I found some more of the NJ Bubba work. I upgraded my 82 to SS brake lines and found the front hard line fitting nuts rounded off. I was able to get them off easy enough but they won't tighten down enough to keep from leaking. I thought it was just the left front so I bought a new hard line and the leak stopped. I got home yesterday and found a trail of brake fluid coming out from the right front. It's leaking at the fitting (also a rounded off nut) and will not tighten. I'm waiting for the new cross over line from Zip.

It appears the front rubber lines were replaced as they look fairly new. This car sat for quite a while before I bought it so I'm guessing the originals dry rotted. I have had this car for almost a year and it's been driven maybe a dozen times. The rest of the time it's been undergoing a mechanical/cosmetic restoration. The next owner is going to have a practically new 82 with less than 30K miles on it. These cars were not meant to sit around doing nothing.

OK now that I'm done venting, how much of a PITA is changing out the cross over line? Everything looks accessable since it runs across the forward part of the cross member. The car is currently on jack stands so I can get under it easy enough.

Thanks for listening and any tips are appreciated as always.

 

Very doable. It would be easier with the lower radiator hose out, but I did mine with it in. A little flexing is required, but not enough to to get into bending territory. I started with the line roughly perpendicular to the crossmember on the right side and wiggled the end in until I got close to the flex hose connector then swung the left side of the line to the rear. There's more room on the left and the line doesn't have as many bends. The SS lines fom Zip fit great.

A flare wrench will keep you from boogering up the shoulders on the nut like bubba.

 

its not that bad,, i got a 60" straight line from a local supplier, and bent it to match teh crossover line i took out, of my 68,, it was actually easier then i thought it would be,,,
it has to be flexed a little to get it in place,,, i taped teh ends pretty good, to make sure it didn't get anything in the line while i was fishing it thru the frame,,,
good luck...

 

Thanks guys. I have a set of line wrenches. I never attempt to remove line fittings without one. I guess Bubba figured that's what channel locks and vise grips are for.

 

Anti seize on the fitting threads goes a long way to removing them next time.

 

I hope that NJ doesn't stand for New Jersey.

 

I hope your name isn't Bubba too

 

What about cutting the end off and putting a new nut on and re-flaring the line?

 

That's where I bought the car and the history shows it as such.

 

That would still require line removal and taking to a shop to do it. Just as easy to replace the line.