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Rear Rotted brake lines 98 Outback


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Aye!   Hello to all and Happy New Year!

 

  Spent my evening in the garage....  blistering cold here.....

 

Anyway,   I was wondering why my rear brakes were not really working well.... seemed that the rotors were not cleaning up....

the car sat for ages... and rear rotors were rather rusty......

 

 So my answer for the lame rear brakes is rear rotted brake line syndrome...........

 

 

It is the   driverside that is actually leaking......

 

What I would like to know......   Is what   people have been doing to reroute these puppies......

                                                      (they run over the top of the fuel tank)

 

looks like they drop down on the passenger side (from inside) ( I guess there are two lines because of the ABS)

 

                  So please chime in.......    make my life easier  here.....

 

 

Thanks! Micky

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Splice to the lines inside the body under the  back seat  with flare unions. That way you have clean unrusted brake line to attach too. Cut  the old line off just before the nut at  the brake hose and use  a 6  point socket on the nut, don't even bother with a line wrench it  will just round it off. Hold where it threads into with vice grips so you don't tear the bracket off the car trying to loosen it.

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Thanks!

 

                  yeah, I will get a roll of that  copper nickel brake line.....  I am striving to put another 100k on this car...

 

These are the  "Double Flare"  connections....  I am figuring...........  NOT "Bubble Flare" ,,,, Correct?????

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Thanks!

 

                  yeah, I will get a roll of that  copper nickel brake line.....  I am striving to put another 100k on this car...

 

These are the  "Double Flare"  connections....  I am figuring...........  NOT "Bubble Flare" ,,,, Correct?????

Sorry, I can't answer the flare question, but you will find that copper nickel brake line a joy to work with.  We had to replace all the brake lines front to back and side to side on my old Audi (30 years of salty roads really wreaked havoc on them), and it took us about an hour total to bend all the lines and flare them.  It was great stuff to work with...no kinks or creases, just bent like a cooked spaghetti noodle.  And it held up very well; I would probably have gotten another 30 years out of them if the car hadn't gotten wrecked (and been rusty as hell).

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You will need to make a double flare.  This is critical.  I used the NAPA Flaring Tool #161A with perfection.  There is a $12 version on Amazon OEM Tools 24364.  You will also need Metric Brake Line Invert Flare Fittings for 3/16" Tube. 10 x 1 mm.  Amazon has them as well.  I made the splices under the car at the junction block in front of the rear passenger side wheel.  Why? less double flares I needed to make.  Less chance of leaks.

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Hey, Thanks for all the input.....

I will write up how it goes....  Got the line coming.........  wish I could have found the NICOPP black oxide fittings somewhere.......

I will call my local favorite supplier and see what they offer.....  probably just zinc coated...........

I like the idea of  tubing that I don't have to fight to flare it.......  Just have to be careful not to  "maul" the stuff... due to it being soft....

 

 

Thanks, Micky

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Hey, Thanks for all the input.....

I will write up how it goes....  Got the line coming.........  wish I could have found the NICOPP black oxide fittings somewhere.......

I will call my local favorite supplier and see what they offer.....  probably just zinc coated...........

I like the idea of  tubing that I don't have to fight to flare it.......  Just have to be careful not to  "maul" the stuff... due to it being soft....

 

 

Thanks, Micky

When we did my Audi brake lines, it flared very easily...we didn't have any mangling issues at all. 

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Splice to the lines inside the body under the  back seat  with flare unions. That way you have clean unrusted brake line to attach too. Cut  the old line off just before the nut at  the brake hose and use  a 6  point socket on the nut, don't even bother with a line wrench it  will just round it off. Hold where it threads into with vice grips so you don't tear the bracket off the car trying to loosen it.

 

I second this post completely.

 

They are double/inverted flares, with M10x1.0 fittings.

 

I took this picture of the repair I made on my '97 about a year and a half ago, this is under the back seat. I replaced all the steel hard line that is exposed under the back of the car. There's a factory junction block just under here, but it's usually badly rusted, I just bypass it entirely.

35654073123_43e19619a3_c.jpg

2017-08-09_08-16-18 by Numbchux, on Flickr

 

Use an inline flaring tool, like this. Makes flaring the line a breeze, especially in the car.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DO9142G?tag=amz-mkt-chr-us-20&ascsubtag=1ba00-01000-a0032-win10-other-nomod-us000-pcomp-feature-scomp-wm-4-wl-ddt0_sce0_prc0_aapi0&ref=bit_scomp_sav0

 

You'll need a small tubing cutter, as well. Nothing special there.

 

Cheapest source for the NiCopp Line

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0788JTB45/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

On my latest project, I used stainless fittings, too.....

https--,,--//www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Metric-Invert-Fitting/dp/B01KNGVPCC/

 

 

Then you'll just need a pair of unions. These are the exact ones that I used, but they're cheaper at your local auto parts store:

https://www.amazon.com/Brass-Brake-Union-M10x1-0-Inverted/dp/B001O09HVI/ref=sr_1_6?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1515186248&sr=1-6&keywords=brake+line+union+metric

Edited by Numbchux
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  Oh!

 

   That's funny!.......  yeah.. no rust....

 

  I was able to use the junction below........

 

      This car sadly spent a couple years up in the north country.... NY....

 

  So it got douched with salt for about two years.......

 

 As for before that .... Southern PA...

                       Other than that it is very clean....So everything is coming apart ok throughout the car.....

                       I am Anti-seizing(where applicable)  and using  rust preventative measures anywhere I can

 

 

                        ANd then!!!!!!!!!   out to the salt you go!

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