Brake Line Replacement - DIY

[Strum]

Okay, after getting a couple of quotes and having the car sit at a repair garage for a couple of days only to be told "oh, I probably won't even get a chance to look at it until next Friday (6/4)", I've decided to do it myself.

That said - I looked for some pictorial posts here and didn't find any. Does anyone have a link to good instructions? Are there any special tools needed? Any tips?

I am purchasing the lines already bent and will be doing the rear lines running all the way to the front. The one repair shop told me that I can't do that because the lines are an X configuration, meaning if you do left rear, you have to do front right. It sounds more like a money making scam to me, but having never done this before, I am not 100% sure.

So, if anyone can point me to some good reading or provide some tips, please do.

I'll be heading over to the repair place to pick up the car later tonight.

Thanks,

[Chris Crash]

The shop was right, they are crossed. LR and RF. RR and LF.

Also, you'll need a 10 mm line wrench.

Other than that, it should be pretty straight forward.

[LynchburgCSI]

There's always the Haynes manual and the **********s Toyota shop manual (http://www.**********s.com/camry/) and camrystuff.com. You're going to want to get a cheapy brake bleeder kit though. It makes life A LOT easier. That's about all the help I can offer.

[Strum]

Originally Posted by Chris Crash

The shop was right, they are crossed. LR and RF. RR and LF.

Also, you'll need a 10 mm line wrench.

Other than that, it should be pretty straight forward.

Does that mean I have to replace both fronts if I am replacing both rear lines? Despite never having done brake lines, I've been around cars long enough that I've never heard of that being required.

[Chris Crash]

I don't know, but you'll need to bleed them cross wise.

[JohnGD]

Maybe they think you'll run one single line from left-rear to left-front? But if you are just replacing the old leaky lines with new ones (and not changing hydraulic routing) it won't matter.

As long as there is not a leak, the brake fluid won't care if it's a new brake line or an old brake line. Redundant brake circuits in a diagonal configuration are for safety. Some cars use front/rear configuration.

Originally Posted by Strum

Does that mean I have to replace both fronts if I am replacing both rear lines? Despite never having done brake lines, I've been around cars long enough that I've never heard of that being required.

[JohnGD]

If you purchased OEM Toyota lines already bent, then just replace, one-for-one, using flare nut wrenches, bleed the system, and you should be fine. Getting OEM tubing is the fastest. They're not reasonably priced and can save you the hassle of going through the hoops.

I'd recommend that you find a method for partially depressing the brake pedal (disable the brake lights so you don't drain your battery), so brake fluid won't leak out when you remove the lines. This can be done by a pedal depressor or a cinder block.

Then use a pressure bleeder or vacuum bleeder (such as the MityVac in Autozone's Free Loaner Tool Program) to bleed the air out before releasing the pedal. Then proceeding to do the standard manual pedal pump method again. This will help avoiding having to bleed the ABS module secondary circuits, if you have ABS. It's PITA.

If you bend your own tubing, you'll need a tubing bender and a double-flare (SAE flare) kit suitable for the tubing size you have (SAE or Metric). Of course, read and follow tool directions. Check Autozone's free loaner tool program:

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ino...Content=tubing


I can google up some tutorials, there are plenty of them, each with a personal twist, but you'll get the idea:

You Tube

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Originally Posted by Strum

That said - I looked for some pictorial posts here and didn't find any. Does anyone have a link to good instructions? Are there any special tools needed? Any tips?

I am purchasing the lines already bent and will be doing the rear lines running all the way to the front. The one repair shop told me that I can't do that because the lines are an X configuration, meaning if you do left rear, you have to do front right. It sounds more like a money making scam to me, but having never done this before, I am not 100% sure.

So, if anyone can point me to some good reading or provide some tips, please do.

I'll be heading over to the repair place to pick up the car later tonight.

Thanks,

[Strum]

When I drove the car over to the repair shop, I filled up the reservoir and by the time I got to the shop it lost 3/4 of the fluid. I drove it back home last night after filling up the reservoir and it appears I didn't lose any.

When I got it home from work the other day the fluid on the floor was about even with the front door hinge. Being in in that area I would think the leak would be at the bend where it begins to run parallel with the ground or leaking from the engine compartment area and running down the lines.

I'm going to put it up on ramps and see if I can pin point the area where it is leaking before I start buying parts.

Oh, I agree, I am purchasing OEM prebent tubing. A big portion of the cost at the repair shop would have been a result of possibly having to bend the tube. I don't need to be hassling with the bending and flaring.

[933VZFE]

Instructions are straight-forward: remove old line, replace with new, bleed brakes (don't let master cylinder get empty while bleeding).

A few notes: pre-bent lines are difficult to work with. The factory hung them before they finished the car, some areas will probably be a tight squeeze. You can hand-bend if need be, just be careful not to kink them.

Allow at least double the time you expect it to take, everything will be very corroded.

Line fittings are a huge pain to get undone/back together.

10 MM line wrench; buy it, learn it, love it.

Get a torque wrench with crow's foot attachment for the fittings, the are VERY easy to round off (especially when tightening).

If you damage lines, do not repair with compression fittings, they WILL leak, rent a flair kit and use the proper unions.

When you bleed, use a piece of tubing to direct the fluid existing the bleeder valves (it sucks to get in your eyes).

Brake fluid is wicked ****, take caution. It will eat the paint of your car and dry your hands out tillthey crack.

Be freakin careful and don't break the lines near the ones you're working on.

Buy penetrating oil/PBBlaster/your break-free of choice and learn to like the smell.

Patience, young Skywalker.... This job is quite straight-forward but can be VERY irritating and a lot of work. There's a reason this is a high-dollar job for a mechanic...