Printable View
In replacing the hoses on the turbo Rampage, the driver's side front hard line from the prop valve to the hose snapped (the end wouldn't spin and I didn't realize it was just twisting the line). Is there a source for these, or is this something I'm going to have fabricate myself/have made? Thanks!
copper nickel brakeline is your friend.
that said, for that short line, i think ive used something like a 18" pre flared and tube nutted steel piece from the parts store and hand bent it with a tubing bender in the past.
but for replacement lines, i dont use anything other than copper nickel anymore. you can bend it by hand without it kinking, it flares easy and it never has to be replaced again due to its corrosion resistance.
Brian
I used to fish some 18 or 16ga wire through steel brake lines I was bending by hand. It did a pretty good job of keeping it from kinking.
+1 for the CuNi lines. I generally take the broken piece of line and form the new one based off of that by hand. For complicated sections, I'll use zip ties to hold it in place. It doesn't make every radius perfect, but it gets it close enough for any rusted car that I have.
I am in the same boat with my Omni. Same driver side front brake hard line snapped just like happened to you.
I've used the prefabricated brake lines from NAPA to redo all the hard tube brake lines on my Shelby Lancer. That was almost 15 years ago and they've held up just fine. Back then NAPA only had the regular steel lines, but now they have the steel lines with an anti-corrosion coating (Armor or something such) and I used that stuff to do the fuel lines in 3/8"/6AN on a Spirit R/T. That's also held up great.
I was looking at napaonline.com this morning and they sell Cunifer lines now too. You may have to order it though since I've never seen those in-store.
I finally got around to making a new brake line for my gold Omni GLH today (front/driver side). I used a 20" straight pre-fabbed copper/nickel line from NAPA. I had to order it but it was pretty cheap.
OMG, this stuff is soooo much easier to work with than anything I've ever used before! I've used steel lines, NAPA 'poly armor' (steel/coated), aluminum (for fuel....mistake) and this stuff is by far the best stuff I have ever worked with. It was a cinch to bend up the line and get it in place.
Best double flare tool ever: https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-on...CABEgIlyPD_BwE
I have been looking at this on-car flaring tool (a bit pricy $140 to 150, but pretty easy to use): SUR&R HFT50
Hydraulic assisted, does 1/4" and 3/16" tubing and double and SAE flares.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMgK3LiMoyI
I found copper nickel line in 25' rolls on ebay/amazon for I forget how much but not much, compared to buying sticks of the stuff.