! Could you take a look at the picturelinks because I don't see them. :)

Greetings Peter

Is anyone else having trouble seen the pictures? When I log-in to CAC, I see the images I posted readily. Peter, I am not sure where to start in fixing this issue. If you like, I'll email you the pics. :)
 
Sorry to confirm no pic in first post Gerry. Sounds like you had fun. Glad to hear that Gail is back on her feet and doing well.
 
Hello Gerry. If you could send the pictures to my email i'll send you back the uploaded links. Btw. delete some pm's so there is some room for new ones :D

Greetings Peter
 
And now??? I swear, I never had this much of a hard time before. I am linking images direct from the Live.com SkyDrive. :ugh:mad:eyerole;):D

GerryLP :cool
 
Hello Gerry. If you could send the pictures to my email i'll send you back the uploaded links. Btw. delete some pm's so there is some room for new ones :D

Greetings Peter

I thank you Peter, for the offer. Now it's a challenge issue. :D

GerryLP :cool
 
Me Either...

Just the little red X:hb
 
Hello Gerry,

No problem :D
Just a small tip. Your picture link ends with .JPG?psid=1.
Mine only work with .JPG
btw. I tried yours without the psid=1 but still no luck.
could also be something simple als a normal vs. capital letter issue.
Good luck! :)

Greetings Peter
 
I think (more like I hope) that the problem is fixed. It had to do with the permissions I set in the folder within Live.com SkyDrive. :ugh;):D
 
Just the little red X:hb

Lou!!!

Oh man, oh man, oh man! (at the risk of high-jacking my own thread)

Where have you been, my man? I am so glad to hear from you.

Everyone, if U have not heard the stories about Lou and his 1962 Vette in our gatherings, then I am sure that if you look-up Rowdy1's past posts (try like posts in 2004 - 2007), then you'll get to know The Legend. :D:D:D

He's one of the original 'Supremes" along with Bud, Jeff (Black Dog), ...where is that video ???:chuckle;)
 
You solved the problem Gerry, :)

Great pictures! Now that I see the pictures I think it has been more difficult then I already thought.

Greetings Peter
 
Me???

Lou!!!

Oh man, oh man, oh man! (at the risk of high-jacking my own thread)

Where have you been, my man? I am so glad to hear from you.

Everyone, if U have not heard the stories about Lou and his 1962 Vette in our gatherings, then I am sure that if you look-up Rowdy1's past posts (try like posts in 2004 - 2007), then you'll get to know The Legend. :D:D:D

He's one of the original 'Supremes" along with Bud, Jeff (Black Dog), ...where is that video ???:chuckle;)
Are you sure you have the right guy? Thanks Jerry, a legend in my own mind:L:boogie
 
Are you sure you have the right guy? Thanks Jerry, a legend in my own mind:L:boogie

Sorry t find-out that you sold the 62, but it looks like you got yourself a Z06 to keep-up the tire-burning tradition...;):L;LOL
 

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