I hate brakes

[blacklabels]

I hate brakes. I hate brakes. I hate brakes. I hate rust! Wanted to vent! Im replacing the brake lines on my festiva and have replaced all new lines. Now wanted to bleed them and broke off the bleeder screws yes..!
Any ideas what i should do?

[georgeb]

You can get new cylinders or you can try to get the old bleed valve out with an easy-out. The hole is already there! Or you can be really cheap and bleed the brakes by loosening the connection at the cyl.

[Safety Guy]

If it's the rear ones, replace the whole wheel cylinder(s).

It the fronts, try the easy out method. If that doesn't work, swap these in for rebuilt calipers. I'm assuming you began with original calipers?

Karl

[freshtiva]

Everybody needs to check their brake lines. Esp where they attach to the car.

[blacklabels]

If it's the rear ones, replace the whole wheel cylinder(s).

It the fronts, try the easy out method. If that doesn't work, swap these in for rebuilt calipers. I'm assuming you began with original calipers?

Karl

Everything is original. Its the rear ones to. Prolly going to remove the old screws with a screw extractor.

[blacklabels]

Everybody needs to check their brake lines. Esp where they attach to the car.

Good idea with cars from the rust states.

[bravekozak]

One word --- "stainless".

[Safety Guy]

When I redo my next set of hard lines (all of them!) I'll probably use this service, but only to do the most difficult bends:

-from brake splitter down through the crossmember channel
-from just before the lines go up by the gas tank to their destinations
-maybe one or two other sections if I think they might be difficult for me to do

I think I can do the rear axle brake lines myself. Possibly the two front brake lines from splitter to hoses. I'll see. The more I can do myself the less it should cost, and by only having the most difficult sections done the pieces can be mailed more easily in well packed boxes.

I'll connect them with straight sections of line I buy myself, cut to fit exactly so I won't even have to make the ends.

I'll probably have two or three sets made while I'm at it.

There shouldn't be any problem in mixing stainless steel custom bent lines with store bought regular lines, right?

Karl

[zoom zoom]

One word --- "stainless".

It's about time for that pic of the purple fluid!

That's pretty awesome though, I wonder where I could just get the stainless lines and bend it all myself? I bet a regular flare tool would work on the stainless just as well.

[bravekozak]

You could buy just the lines and fittings from Classic or from Inline and bend & flare them yourself. They sell brake tools too. I did that too.

[blacklabels]

One word --- "stainless".

very purty!

[bravekozak]

Actually, what I'd really like to get my hands on some ARP stainless metric flanged bolts but the piece price is obscene. I have emailed the U.K. for a box price in anticipation of a group buy. Have you seen the prices on their titanium dress up kits?

[GenevaDirt]

Karl...the lines are very easy to bend and route yourself. As far as getting exact lengths...I would just measure how long you think you need and round up with what they have available. I did this for the 2 lines running to the rear of the car, bent by hand where I wanted them...did a little reroute where I thought I should and ended up almost perfect to the the rear connections. The line is very easy to bend and if you are a little long you just bend it a little different and it takes up the extra.

[zoom zoom]

Just find a hardware store with a good selection of nuts and bolts, my local feed store has metric stainless nuts and bolts.

[WmWatt]

Too late now but heating with a torch works. I broke a front nipple, was not able to extract it, so just left it and bled from the rubber hose connection. Couple years later I replaced both calipers.

How did it go at the firewall? I think brake line is the first thing they install at the factory and everything else is put on top.

When I replaced the brake lines I bought fixed length with the harware already on them because it was cheaper and less work than cutting and flaring myself. The last section I had to cut to length and flare. The tighter you turn the flare tool the better the flare. I borrowed a flare tool for free from the parts store. One of my flares had a slow leak for months but seems to have stopped now. I lost about 1/4" of fluid in the reservoir over 6 months so it was okay. I typed in the lengths I used and posted in one of the old threads here.