joeb Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 did a panic stop tonight. brake pedal went to floor. brake fluid is dripping from drivers feet area on ground. MC is pretty simple looking on my car. only 2 lines come out. they go down into SS flex lines and than to a distribution block of sorts. ABS unit is under aircleaner so am not sure of brake line routing. i can see a bundle of lines going down under the driver side firewall and towards back of car. right where leak seems to be. is getting dark now. will look under car tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Most brake line breaks are in the flexible hose between the brake lines and the calipers. Rusted-through brake lines have been reported but usually in the rear of the car where they are tucked in close and salt and such can stay with them 24/7 for years, and it's the rear brake lines that rust through and break. However, you have a 1996 model year car and you live in Minneapolis, so I would check all the brake lines for rust. But, the break sounds like it is in the flexible brake line to the left-front brake caliper. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 that was the reason why I got my 96 Deville so cheap. the previous owner never noticed the broken hose at the left front wheelwell GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 You got a really good deal, then. Changing a flexible hose and bleeding the brakes is a quick, inexpensive job. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 did a panic stop tonight. brake pedal went to floor. brake fluid is dripping from drivers feet area on ground. MC is pretty simple looking on my car. only 2 lines come out. they go down into SS flex lines and than to a distribution block of sorts. ABS unit is under aircleaner so am not sure of brake line routing. i can see a bundle of lines going down under the driver side firewall and towards back of car. right where leak seems to be. is getting dark now. will look under car tomorrow. You will be able to see the leaking line from under the car. Once you locate the general area of the leak, it is helpful to have a helper step on the brake pedal while you inspect the general area and the leak point will be obvious. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 there is a trail of fluid in driveway. had to press pedal to stop so i was pumping it out as i went up driveway. hate to hit garage. i did look down under MC last night. flex lines look dry.could not see any fluid. will get it in garage in a few hrs. if i don't drive off ramps. supposed to hit 100 in mild MN today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 You might need to add fluid to get enough pedal to squirt out of the leak. Sometimes when a flexible line breaks, it's a crack and the fluid squirts or spays out of it, leaving the broken flexible line dry. Don't count out anything when you look. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 sheetmetal is wet next to 2 lines that go to the rear brakes. just before the 90 degree Z bend along frame rail. lines look very rusty. 1 spot they actually touch or cross each other. looks like a good place to develop a leak. both look just as bad. now, how to replace? find a rust free donor car? in MN? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 You can cut out the bad section of line back to a solid section and then flare the brake pipes and splice in a new section. The auto parts store will have couplers and lines. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 I would take this as a warning and inspect all brake lines that are similarly closely ensconced up against the floor plan. It might be a better investment over about a two year span to simply replace both rear brake lines from the manifold block to the rear brakes. You will need the length and a mandrel tubing bender, which you can get at an auto parts store along with stainless steel brake line cut to length and fittings, and a flare tool for the ends. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 car is on ramps and driver wheel/ramp is right where i want to be. so, lift up car and remove wheel/ramp and use jack stand. i need to get in close to see where lines are routed. i have done brake line repair before. need to find a double flare tool set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 The flares on your car should be the ISO (Bubble) flare, not the traditional double flare. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted July 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 am going to put in a repair section of line with unions. use a 12-18" pre-made piece. found out it has a double flare on ends to work with stock unions. i got a double flare tool which can make double flares and bubble flares if you are good. i have a union that uses double flare fittings. don't have any that work with bubble flares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsbank Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 I've been down that road as well. The front driver's side was the problem and leaked all the fluid. It was impossible to find it at an auto parts store and had only two options... fabricate one or find it at the scrapyard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 I gave up on finding brake lines a long time ago. I fabricate every line I do. If I can get a preflared line long enough it is luxury, if not the roll works too GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted July 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 took brake line off car. cut tube end with dremel. nice, straight cut. deburr edge. use flare tool and die end always gets cockeyed. have clamp portion held in vise. i tried making a bubble flare and a double flare. cannot keep loose die end square as i crank down. watched a dozen videos on youtube. looks so darn easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 If the flare is going crooked during the press stage, the tubing is not being held firmly and straight. Look at that part in the instructions (not just the video) carefully. You might try a single layer of cloth over the tubing where the die clamps onto it. Crank it down *very* slowly. If that doesn't work, take the tubing back and ask for a better grade because this one won't take a decent flare. There is some possibility that the flare tool isn't easy to use, or is intended for other types of tubing, such as copper tubing for gas tubing. Brake tubing is either mild steel or stainless steel and copper tubing tools won't work on it. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted July 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 it is a brand new brake line double flare kit from auto store. tube is clamped just fine. as i press down, the anvil die goes off axis. within 1 or 2 turns of U press. i am trying to flare the original brake line on from car. it is the line from the abs module. the brake line runs thru wheelwell. hell of a job getting it out of car. so no, it is not a new tube i can return. everyone i talk too says it is no problem to flare old tubing. tube wall thickness is fine. no thin spots. od is .187. id is .120 approx. the die pin is .110 approx. what a pain. i cannot apply pressure any more evenly. i am certainly not pounding on the tool set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 I would never use anything other than a tubing cutter for brake line, You dont want heat on the line by cutting it with a tool. also the line has to be cut perfect to get a good flare. I have done hundreds of flares. 2 big tips, dont forget to install the fitting before you flare the line dont flare too much, espciallyon the second step (without te adaptor,) the union will form the flare completely GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 Rockfangd is correct - you should use a tubing cutter to cut the line and then ream the tube after cutting it. If you use a tubing cutter and still have an issue, then the problem may be a poor quality flaring tool. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted July 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 i will get a new smaller tube cutter. with no brakeline, i am going nowhere. lost my midsize tube cutter for copper lines. is not in my soldering tool collection box. why only the tubing cutter is missing is odd. only a few places in house where i have ever used it. so dremel might be heating tube end? possible it is being affected by heat. dremel makes nice quick cuts. real light pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 It is possible the Dremel is "work hardening" the end of the tube in an inconsistent manner. That could be causing the issue. The other possibility is there could be slop in the threaded joint on the flare tool itself. 3/16" brake line is a very small diameter - the cut with a Dremel may look square when in fact is is not. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted July 4, 2011 Report Share Posted July 4, 2011 a small tubing cutter is about 13 dollars, worth every penny. GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted July 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2011 my dad is stopping over tomorrow. his flaring tool is a little nicer. the u press locks onto the bar clamp somehow. have not seen it. i did get new tubing cutter. and he can help me bleed the brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL T Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 My rear brake lines rusted through so I attempted to repair them but after fighting the lines for a couple of hours I had to admit defeat. I would say it would be easier to change the lines if you removed the rear axle. It was the first time I could not change out rusted lines. It was a humbling experience. My suggestion is not to change out the rear lines unless you have access to a hoist. I have a slow leak on my 97 Deville right now but I have not been able to determine where it is yet. I hope it is in a place that has better access. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.