I've just replaced all four brake discs on my 1993 vert (350 auto), and thought it a good idea to change the four flexi hoses and the brake fluid. I've had the car 10 years, so they were due.
I bought AC Delco hoses from Rock Auto (Part numbers - Fronts 14 18J1043. Rears 14 18J1042). They looked fine, apart from one arriving with no copper washers! But the front ones were about 3/4in shorter than the original, and were pulled tight at the extremes of suspension travel and steering. Also, to locate the shaped (circular with locating blocks) end into the bracket on the chassis required the hose to be twisted by about 90 degrees.
At the rear, the square end was too large to fit into the caliper.
I live in the UK, so was reluctant to return them. Luckily my mechanic is very talented and resourceful. He modified the front chassis brackets, moving them outwards to make the hoses long enough, and rotated them so that the hose didn't need to be twisted. He machined just enough metal from the rear hoses to make them fit. The is now fine.
I'm disappointed that a well-regarded company like AC Delco would supply parts that just don't fit properly. Has anyone else experienced the same problem? Can you recommend hoses that actually fit?

 

Russel makes braided stainless steel lines that have dot approval and are a direct swap for the 91 I own. Russell 692020 Stainless Steel Braided Brake Line Hose Kit Corvette 1988-92. Is what I purchased. My car doesn't have the large front brake rotor and calipers (j55 rpo) I haven't installed yet, but on inspection and comparison they are a direct fit. I cannot speak for other brands. Just so you know, acdelco is not an original equipment replacement part, it is just a garden variety part, no different than napa, advance, duralast, brake best etc. The fact that you are not in the USA and ordered from a place like rock Auto it's no surprise they are not right. One advantage of owning an American car and being in America is the ability to walk into a parts store part in hand and make a direct comparison prior to purchasing the part. Once cars get so old gm runs out of original equipment replacement parts, but they'll gladly charge you more for the "meets OEM specifications" Chinese junk everyone else is selling. Ac Delco is not a factory replacement part. In fact their adverts go out of their way to tell you the part is the same, but that simply is not true for cars over ten years old. Parts designated for the assembly line that must survive a warranty period are better, simply because they have a much more stringent quality control process, and gm contractually binds their tier one suppliers in such a way that even 1% defect rate that has to be returned is so expensive to the vendor that they cannot afford to send junk. So the part is better once the particular part is no longer needed for the assembly line the manufacturer will supply 10-15% extra for dealerships, warranty repairs etc. After ten years the original molds and tooling are usually shipped to a different country for the aftermarket to run parts. Ac Delco sources These parts from the same supplier once the original contracted supplier ceases production, they get boxed in the ac Delco box on the same assembly line that the part that is going to AutoZone, Napa, advance, rock auto etc gets boxed in. They count on you purchasing the brand name. These cars are old, not sure who still sells a perfect fit replacement part with factory quality for them anymore. Welcome to the wonderful world of owning an vintage/antique car. For what it's worth I used to own a 944 Porsche, as well as Volkswagen Jetta and go through the same thing getting replacement parts for them here in the states. So I do feel your pain. Sounds like you are fortunate to have a skilled professional mechanic that could get you sorted out without substantial down time.

 

Thanks Bill. I hear what you're saying. Ironically I planned to go for braided hoses, but what unsure if the ones I found online would fit! So I opted for what I thought was the closest thing to original. Regarding owning a C4 over here - well it's mostly a pleasure. They're so rare that interested people often come up and chat. The day we brought our vert home, a lady neighbour followed us to our home because she thought it was so pretty!!

 

I'd give Centric a try. From what I see their parts are made in the U.S. I know their brake rotors are made in Compton, CA. They claim to be a North American brake manufacturer. Every part I have tried from Centric has been top quality. I drive fast and their pads do not fade easily. The rotors feel smooth. I have their rotors and pads on my Suburban 2500 that tows 10,000 lbs and no issues.

 

Thanks very much. I'll have a look.

 

I was under the impression they sourced rotors from overseas and did final machining in the states? Cannot speak to their hoses, hardware etc. But that is good to know about the rotors. thanks for the tip.

 

Did you ever get those Russell braided stainless lines installed in your 1991, and if so, how were they?

Thanks!