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Dealing with old brake lines
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bluebus86
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 8:30 am    Post subject: Re: Dealing with old brake lines Reply with quote

brake cleaner spray evaporates with no residue (of course if it disolved grease andmoil, the grease and oil may remain, so rinse it well with the brake cleaner to flow off the part to assure clean brake cleaner fluid is all that is left. now this cleaner can harm rubber brake parts, so dont soak them, but since it evaporates, using it to clean the pipes is ok, so long as it dries out before assembly.

I dont add anything to the flare or threads except brake compatible grease, as there is always a change of contamination, so make sure the lube on the threads is brake system safe.

after all that and you really want to rust protect that fitting, try spraying on a wax type under coating, it cant get into the system if the flare fitting is tightened, and it will keep road salt and such from getting into the external nooks and crannies. but frankly vw did not worry about this, mine are fine, but I dont typically drive on salted roads.

so first thing first, make sure there is no possibility of non brake compatible greases can get into the system, by only using brake compatible lube, you can be assured of that, then after it is sealed, if you want, slather it with wax under coating.


good luck
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epowell
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 9:32 am    Post subject: Re: Dealing with old brake lines Reply with quote

I'm sure the system is clean, I just gave the fittings a quick little spray of brake cleaner just before assembly to be totally sure... then tighten up...

After the new lines were in I just put some normal grease on my fingers and spread it all over the new lines and fittings. My guess is that as long as I keep grease on these things H2O won't have a change to get in and rust them.
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Merian
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 12, 2017 11:57 am    Post subject: Re: Dealing with old brake lines Reply with quote

bluebus86 wrote:


don't add anything to the flare or threads except brake compatible [paste], as there is always a change of contamination, so make sure the lube on the threads is brake system safe.



xlnt advice (I change grease to paste to avoid confusion - brake paste looks like grease but is not a grease)

NEVER use a moly or other grease on a brake system - it is unsafe

the post 2-3 posts above saying to use that is a terrible and dangerous idea

use brake paste only - you will want it to work on the pistons anyway so buy a high quality paste
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ZsZ
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 12:44 am    Post subject: Re: Dealing with old brake lines Reply with quote

Merian wrote:
bluebus86 wrote:


don't add anything to the flare or threads except brake compatible [paste], as there is always a change of contamination, so make sure the lube on the threads is brake system safe.



xlnt advice (I change grease to paste to avoid confusion - brake paste looks like grease but is not a grease)

NEVER use a moly or other grease on a brake system - it is unsafe

the post 2-3 posts above saying to use that is a terrible and dangerous idea

use brake paste only - you will want it to work on the pistons anyway so buy a high quality paste


The amount of possible contamination will rinse with bleeding the brakes.

Common brake grease/paste is also not designed to use in contact of brake fluid. Usually it is just silicone based high temp grease. Sometimes filled with fine copper dust.
If you want to be supersafe use brake cylinder paste. That is designed to lube the inner surface of a brake cylinder while inserting the pistons. So definitively designed to contact with brake fluid. Here vaseline is used for that purpose for ages by mechanics.

https://www.google.hu/search?q=brake+cylinder+paste
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bluebus86
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 11:08 am    Post subject: Re: Dealing with old brake lines Reply with quote

ZsZ wrote:
Merian wrote:
bluebus86 wrote:


don't add anything to the flare or threads except brake compatible [paste], as there is always a change of contamination, so make sure the lube on the threads is brake system safe.



xlnt advice (I change grease to paste to avoid confusion - brake paste looks like grease but is not a grease)

NEVER use a moly or other grease on a brake system - it is unsafe

the post 2-3 posts above saying to use that is a terrible and dangerous idea

use brake paste only - you will want it to work on the pistons anyway so buy a high quality paste


The amount of possible contamination will rinse with bleeding the brakes.

Common brake grease/paste is also not designed to use in contact of brake fluid. Usually it is just silicone based high temp grease. Sometimes filled with fine copper dust.
If you want to be supersafe use brake cylinder paste. That is designed to lube the inner surface of a brake cylinder while inserting the pistons. So definitively designed to contact with brake fluid. Here vaseline is used for that purpose for ages by mechanics.

https://www.google.hu/search?q=brake+cylinder+paste


noncompatible grease may not flush out too eaily, ii may not disolve in brake fluid, it maybe to viscous, or stick such that it wont be flushed out, it may become trapped in the rubber parts, where it will distroy them.

