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Topic: Recommendation for good brake line source

in Forum: C3 Handling Components


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Recommendation for good brake line source (1/24)
 1/8/16 1:08pm
vince vette
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Looking for people's experience with different brake line vendors. Working to get a 1980 back on the road (bought new, drove for 24 years, sitting for last 11). Figure best to be sure it will stop before I see if it will start Smile. Have a stainless set I bought about 6 years ago from Dr. Rebuild. Not one piece is an exact fit. The master cylinder to proportioning valve lines must have been based on earlier models without cruise control since the path they are bent to would go straight through the cruise control transducer. The front crossover line goes two inches past the front cross member before dropping down to run along it. Etc. etc. Anyway, have been spending hours just to get close and am not happy with the results. At this point I'm ready to trash them and try again. 

Spoke with Lonestar directly at their tent in Carlisle back in August. The couple pieces I brought with me matched must closer to theirs than the Dr. Rebuild parts. I should have just bought the set direct from them there but I hadn't reached the frustration level I am at now. Unfortunately Lonestar will only sell direct to the general population at shows like Carlisle and I don't want to wait till next August for that. 

So I would be interested in knowing what vendors folks like and don't like. Recognizing of course that many of the vendors buy from Lonestar (which would be fine) and, according to the Lonestar guys, 90% of the lines being sold are made by just two companies. 


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (2/24)
 1/8/16 4:33pm
eldredjamesLifetime Member
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Just curious, have you asked Dr Rebuild about this?  Its not unusual for me to have parts sitting for years before I try to install them.
Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (3/24)
 1/8/16 5:30pm
vince vette
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No I did not contact them. I figured after so many years there was little which could be accomplished especially as I have added so many bends attempting to get the parts to fit it would be hard to prove what they looked like out of the box. 

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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (4/24)
 1/9/16 11:41am
Sarge81Lifetime Member
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Give these people a call. http://www.classictube.com

I've only seen their stuff personally on other GM vehicles. Not Corvettes. I've heard a lot of good things about their products. But I can't guarantee a perfect fit. I'm sure all kits do require a tiny bit of tweaking. 

They are in the next town over from me. Big smile





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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (5/24)
 1/9/16 3:59pm
vince vette
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Thanks for the recommendation. You must live not too far from where I grew up - Stafford, NY - easiest thing to tell people is "between Batavia an LeRoy" since Stafford is too small for anyone more than 20 miles away to have heard of. 

I actually dropped the CT folks a note. I asked to see photos of the line kit since I'd know immediately if it was correct - the Master Cylinder to prop valve lines are quite different than what comes in most the kits I've seen online where photos are shown. They recommended sending the old lines up to them. Not to be cheap but hate to add shipping costs to a the cost of a stainless set I'm about to toss into the trash. Wish I had known a couple weeks ago since I was up there for Christmas and could have just gone to see them. 

On another topic, the side pipe set up on your 81 is exactly what I'd like to get to eventually. What is the make of pipes, covers, and exhaust manifolds or headers as the case may be. 

Regards, 


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (6/24)
 1/9/16 9:13pm
Sarge81Lifetime Member
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vince vette said: Thanks for the recommendation. You must live not too far from where I grew up - Stafford, NY - easiest thing to tell people is "between Batavia an LeRoy" since Stafford is too small for anyone more than 20 miles away to have heard of. 

I actually dropped the CT folks a note. I asked to see photos of the line kit since I'd know immediately if it was correct - the Master Cylinder to prop valve lines are quite different than what comes in most the kits I've seen online where photos are shown. They recommended sending the old lines up to them. Not to be cheap but hate to add shipping costs to a the cost of a stainless set I'm about to toss into the trash. Wish I had known a couple weeks ago since I was up there for Christmas and could have just gone to see them. 

On another topic, the side pipe set up on your 81 is exactly what I'd like to get to eventually. What is the make of pipes, covers, and exhaust manifolds or headers as the case may be. 

Regards, 


Yeah, I'm not exceptionally far away from Stafford. I'm in a town on the South border of Buffalo.
If you send them up your original they should be able to duplicate it. If you go that route, I could stop by there to verify the tube is bend correctly before you accept it. 

My side pipes are made by Sweet Thunder http://sweetthundermi.com/Catalog-Online-Version.pdf I have the 2.25" inner diameter baffle version. The covers are reproduction OEM '69 N11 chrome plated metal ones. Scored them on ebay cheap. Supposedly they were laying around a guys shop since '77. The old small block engine I used a set of aftermarket repro ram horn manifolds w/ 2.5" dumps. The new LS engine I have Hooker shorty headers. I had to make my own head pipe to connect the header to the mufflers. 


