Brake Line & Fitting Sizes (Page 4/4)
ArthurPeale JAN 26, 09:52 AM
I found this incredibly educating

http://www.fedhillusa.com/?page=flare
ArthurPeale JAN 26, 02:13 PM
I only just read a bit more in depth on this thread.

it looks like I have to use 6mm line, and not common 3/16" line, is that accurate?

If so, wow it's like triple the price.
thesameguy JAN 26, 07:12 PM
Depending on what you're trying to do, you may need one or the other or both. :
ArthurPeale JAN 28, 11:33 AM

quote
Originally posted by thesameguy:

Depending on what you're trying to do, you may need one or the other or both. :



Fair; the line broke at the "T" on the passenger rear wheel, on the bottom.

I've read that 3/16" is "close enough" so that it shouldn't make a difference, as long as I'm using metric fittings
thesameguy JAN 28, 02:48 PM
It's which leg that matters... there is a 1/4"/6mm pipe that runs to the front of the car, and a 3/16"/4.75mm line that runs to each wheel. So, one big and two small. Hopefully it's not the big one, as that would be a pain to replace. Of course, if the pipe is in otherwise good shape, you could always cut it back and use a union to splice a new section of pipe in. Be aware, a compression fitting is NOT a suitable way to splice brake lines. You need an actual flare union.

Fed Hill (the site you linked to) has a good variety of brake fittings. You may also be able to re-use what's there if it's in good shape. If there's any concern about rust, etc., I would replace as much as you reasonably can.

[This message has been edited by thesameguy (edited 01-28-2021).]

ArthurPeale JAN 28, 03:52 PM

quote
Originally posted by thesameguy:

It's which leg that matters... there is a 1/4"/6mm pipe that runs to the front of the car, and a 3/16"/4.75mm line that runs to each wheel. So, one big and two small. Hopefully it's not the big one, as that would be a pain to replace. Of course, if the pipe is in otherwise good shape, you could always cut it back and use a union to splice a new section of pipe in. Be aware, a compression fitting is NOT a suitable way to splice brake lines. You need an actual flare union.

Fed Hill (the site you linked to) has a good variety of brake fittings. You may also be able to re-use what's there if it's in good shape. If there's any concern about rust, etc., I would replace as much as you reasonably can.




It's the bottom of the "T" that broke. It's pretty gnarly.

it looks like the lines The Fiero Store carries don't include the line that goes to the front of the car, according to the diagram.

I'm going to have to remove the "T" completely, and I'm praying that I don't break any of the other lines trying to do that. The one on the bottom that broke did so with very little effort.

I wish it wasn't so cold here. It's like 15. I would just use the torch on the T, but it'll cool down way too quickly.
thesameguy JAN 28, 06:07 PM
Ugh. It's mid 40s here and I'm dying making new brake & clutch lines...
ArthurPeale SEP 07, 04:04 PM

quote
Originally posted by ArthurPeale:


It's the bottom of the "T" that broke. It's pretty gnarly.

it looks like the lines The Fiero Store carries don't include the line that goes to the front of the car, according to the diagram.

I'm going to have to remove the "T" completely, and I'm praying that I don't break any of the other lines trying to do that. The one on the bottom that broke did so with very little effort.

I wish it wasn't so cold here. It's like 15. I would just use the torch on the T, but it'll cool down way too quickly.



Well, here it is three years later, and I'm finally getting around to replacing the rear line. The subframe requires replacing, so since it's grounded, it seemed like a good time.

I've learned a lot in the last three years. Ended up making flares for a bunch of the existing lines because the PO didn't make them correctly. Completely created and replaced lines for a completely different Fiero than the one I referenced above.

So I was feeling really confident about replacing the line on my Fiero "Ginger". The ones going into the rear "T" at least.

The lines were seized into the T, with the exception of the line on the bottom I'd replaced two years ago. That one came out easily.

I tried so many techniques to break the bonds, but all I ended up doing was slowly rounding off the corners on the hex on the fittings.

Finally threw up my hands and decided to break the rear line off (which was as delicate as the bottom one which disintegrated when I looked at it), and cut the frontward one (the 1/4" one) with a line cutter. It was THAT one which gave me most pause.

Interestingly, it's been replaced before. When I was examining the lines, I found a fitting about halfway between the nose and tail, just sitting there. It's not connected to anything. Theory is PO chose a premade line that on one end went into the proportioning valve fine, but the end with the T was a different fitting, so they slid the fitting back a ways, and put on a new end.

All of the other lines I made, bent, and installed, but now I have to see if I can dig up a metric M14 fitting easily.
ArthurPeale SEP 07, 04:09 PM
oh, right, to actually remove those seized fittings, I ended up welding nuts to the fittings and using a 1/4" impact to shock them out. I've gotten so much better with this technique. First time I ever tried it, it took me 12 nuts (this was a couple years ago) to remove ONE of the first bleed screws.

This took me four, to remove three fittings - and, it would have been three! Except, the weld stuck to the old line on the 1/4" fitting, instead of the fitting itself. The line just spun in the fitting. So, an angle grinder with a cutting disc, and two minutes of time to get to bare metal, and out it came.