Never use non brake compatible lubricants in the brake system, play it safe, even trace amounts can result in brake failure, expensive reapairs.

"Common brake grease/paste" IS designed for contact with brake fluid, in fact all brake grease/paste, common or rare should be designed for brake fluid, and also brake rubber parts.

now there are lubricants sold specifically for external brake parts, such as slider pins on split calipers, or for sliding surfaces on drum backing plates, parking brake levers and such, often it is a high temperature type, and designed to not flow much so it wont migrate onto the friction surfaces. this should not be confussed with brake grease/paste, which is made for internal use in the brake system.

Too avoid confusion, always confirm the product instruction specifically state the grease is compatible with wetted brake parts, wont harm brake rubber seals.

unfortunatly some of the external use greases have been marketed with labling saying it is for brakes, which although true, does not mean it is ok for internal brake use, so read the instructions carefully, dont depend on marketing lables, read the instructions to find out if it is the right stuff or not.

I admitt I bought some grease, marketing front lable stated in bold print that it was for brakes. I find out while reading the instructions that it was NOT for internal brake use, fortunatly I read this before I used it, but it would have better if I had read it before purchase, live and learn!


good luck
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 2:58 pm    Post subject: Re: Dealing with old brake lines Reply with quote

On lines that almost never get serviced, I just paint them shut. Take a nice thick enamel paint and just fill the cracks. Easy, and good for another decade or more. On the lines that need to come apart more frequently, I simply use a liquid teflon at the top few threads... far away from the where it seals, and just enough to where the last few turns of the threads enter into the fitting. The main thing is to keep moisture out of threads. The actual sealing part is done where the flare on the brake line meets the nipple part deep inside the fitting itself. No matter what you use, as long as you stay away from that, you're fine. This applies to lines. If rebuilding calipers or preventing rust in bleeders, that's a different matter.

-Kevin
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 8:13 pm    Post subject: Re: Dealing with old brake lines Reply with quote

Hey - I wanted to add something to this thread just because it doesn't come up on searches and might save someone some time and money:

The t fitting for the 3/8 brake line at the rear on a vanagon (mine is 1991) is the same 10mm x 1.0 bubble flare connector on earlier volkswagens.

The reason this is important is: some sites have this connector for $50 when keyworded for vanagon ! But the Empi of this Volkswagen tee connector for brake lines is $7.50 to $10 on other sites, tho they don't list vanagon compatibility.

Also you can find the M10 bubble flare union fitting at your local parts store but the tee fitting might not be there, and the 3/8 Dormans fitting is not right.

Also, if you have steel lines that look like the ones in the first original post, they might bust when you break the brake fitting free, so plan on buying new ones... they are cheap and at local parts stores in premade lengths. Lots of info on that on the site with diagrams and lists of what to buy (except that tee connector!)

I also struggled with my front calipers on this project and could not properly extract a bleeder bolt that broke off. VW sites have remanufactured and new calipers for $100-$150 but I had one delivered next day from O'Reilys for like $59 with the bracket and caliper, the bleeder screw and all bolts etc. Really great deal, and a $19 core charge I can get back.

I welcome any corrections but just wanted to share my experience with this.
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4Gears4Tires
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 30, 2019 8:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Dealing with old brake lines Reply with quote

That T is a universal part. BMW uses them on their 80s cars (and older) for the rear brake split.
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2019 4:34 am    Post subject: Re: Dealing with old brake lines Reply with quote

Quote:
also struggled with my front calipers on this project and could not properly extract a bleeder bolt that broke off. VW sites have remanufactured and new calipers for $100-$150 but I had one delivered next day from O'Reilys for like $59 with the bracket and caliper, the bleeder screw and all bolts etc. Really great deal, and a $19 core charge I can get back.


Great deal until the silver cheese that they call metal rusts your slides shut, sticking your caliper, then smoking pads,rotor, wheel bearing . And caliper.

Then you can put another one on and repeat.

Put a magnet on the SS caliper slides for laughs
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