'94 Ford Exploder.

Brake line rusted--I was pushing hard on the brake while reaching into the back seat, and the pedal went to the floor (not a good thing).

Found the spot--it is at the rear (driver's side) of the car, at a bend in the metal line, just before the rubber hose running to the "y" distributor (that diverts to each of the rear calipers).

The metal line runs from the ABS box (in the front) straight back along the frame rails--the kicker is that a good bit of the line is covered by the gas tank, and there don't appear to be any connectors--it is about 10' of brake line with many bends.


I can handle some basic repairs--but I am wondering if it would be more hassle than it is worth to try to buy 2 or 3 pieces of line, connectors, then bend them, then drop the gas tank (or try to slide the new line in beside the tank--or re-route it a bit) to get it into place.

Any mechanics have any thoughts?

Thanks!!

AFARR

Use steel lines with an ISO flare and you'll be fine as frog's hair.  You'll need a flaring tool, a tubing bender and a tubing cutter.

I've had to do this a few times on my rusty old winter beaters. The problem is finding a connector in the remaining rusty line that you can get apart. Usually you will just twist the line and break it I ended up getting a double-flare tool (the only acceptable way of flaring brake line) and flaring the remaining line underneath my truck,in the dead of winter-not an easy thing at all. The new line does not have to exactly follow the old-it just has to be out of the way,so it doesn't get pinched by the axles or rub on something that might wear a hole in it. I'm sure you can tuck it up next to the gas tank,and secure it so that it stays there-I used hose clamps and cable ties. I got a cheap tubing bender and  made it fit pretty well-it's still there and working as it should.

The tubing bender is a rather expensive item.  I vote for taking it to a mechanic.

I do a lot of my own maintenance and repairs on vehicles, but the brake system is one thing on which I do not trust myself to work, other than bleeding lines pursuant to suspension repairs.  Malfunctioning brakes can bring quick death to you and others.

Hmmm... I bought my bender at Murrays-a local car parts store. Of course,it was made in China,but it performed well, and accomodated three sizes of tubing. it cost somewhere around $10-$15. A tubing cutter is about the same,as is the double flaring set-I bought them all at the same place,and the tubing,too-most car parts places have pre-cut and flared pieces in an assortment of sizes-you can mix and match to get the right length. If you are going to replace the rear brake line anyway,I'd replace those rubber sections at the same time-they can break,too. I wouldn't be too worried about doing a job like this-if your sections are tightened up securely,and the system is bled,you won't have any problems.

Quoted: Hmmm... I bought my bender at Murrays-a local car parts store. Of course,it was made in China,but it performed well, and accomodated three sizes of tubing. it cost somewhere around $10-$15....

D'Oh!  I think I paid about $52 for a US-made Rigid one that I would not be ashamed to show to my 8th grade metal shop teacher.

You don't necessarily get what you pay for, but you almost always pay for what you get.

Quoted: What I do is buy cars that have never been up north, then make sure I don't drive them in the North in the winter! Brake lines last forever down here....

Same here.  No salt on the roads, ever.

A respectable shop (private - not dealership/chain store) will replace the whole line for around $125.00.  IMOH it's well woth it if you've never done it before, and I do it for a living. - Shark

Good to know.  I did not know it would be that inexpensive.

I guess if I did take a crack at it, I would at least have a mechanic bleed it correctly as a double-check.

Actually,California Kid, I'm a Pipefitter, and I have the full array of Rigid tubing benders and flaring tools and cutters at work.I only use the best there. I need them there,and I didn't want to keep dragging them home and back,so I got the cheapos for the occasional job at home. They have performed acceptably for me.

If you use the CORRECT flaring tools and do the job PROPERLY then go for it.  If you don't know what you are doing, then have a pro handle it.  Its brakes.  They won't just leave you stranded, they can kill you.  If you do not flare the line properly, it might seal just fine, and it might work just fine..... for a while.  Then the flare will crack and fail, or the line will separate from the flare, or something else.  Anyways you will end up running over a 3 year old girl collecting easter eggs in her sunday best and then flip over and die in a fiery crash.  
Have fun!  I don't understand how in the hell you guys work on cars up north.  Everytime I see one it scares me.  Rust everywhere..... You can't just unbolt something and replace it, you gotta cut the damn thing off, have whatever it was attached to crumble to dust, then replace another $5,000 worth of parts.  Then you will find that the rusted and broken bolts that hold on the original parts are special order only and you need that sucker together yesterday.

