White93z34 Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 So friend of mine has a 98' Century 3100. He blew a brake line or 4 recently and upon getting it up on jackstands we came to see just how screwed everything is. EVERY line that transports brake fluid/fuel is just ruined. And what is not presently leaking will fall apart as soon as we attempt to remove the brake lines from the plastic thing that holds them to the car (brake and fuel are run right next to eachother) doing the brake lines is no problem. I can do all that. The fuel line may be a different story. Called the dealer and the return line is still available, but the pressure line is no longer available. So that will have to be custom made. Maybe I am over thinking this and going all Crazy K on it but the lines use special flares to go into the fuel filter and to the fuel rail. Now there is a special tool that makes those flares. I'm torn between buying that as I think I could get good use out of it down the road, albeit probably minimally. it ranges from $2-300 or just have him buy the premade fitting at the autoparts store and patch them in with compression fittings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Want me or Al to look locally for some fuel lines? Otherwise, I'd just buy the pre-made ends and compression fittings. Try to use Steel or Stainless Steel compression fittings. Methanol and any alcohol's (or other additives in fuel) can and will eat away brass and copper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 I doubt either of you would really want to rip fuel lines that go from the front to the back of the car out for me in all honesty. Hell I dont even want to do it and I have the car on jackstands in a garage. That is also asuming that every one in the yard is not rotted to piss like these are as well. as much as I'd like to make my own lines... I think it would be quicker and a cleaner job in the end I don't want to get into specialty tools that have pretty limited uses... well I do I like specialty tools but 2-300 is a bit more then I want to spend for something like that. I want to say the bits you buy at the auto parts store all include copper compression fittings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Well, here is my experience with compression fittings, and other material compositions. Not automotive application, but the basics are the same. We/I have used compression fittings on some high pressure lines. Most of the time, if it is a compression fitting, it is from a gas/liquid from some sort of bottle or tank. The outlet pressure is anywhere between 20-100 PSI. No problems there, as long as they were put together correctly. Anything with Methanol (or any other alchohol), ammonia, hydrogen, etc.... must be steel or stainless steel. It will destroy brass. Copper should be ok, as a copper catalyst is generally used in the production of alcohols. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breakdown Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 I doubt either of you would really want to rip fuel lines that go from the front to the back of the car out for me in all honesty. Hell I dont even want to do it and I have the car on jackstands in a garage. That is also asuming that every one in the yard is not rotted to piss like these are as well. as much as I'd like to make my own lines... I think it would be quicker and a cleaner job in the end I don't want to get into specialty tools that have pretty limited uses... well I do I like specialty tools but 2-300 is a bit more then I want to spend for something like that. I want to say the bits you buy at the auto parts store all include copper compression fittings. Doesn't Chinese Matt have some of this stuff?? If he is willing to assist, (Courtney is willing to assist) I might be able to bring that stuffs down with me. Please tell me that when you first got under this thing that you immediately reacted: "FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOT2B GM Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Ive got brake flare kits, not fuel injection flare kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breakdown Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Ive got brake flare kits, not fuel injection flare kits. I'll have to check & see if I have the kit that converts the brake flare kits into fuel injection kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertISaar Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 what i would do, and not necessarily the best course of action, is to give yourself enough room near the special flares and just cut them off and double(or bubble) flare new lines between. of course, this is assuming that the lines aren't total crap from end to end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 at least near the end of the car everything is total crap. I'll likely cut the line off at the fuel filter and just get a new one and not mess with getting the rusted crap off it. near the front of the car i might be able to salvage some lines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 You could have told me about this on the phone. I love copper nickle brake lines: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YKE7F8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&m=A16VYECLR0LX2G or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027ABNVQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_10?ie=UTF8&m=A1729W3053T57N awesome stuff, easy as hell to bend flare and run.... and best deal on the web for them. As for fuel lines, I have often gone to the junkyard and hacked the lines complete or partial from a donor. I have had to replace the last foot of line that goes to the filter and find it easiest to just use a compression type brass union to join the two separate portions of line. screw reforming the end. If the last foot or so is the only problem area, a partial replacement method should be simple enough and unions are cheap enough... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 Line material type, I don't care about. It took 14 years for it to get this bad, and I am pretty sure the car is not likely to see another 14, plus the green coated stuff I can get local is more then sufficient, its just the fittings/flares I am taking issue with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Started massive line replacement tonight, what a pain in my ass. Everything is rotted on this car, the filler neck vent tube broke in half when I bumped it... add that to the replace list Pulled ALL the front to rear lines out of the car as a set so I can fabricate replacement lines easier... what a pain. Looking like I'll just have him buy the repair sections and I'll patch them in. Think the worst of it is over for now. Got the rear lines bent up and installed. Just have to fab up the front brake lines, now is the time since I have the master cyl out of the car to get easier access to everything. And Chris & AL after pulling the lines with the car on jackstands in a garage, NO WAY would I want you guys doing that for me in a yard. Total Pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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