______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.
3.54 Dana 44
'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975




Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (7/24)
 1/10/16 3:33pm
vince vette
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I sent them photos of the master to prop valve lines, attached here, originals from my car in the center and vendor supplied replacements on either side. Those are the ones I've seen several postings about - not because they don't fit well but because they don't fit at all. Per previous notes its seems there was a change to these to reroute them when cruise was added as an option but 40 years later some vendors have not gotten the word. 

I don't expect them to bend them based on photos (although I could run a 3D CT scan for them at work and and send them engineering files to work with Ermm - maybe there's a potential business opportunity there. But given how much different the lines are vs what many vendors send it is easy to distinguish them visually. So as they seem to have a good reputation I think if they have these visually correct then I'd buy a full set from them. I know there may be a little bending required even when things are properly made. But it shouldn't take hours of tweeking. I'll keep you posted as things progress. 

And thanks for the information on the side pipes and headers. I spoke to Sweet Thunder at Carlisle. It all looked like good stuff. The engine and tranny upgrade surely made a difference Evil Smile


|UPDATED|1/10/2016 12:33:44 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (8/24)
 1/12/16 4:15pm
kstyerLifetime Member
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Just for grins, check with Bair's, one of our sponsors.  When we were there last summer I saw several lines made up ready to go.   I don't know if this is a regular retail they have or not.   Worth checking.
Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (9/24)
 1/15/16 9:50am
vince vette
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Sent a note to them with pictures I've posted here asking if there stock matched the pieces shown and which are original 1980 vette lines. Reply was that they also often have to do additional bends to lines they buy. They didn't actually answer the question. So my survey of brake line vendors' ability to provide the proper lines for the master cylinder to proportioning valve in a 1980 vette has thus far been as follows in order of investigation:

Dr. Rebuild (bought 6 years ago): wrong style, so far off would have to go through the cruise transducer 

Lonestar: correct, but won't sell retail and I was too dumb to buy them at Carlisle

Inline Tube: did not reply to information request

Classic Tube: did not provide photos of their standard stock or comment on whether what they have looks like the photos I sent. But did offer to bend matching parts to anything I would send them. 

Bairs: Stated they have to bend stuff they buy also and did not comment on whether what they in stock matches the parts in the photos I sent.

This is turning into the proverbial "buying a pig in a poke". Buy, try, if no good send back - you're only out shipping both ways. 


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (10/24)
 1/15/16 1:32pm
Sarge81Lifetime Member
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Like I mentioned before I could stop in at Classic Tube to check it out. They are 20 minutes from my house. Or if you'd like, send the line to me and I be willing to go there myself and have it done and then send them back to you once the new one is bent properly. I don't mind helping out a fellow Corvette owner. Offer is there. I won't be offended if you go another route. 

______________

GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.
3.54 Dana 44
'69 "N11" Sidepipes
Borgeson Steering Box
Born 8/1981
Sequence #3975




Click here to see more pics of my Vette on CarDomain.


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (11/24)
 1/15/16 2:55pm
vince vette
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If it really isn't an imposition for you, then this weekend I'll take some photos of all the lines and put some measurements on them and send them up to you to take in to them. Then it should be possible to tell if they're the right shape and length. As I've noted in the earlier posts, the correct mc to prop valve lines for a 1980 are so different from the lines shown on most sites it is very easy to tell if what they have is correct. And if they have those two correct I'd be willing to buy a whole set as is and not worry about sending up the existing stuff for them to copy.

On this topic, I did pull the last line out two nights ago - the one from the prop valve to the splitter block for the rear wheels. Fun getting that out with the body on. More so I'm sure getting a new one in. As this ain't no show car, I'm thinking of just making it a two piece run with a proper connection (not compression) joining them. Any comment on this approach - right, wrong, indifferent?

Thanks, 


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (12/24)
 5/23/16 12:44pm
vince vette
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OK - Let's see - started this brake restoration project sometime around July and last checked in with y'all in January. As you can see, things don't move to fast for me. But just to catch up, let's start at the end. As of yesterday:
- All brake lines in
- Parking brakes rebuilt (except for actuators which, A - can't come out without pulling a lot more stuff than I wanted to, B - are about 1/8" steel and just ain't going to rust out before the frame does)
- Rotors were fine as they were with a little surface sanding (all run outs in spec)
- Calipers remounted. The are two free warranty replacements from Corvette America on the front (yep they honored the lifetime sleeve corrosion warranty after 20+ years) and rears rebuilt by me - previously SS sleeved)
- New master cylinder (cheaper than sleeving the original - anyone want an original 1980 master cylinder - just kidding). 
- Fluid filled and bled yesterday - one small leak on a bleed valve which I'm working to correct. 

