I did in fact delete the union. I also used a replacement valve and valve fitting (the weird one pictured before) from a junk yard. I ordered a Coolermaster hydraulic brake flarer to finish the job a few days ago since I kept breaking the autozone rental ones :| The job is all done but in hindsight I really really really should not have deleted the union. It is a pain in the **** to route the line up around the gas tank. Luckily there was an empty "track" that I could clip the new line into without having to remove the old line. I did not drop the gas tank. I ran the line all the way through from the back and up to the Master cyclinder/proportioning valve in one section and it was a lot of bending and cussing. I made a nice little "Spring" near the master cylinder just like the OEM and even added a few brake line clamps where I thought it needed them. One brake line clamp screw had rusted right away. All in all the job took me about 3 hours but I also had the awesome hydraulic line flaring tool. I spent two hours trying to get one perfect flare with the vice clamp kind the day before. Anyways.... heed my warning, if you don't have any other vehicles that are due for brake lines just buy the preflared SS kit from Dorman. It is "DORMAN 919164 " and you can get it on rock for 105 shipped. I spent $250 on the hydraulic tool, $25 on the line, $10 on the junk yard valve/fitting, and $8 for the aluminum rubber coated clamps. Of course... I do have a fancy tool now It allowed me to do the flare between the steering shaft and the sidewall in a very small space and also in the rear between the gas tank and the driver rear tire. Also, amazingly I did not break one bleeder screw even though it was more rust than screw. I used a socket not a wrench though. Good luck everyone and thanks for the help.

 

Thanks a ton for posting. I've looked off and on for a good flaring tool and they all looked like the same junk. That little 3/16 adapter always wore out before any full brake line replacement job. Always take two cheap flaring tools to complete one job. As you know, without a good flaring kit it CAN be a PITA to get a good flare that seals completely. I almost had to purchase 3 kits for the trucks hard line replacement. I was making that short line, -drivers side rear, last line I had to make and couldn't get a good flare as the tool/adapter was wearing out again.

Anyway, so is that Coolermaster hydraulic brake flaring tool worth the cost ? If so, I be adding that to my arsenal.

BTW, - it looks like that fitting that broke was about rusted through. Mine, rusted an pitted was salvageable, but I can see yours was much worse. So you replaced it with just a regular fitting w/same thread and pitch ?

Great job.

 

I would recommend this tool. I use the Mastercool 71475 set at work. Perfect every time as long as the clamp is tight. Push connect comes in handy too. Oil those flares up or may get stuck in the die. Even with the high price it's the best I've used. If you have to flare in a tight area this is not the tool to use. For tight areas use the Cal-Van 165 inline tool.

 

Thanks TRD, I have to invest in a good set. I'm going to be tackling trans, oil and fuel lines in the future. You loose to much time w/inferior kits (cheap/non hardened or quality kits). Hose worm clamps just won't do it anymore lol. Hard to beat a properly flared joint/fitting.

 

MASTERCOOL (just one of their kits)



http://www.mastercool.com/product/71475/


Looks alone offers much more quality and versatility than those cheaper kits.

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BTW - Couldn't find a Coolermaster like striker1211 posted earlier.

 

That Mastercool kit looks good. I got a GearWrench 41590D that is a tubing bender/flaring kit. It's great quality, but the Mastercool looks more robust.

 

The coolermaster tool was well worth the cost IF you regularly do brake lines but if I had it to do over again I would have just bought the dorman kit because I only have one vehicle that has brake lines anywhere near rusting out (this truck). I ordered the mastercool tool on a amazon warehouse deals used but I did also see it on jet for the same price new with a coupon code. A real mechanic should not have to suffer through using the crappy "OEM" brand clamp-type brake tool... As for the rusted fitting I actually ended up going to a junk yard and getting an entire proportioning valve for around $10 with taxes. I needed the proportioning valve anyway because I exploded my old one using MAPP gas to get the old fitting out :|

 

Shucks, that was a little to much heat lol. I used Mapp as well, for all the fittings, just to separate the fitting from the brake line so it wouldn't twist the line..and to aid with loosening.

Damn how did it explode ? Never done that yet, was it messy ?

You say Coolermaster, but then you post Mastercool. Are they one in the same, I think they might be.

 

Yeah it was the "Mastercool (71475-PRC) Black Universal Hydraulic Flaring Tool Kit" haha not coolermaster idk what I was thinking. I am not 100% sure I exploded the valve but it was bubbling/hissing some type of fluid out in between the two little nipple things that point downward. I figured better safe than sorry. I didnt even need a torch to get the fittings off the junk yard valve

 

Probably PB Blaster running from the heat. I think it has a lower boiling point than water. Anything you use will run from heat, it'll cook right out of a joint and what's left will run. That said, it really takes little heat. Steel on steel, that can require quite a bit. I'm not sure how much you used, but where yours was leaking is collection low point for anything running....like the end of the road so to speak.