Now that the rear end is out of my 69, I am planning to replace the old break lines. The cross over break line (in front of the dif) had been spliced together by bubba, and the old hoses and lines to the calipers will be replaced when I install the new VBP calipers (front and rear).

Since I bought the master cylinder as well, I have decided to replace all of the lines. The car is up on a lift and access should be no problem (not on my back groping in the dark anyway). Looking at illustrations, replacing the long line to the back looks straight forward. Can anyone who has done this comment about "issues" that may come up? Thanks.

Mark

 

In many (if not all) books that I have read before replacing my brake lines it said that it is impossible to replace the long line without lifting the body.
My lines were leaking so I had no choice but to replace them.... I left the body on, I removed the long line without cutting it.... I thought "if I can get it out without cutting or excessive bending, then I can get the new one in without lifting the body"
This turned out to be true - no problems whatsoever getting the new stainless line in there.... well, it's tight but it can be done...

Don't let the books scare you, sometimes (fortunately) they are wrong !!!

 

Thanks for the "positive" reply. I had also read that it would be necessary to lift the body, but had hoped that would not be the case. It would seem as though the lines can be manipulated with the car 5 feet in the air.

Mark

 

I believe that is the case. I believe it's the long tank-to-pump FUEL lines that can't be installed with the body on... as the lines run up on top of the kick up portion of the frame.

The long brake line should be replaceable even with the body on. You'll have to maneuver it between a rear gusset and the frame but other than that, its should just bolt right to the inner side of the frame rail on the driver side. The bolts are accessible with body on.

I'll let you know for sure... as I'm installing my front-to-back brake line this week. If there's a surprise I'll post it. But I've looked at the the line and been under there countless times... and it looks very doable without raising the body.

 

Well, I count myself lucky in one way ... easy to install with the
body on the dolly. You should be able to snake it through OK,
as stated above. The trouble that I have heard is getting the
rear fitting to line up and screw into the brass block.
After bending and twisting the line to get it in, it's easy to get
it slightly skewed. Then if lucky, you won't start to cross-thread it.
Lastly, I have read about folks heating up and bending a wrench
to get better access. It's tight in there.

Good luck ... at least it's in the air to work on it.

 

I don't expect to attempt this maneuver for a couple of weeks and would be interested to hear how things go in TX when you are done. Thanks again.

Mark

 

I replaced all my hard lines (both Brake and Fuel) with the body ON.
For the front to rear line the most difficult thing is attaching it to the rear brass distribution block.

 

How did you replace the fuel lines with the body on? I've spent a fair amount of time looking at these lines, particularly where they arch over the frame near the rear wheel?
Thanks

 

I read this in Richard Newton's book. He was restoring a '68. The '68 has the "proportioning valve" mounted to the MC like the '67's. I can see why replacing the long line would be difficult on the '68 without removing or lifting the body because of the big bend this line has to make. '69 and later years moved the valve down onto the frame making more of a straight shot from the valve to the rear. I can see being able to change this line in a '69 or later year shark without removing the body.

 

Now I can see why he said this in his book.... it's the only statement I had to disagree with in the entire book...

well, maybe not..... the 275-60 tire does fit the rear but that's another story...

 

I replaced the long front to back brake line after some forum members explained that it was possible. I did replace mine with the drivers trailing arm removed so that gave me a little extra room at the rear frame crossover bracket.

First of all remove the old line. It's bolted to the frame with clamps. Because of interference from the floorpan, it's hard to get a socket on the bolts. I used a dremel tool to cut the clamps and pull out the line. I hammered the still attached clamp metal with a hammer. This allowed me to get a socket on the bolts and remove them.

Undo the line at the front distribution block (under the master cylinder) and the rear brass block on the rear differential crossmember. Remove the brass block horseshoe (C clamp) and push in the brass block to push it out of the frame bracket and unscrew the block. Now with your hand, from underneath the car just pull the old line down to free the rear end of the brake line from the frame pocket. You can pull it completely free so that it is underneath the car. Being mild steel the line bends easy.

Now pull the entire brake line forward, and pull the rear end of the brake line through the mid-frame crossmember slot. You can easily unbend the old line to pull it through the slot with no trouble....but will you be installing stainless steel lines? If so the stainless does not bend easy by hand. Try not to bend the old line too much as you pull it through the crossmember - you'll have to rotate the line to make it squeeze through the slot. What you will be doing at this phase is teaching yourself how to maneuver the stainless steel line through this same slot. Inserting the new will be the reverse of removing the old line! (I cheated a little bit by using a grinder and increasing the dimensions of the slot after removing the old line. This made putting in the new line a little easier.)

Now install the new stainless steel line through the mid-frame crossmember slot, with reverse motions that you used to remove the old line. Next insert the end of the new line up in front of the rear differential crossmember and push the end of the tube into the frame pocket where the frame mounting bracket for the end of the brake line is. (Even though its stainless you can force it to bend enough to fit.)

Now the end of the brake line is near the end attach bracket. Next attach a NEW brass block. Hand screw it onto the brake line. Now how do you get the round end of the brass block into the frame bracket? Your new line if stainless will resist the final small motion into the bracket. How to make it fit? Insert a long bolt, with the same threads as the end of the brass block, through the bracket hole, screw it into the brass block and pull the bolt to forceably pull the brass block into its new frame bracket home. Install a new horseshoe clamp.

Now you have to tighten the end of the brake line into the back of the brass block. I had to heat up a tubing wrench, bend it slightly, to make it fit so that I could slowly tighten the brake line/brass block. Interesting, it appears that I would not have to bend the wrench to fit into my 1970, but the 1968 was too tight for a standard tubing wrench.

