compression fitting fine for brake line? NEED ADVICE PLEASE!

[axeman]

sorry, not stang related. it's for my other vehicle (cough, chevy blazer, cough). hey, i can't complain, it has 235K miles on it.

i have a brake fluid leak.

the metal hydralic brake line runs to the rear where it joins to a hose. at the other end of that hose is a fitting that is a splitter to go to each side of the rear brakes. from each side of the splitter is another metal line that connects to the brakes.

i thought the fitting on the hose was bad so i just replaced it without solving the leak. one of my metal lines must have a hairline crack where it goes into this splitter.

i can't seem to find a new pre-bent metal line anywhere and i'm NOT going to the dealer. seems i would have to go through the trouble of making all the bends to replace this part. my question is, can i cut a small section from the leaky metal line and add a new piece with a compression fitting? i've seen it done before, but wondering if this is standard practice.

 

[5.0Droptop]

I had an 85 blazer I did that to. It lasted for many years I just checked it every now and then. It rusted the rear line out I cut out line installed the compression fitting and it held no problem. It is not recomeneded but it will hold.

 

[ashford]

to be legal it has to be a double flare which is easy to do with a double flaring tool

 

[axeman]

to be legal it has to be a double flare which is easy to do with a double flaring tool

assuming then you cannot use a compression fitting at all then right? even if it's like this? i modified this pic to look like what i would do.

 

[85 Coupe 5.0]

it's not the correct way or safest way to do it, but it will hold.

Eventually the line will push it's way past the compression fitting ferrule, resulting in total loss of brakes, but this could take a while.

I would just get a short section of steel line, cut and double flare it and make the repair right, that way i don't have to worry about/check it periodically.

Now if this is just a river runner, go right ahead.

 

[Matt90GT]

Compression fitting is a really bad idea.

Go out and measure the length of the line. then bring in the old line to a parts store. They have straight lines with fittings and flared on both end. Buy a cheap $5 tube bender and then emulate the bends on the stock line. Should not cost you more than $15 and 20 minutes to fix.

 

[axeman]

maybe autozone has a flaring tool i could rent. i was thinking maybe i could just cut off 1/2" or so, put a new flaring on and bolt her back together. there should be enough bends/slack to do that.

 

[jrichker]

Compression fitting is a really bad idea.

Go out and measure the length of the line. then bring in the old line to a parts store. They have straight lines with fittings and flared on both end. Buy a cheap $5 tube bender and then emulate the bends on the stock line. Should not cost you more than $15 and 20 minutes to fix.

Take Matt90Gt's advice and stay out of trouble.

The small cost of buying a pre-flared line with fittings is a lot cheaper than a trip to the emergency room. It is even cheaper than a trip to the junkyard to buy parts that got bent when the old line failed.

 

[axeman]

i think i'm just going to buy a preflared line and bend it myself. i'm guessing that the leak is caused by deteriation of some sort, so i might as well do the drivers side at the same time. probably the best idea huh.

 

[axeman]

well, i couldn't find the size lines i needed. i ended up buying ones that were longer. i bent the lines and borrowed my friends flaring tool to make new ends. now i have new lines and shouldn't have to worry about them for a long time.