Quoted: Good to know.  I did not know it would be that inexpensive. I guess if I did take a crack at it, I would at least have a mechanic bleed it correctly as a double-check.

Bleeding can be an issue too.  Soak all 4 brake bleeders with a good penetrating fluid several times in the day(s) before you do the job.  The price goes up if bleeders break & you need wheel cyls &/or calipers.

If it were me, I would take a mechanic, because working in the cold is really, really tough, espcially if you don't have a hoist, and it is on your back on a creeper.  The braking system needs to go 1st class all the way, because the life you save, maybe your own.

Quoted: ...Anyways you will end up running over a 3 year old girl collecting easter eggs in her sunday best and then flip over and die in a fiery crash....

Was that in a movie? I'm having a flashback or something.

BTW always use flare nut wrenches on flare nuts.

I'm so glad the internet was not around when I learned how to work on cars. I was young and poor,and fearlessly attempted any fix on my cars. I screwed it up sometimes,but I always eventually figured it out,and my confidence grew with each fix. I changed starters in parking lots,and brakes in -10 below zero weather,because I had to drive that car to work the next day. You guys and your "take it to the experts"-go to just about any brake shop and what will you see?-some 10th grade dropout doing your brakes,and thinking about how high he's going to get tonight

Quoted: You guys and your "take it to the experts"-go to just about any brake shop and what will you see?-some 10th grade dropout doing your brakes,and thinking about how high he's going to get tonight

+1 - that's why I said find a local privateer, preferably a family business.  We're still out there!

Quoted: The tubing bender is a rather expensive item.  I vote for taking it to a mechanic. I do a lot of my own maintenance and repairs on vehicles, but the brake system is one thing on which I do not trust myself to work, other than bleeding lines pursuant to suspension repairs.  Malfunctioning brakes can bring quick death to you and others.

Changing pads is pretty hard to fuck up.  Much more foolproof than opening the system to bleed it.

doing the double flare sucks. Unless you have a really good flair kit, expect to practice a whole lot before you do it yourself.
I found a place that will copy your brake lines pretty cheap local.
The lines were like 15 bucks unbent, cost me 30 for them bent to shape. I needed 3 sections to make it from the front to the back.
If the one guy is right about it being 120 from a shop (which I kind of doubt,) then I only saved myself 30 bucks.
Take a look in the phone book. I am sure there are places around that custom make lines pretty cheap.

I should have been more specific about my abilities....

I have rebuilt calipers (in and amongst several different brake jobs) in the past.  

I did pick up a flaring tool, several pieces of brake line (flared with male threaded couplers attached), etc.   For all that stuff it was about $45.   I had a tubing cutter already (floating around somewhere...).   Don't have a bender.    I need at least one more long piece of brake line to get from front to rear of the car (so, I am looking at minimum of $50 to get the parts and tools together, and if I get a bender, another several $$).

I may call a local place and get an estimate on the line replacement.

Thanks for the info!!

AFARR

Quoted: I'm so glad the internet was not around when I learned how to work on cars. I was young and poor,and fearlessly attempted any fix on my cars. I screwed it up sometimes,but I always eventually figured it out,and my confidence grew with each fix. I changed starters in parking lots,and brakes in -10 below zero weather,because I had to drive that car to work the next day. You guys and your "take it to the experts"-go to just about any brake shop and what will you see?-some 10th grade dropout doing your brakes,and thinking about how high he's going to get tonight

But back then you didn't have the number of liablity lawyers, and you have zero possessions.  Now that you have wife, house, and children you are responsible for a lot more than just your self.  The stuff mention is no that much of a big deal, but getting killed or killing someone else is.

Quoted: Quoted: The tubing bender is a rather expensive item.  I vote for taking it to a mechanic. I do a lot of my own maintenance and repairs on vehicles, but the brake system is one thing on which I do not trust myself to work, other than bleeding lines pursuant to suspension repairs.  Malfunctioning brakes can bring quick death to you and others. Changing pads is pretty hard to fuck up.  Much more foolproof than opening the system to bleed it.

Remember you're Calif where most of the time, we don't need to salt the roads to get rid of the ice.  Salt is murder on the undercarriage.  Years ago, when I worked at my uncle's gas station, and when we get a muffler job, you can tell the car was from a colder climate because  the under-carriage would be caked with rust, and when you put your air chisel to the exhaust system it would literally rain chunks and particles of rust on you.