If you get stainless steel lines, ask the vendor for stainless steel fittings. I bought my lines from In-Line Tube and they wanted a few dollars more for stainless fittings. I like stainless steel fittings because they don't "knurl" as easy as soft steel. (And they don't rust.)

Finally, re-install the brake line to frame clamps that secure the brake line up close to the frame. Buy new hardware from Volunteer Vette,Paragon, etc. Buy new brass blocks to minimize leak problems after re-install.

Some of these frame clamp bolts had to be shorted be make them fit due to interference with the floor pan. (Used a cutoff wheel.)

Good Luck

 

[QUOTE=RedBad1979].
.... I left the body on, I removed the long line without cutting it.... I thought "if I can get it out without cutting or excessive bending, then I can get the new one in without lifting the body"
This turned out to be true - no problems whatsoever getting the new stainless line in there.... well, it's tight but it can be done...
QUOTE]

Running it through the trans cross member looks to be tough. Did you start feeding it from the front....or rear.
Eddie

WOAH...68/70Vette answered my question....thanks
Eddie

 

My manual brake equipped 1968 does not have a proportioning valve, it does have a distribution block under the master cyclinder. Undoing the front to rear brake line were it joined the bottom of the distribution block seemed to be easy. This completely freed up the brake line from the front of the car.

(I bought a new repro distribution block just so those little brass cones, in the distribution block input holes, would be new and fresh. Don't throw the old distribution block away. I understand they are really valuable for the NCRS folks!! I had my 1968 MC restored because the 68 MC is unique with it's built in bleed plugs.)e

 

[QUOTE=Silvr77]
I fed the line through from the rear, then pushed the rear end of the line up and fed it through the gap between body and frame - it was tight but it went in without damage... I taped the ends of the line to avoid getting any dirt in there....

 

Get the car up on a lift, and snake the line from the back to the front. THats what I did. I didnt buy the pre-bent stuff.

 

I did the exact same thing. Taping the ends will keep you from getting dirt in the lines and protect the threads. I did find that the gap between the floor and the frame rail was too close to remove one of the clips. I also bought a new rear distribution block because I have read that it is the source of difficult to fix leaks (and they are less than $20). Anyone know if there is a cutter made to recut those seats (in the distribution blocks) or take them out?

 

Did all mine . No prob./ body on/3' off ground. Like Stewart74 said, rear dist. block a little trickey.

 

That's why I put "proportioning valve" in quotes. It's actually a pressure balance switch to warn of brake line failure. So many people refer to it as a "proportioning valve" that I misspoke. Only C3 Vettes with true proportioning valves were J56 cars (mostly L88's) that I am aware of.

I replaced all my brass distribution blocks as well for the same reasons. That, and I buggered up the front one because the old lines were impossibly seized in place. The replacements I bought were nearly identical to the originals. I'd be surprized if they could be identified as replacements. I thought the front block was a little steep at $30. Such is life for a '68 owner ('67 too). I'm surprized you were able to pull this line replacement off on your '68 without seriously messing up your prebent lines. Looked tough. It IS much easier with the body off.

 

I was happy to read your comments. I've read a lot of your other postings and I've long ago decided that you know what you're talking about. I kinda suspected that people would know that the distribution block was really a proportioning valve. Even some of the brake line people refer to it as a proportioning valve when they know its a distribution block.

Actually, I did this body-on under frame brake line replacement THREE TIMES WITH BRAKE LINES FROM THREE SOURCES . For my first, I used a Paragon stainless steel line with the correct NCRS color coded fittings--which were mild steel. I knurled and ruined the fitting where the end of the line fits into the rear distribution block. ( I needed to modify my tube wrench by using a torch to bend it slightly.) I ordered another line from another manufacturer of brake lines (second time ) and although that brake line fit at the end of the frame, It didn't fit were it joined the distribution block. Finally, (third time) I ordered In-Line Tube's lines with stainless steel fittings....they fit perfectly.

PS..About the one brake line manufacturer who sold me brake lines that didn't fit and then denied that they would not fit....I have the original brakes lines...I have the Paragon stainless brake lines....I have steel brake lines from Volunteer Vette and I have In-Line Tube stainless brake lines. ALL OF THESE BRAKE LINES ARE CORRECT AND FIT. In other words, I have 4 brakes lines that fit and another manufacturer won't admit that their brake lines are incorrect. It's surprising to me that when I told them this they would not believe me. I faxed them a tracing of my original factory brake line and another tracing of their brake line that did not fit where the lines mated up to the distribution block. I never heard from them again. Anyhow if you buy 1968 manual brake lines from Volunteer Vette, Paragon, In-Line Tube... they will fit.

 

Well, I installed the front-to-back line last night... with the body on. It was cake. Took more time in prep (jack car up, place on stands, crawl under) than it actually took to get the line in.

I installed it through the tranny crossmember from the rear... and just popped it into place from there. I thought, with it being pre-bent it would be a nightmare getting the rear portion of the line up into place as it bends up the rear crossmember, and over the top... But there's enough room between the body and the frame for it to squeeze through. If your undercarriage is painted and looking nice like mine, you might have to touch up a spot with paint. But no biggie. Took about 30 seconds to get the line in place. A few more minutes to get the loops bolted on that hold the line in place..... Not enough roome to get a socket on them so I had to use a wrench.

Now, I haven't installed the rear driver's side block... and in retrospect I should've screwed it into the end of the line before installing the line... There appears to be enough room to do so, but I wasn't sure initially. So anyway, getting that installed will be tricky as the space is tight. But as others mentioned, bending a flare wrench should do the trick.

Simple job. Hope yours goes as well.