[72GT]

Yet another bad idea?
I'm replacing my front brake lines and wondered if it's a bad idea to leave the flexhose-to-steel connector unsupported.
The original brake line J shape is mounted between the caliper and a bracket that shares the caliper mounting bolts.
Is the bracket required for safe operation? Here is a picture of my first version.. without the bracket.

 

[N61WP]

It's just like bending a coat hanger...first just a little flex, then over time the line will split....how long? How many licks are in a Tootsie-Roll Pop?
Be safe, mount it.
My .02c
Jc

 

[bear]

Jc is correct, you need to support the steel line, even though the line is supposed to flex. It will transmit some movement to the steel line and after a while, it will work harden and break. Not a good thing.

Ron

 

[72GT]

Thanks for the help.
Now, I will bend up a piece to match the original shape and use the bracket.

Does anyone know the correct flare angle: 45 or 37 degrees? The FSM suggests tool J-8051, which I don't have access to, but I'm guessing it's 37.
Will a 45 degree flare seat properly after the flare nut is torqued down?

 

[ken2]

Right front caliper J line

Well, let's see if I can get three posts in here quick...
While replacing the rubber flex lines on my GT, despite the amount of PB Blaster soaking that was done, I had issues with the flare follower nuts being able to turn around the tubing. I had snapped the tubing on the right front caliper. The search engine here is great, but requires A LOT of patience. I was unable to find any information in one spot, and hope to help by providing some specifics here for this.
As stated above in this thread, this small J shaped brake line attach's to the caliper on one end, and to the flex line at the other end, and is held firm in a bracket(to keep it from bending and eventually breaking)...making its length and shape important. I couldn't get the attachments to load in the order that I wanted, so the picture order is strange.
Picture 6: I put a welding wire into my broken J line until it was flush with the opening, then cut it flush on the other end to determine the length of the tubing...5 3/16" as shown in picture 5.
Now, the type of flare that is on the GT at this location is a double flare, as shown in picture 4(from this sites archives somewhere) for clarification.
I used a NAPA #413-5483 brake line, which is 3/16" tubing x 8" long with 10mmX1.0 nuts shown in picture 2.
One of my flares is already done for me. A double flare folds some of the brake line back into the flare, so I need to add the length to my measurement to cut the tubing to the right size. Using the double flare insert for this size line, it is found that I need to cut my tubing(one side already flared) at 5 5/16" as shown in picture 1. If I had to flare both sides, I would have added another 1/8' to the measurement.
Picture 3 shows the straight tubing, double flared at both ends and ready to bend to shape.

 

[BQS4]

If you don't have a tubing bender, you can fill the new line with sand, then bend it, then rinse out the sand with brake fluid.

 

[ken2]

Figuring the bend

Now that we have the right length, we have to match the bend.
Starting with the end that threads into the caliper, I measured back to where the bend starts as shown in picture 1, 1 1/2" back.
I marked that with a piece of tape for reference as shown in picture 3.
The other important measurement is shown in picture 2...the distance between the tube ends or 3".
I found that the bend diameter was about the same as my jack handle or 1 1/2"...Picture 4
And picture 5 shows the bend.

 

[ken2]

The first picture shows how close the initial bend was. I took it apart to tweak it until it fit right. I didn't do any tweaking in place, as not to collapse the tubing. Tweak and try.
I like the idea of the sand, Gene. I am pretty comfortable free handing a bend this shallow, but a tighter one I will try the sand.

 

[hrcollinsjr]

Well, let's see if I can get three posts in here quick...

If you don't have a tubing bender, you can fill the new line with sand, then bend it, then rinse out the sand with brake fluid.

:no: :lmao:

Harold

 

[Anonymous D]

Whole lot easier to just replace it with another tube in good condition.

 

[opelbits]

Well, let's see if I can get three posts in here quick...
While replacing the rubber flex lines on my GT, despite the amount of PB Blaster soaking that was done, I had issues with the flare follower nuts being able to turn around the tubing. I had snapped the tubing on the right front caliper.

I find that if one of the nuts is seized to the line, but turns free of the caliper or rubber hose, I'll take the cailper of the car and work backwards unscrewing the caliper from the line or the hard line/caliper from the rubber line, then I can work on freeing the nut from the hard line. It's awkward, but if a line is salvagable, it's worth the effort.

 

[ken2]

opelbits, I thought that I HAD this connection moving, but it turned out that I had snapped it. Seeing as I was replacing all of the rubber flex lines, I just cut the flex lines on the other two locations...made life easier there.
Anonymous D...that is what I did, but I had to make it first. I could not find anything specific about this line. So, simplistic as it may seem, I am hoping that I help clarify this for someone. I spent hours...longer than it took to make the new one, searching to see if this was a part that I could buy. Like I said earlier, you need a lot of patience to find what you are searching for here.

 

[opelbits]

Yep, I know what that's like. I've had many brake line fittings completely seized onto the lines or each other and realised it after the fact. I got to the point that I watch real close where the line meets the nut and if there is any question of it not being free, I unscrew the caliper.

Most of the cars I've owned (even non-Opel stuff) have not had brake hardlines available. Except for flex hoses, I've never been able to buy specific lines off the shelf, not even the dealers.

 

[broszzy]

I have found if you apply a little heat, no need to get it red hot, just a small propane torch is plenty. You will never have another problem removing your old brake lines, works on bleeders too.

 

[PSabre62]

I always apply a little antiseize to the bleeder screws whenever I do a brake job. Only a little though!