So why so long to get here. Most of it was the lines per my earlier posts. None of the them matched the originals with the biggest problems being the lines from the master cylinder (see earlier posts). Nevertheless, had most mounted but finally gave up on them when the rear caliper lines simply were not bent correctly to fit into the tight areas threading around the caliper and after several bending tweaks to get the rear crossover line to fit it was beyond salvageable. 

So on recommendation from others I contacted Classic Tube to see what they had for the master cylinder lines. I figured if they matched the originals maybe most else would be correct. They told me that what was on the pictures online were what they had. But per earlier posts, those are not correct I don't know why so many places sell those as the replacements. They will not fit a C3 with cruise control. Anyway, they recommended that I send them all the originals and they'd bend up a custom set. 

So there I was packing up the originals when a funny thing happened on the way to putting the original lines into the box which my "new" lines from Dr. Rebuild had come in back in 2011. I noticed the name on the box was, ta da, Classic Tube. So I dropped a note off to my contact at Classic Tube noting that the lines which were not fitting correctly anywhere in my car were originally from them. Now, given the time since purchase and not having purchased directly from them I was not expecting a free replacement set. But I asked if as a favor they could work with me on the cost of replacements. They offered a set for $50 +shipping. Good deal. So I sent off all my original 1980 lines (except for the right rear caliper line which disappeared in a clean up apparently). My instructions were:
1 - Replacement set in plain steel. Plain steel had gone 24 years of driving without a failure and, given the hassle of making even minor corrective bends on stainless, I figured if I got 24 years out of a new steel set that would take me to age 81 - good enough. 
2 - Make the front to rear line in two pieces. You know the front to rear line - all in one shot it runs along the frame, THROUGH the center cross member, turns 90 deg. left at the rear cross member, then 4 inches later goes 90 deg. vertical to the top of the rear cross member, then does a 60 deg down to go over the top of the rear cross member to precisely (within 3 inches Wacko) line up with the rear line splitter block. My directions were to replicate the original single line with a 2 piece line. The union would be a few inches behind the center cross member . That way you can do all the gyrations required to thread the rear section up over the cross member without half the line being trapped and essentially immobilized on the other side of the center cross member. Note, getting the single piece line in can be done, as I was able to to this. But it will never be flush with the framing again and takes hours to do at the costs of millions of lives. It's almost as bad as rebuilding the parking brakes - but that's another story.  
3 - Create the right rear caliper line as a mirror image of the left, which I still had. 

Three weeks later the custom lines arrived. The good news, they matched much better than the set I received in 2011. The bad news. 
1 - They were made in stainless steel not plain steel as I requested. OK, not the end of the world and technically an upgrade. And given the much improved fit this was far less of an issue. Still, the minor tweaking needed to get final alignment of the line nuts and receptacles was still somewhat challenging.
2 - The replacement front to back line came in one piece instead of two as I requested.
3 - There was no right rear caliper line. 

So after an email and agreement from Classic Tube, the replacement front to rear line went back with markings as to where to cut it, add line nuts, and flare it for a union.  And the  original left rear caliper line went back to be a guide for making a replacement for the missing right rear caliper line. 

A few weeks later these parts arrived. 

Despite the problems noted with missed instructions on the first replacement set Classic Tube sent to me, I have to give them high marks for working with me on such an unusual request and for the accuracy of their custom made set based on the originals I sent. 

So this leaves me now with reinstalling the radiator, fan, hoses, shroud, etc. and finally attempting an engine start for the first time in 6 years with some reasonable expectation that I will be able to stop the car if it actually starts. Tune in next year folks - OK, maybe July. I have some business travel interfering with my home projects. As my big brother put is so well many years ago, "If it weren't for work I'd be able to get a lot done around here". 


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (13/24)
 5/23/16 1:15pm
Adams' AppleLifetime Member
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 Thumbs Up
Ain't this FUN!!! LOL  Happy to hear you finally got somewhere with the lines, even tho it was still a hassle.
The guys at Lonestar can be real pita-sess..btdt. I tried several years ago to get a distributor license from them, but they wanted waaaaaaay too much personal/financial info from me. Most other places(such as ACC carpets)  only required a tax ID # from me to set it up.
Anyway, glad you're making progress getting your ride back on the road!! Congrats!


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (14/24)
 5/23/16 10:52pm
vince vette
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Absolutely. Way more fun than driving it Pinch

Now, if I can just figure out what that one small black ground lead near the prop valve was actually grounding I'd be all set. 


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (15/24)
 5/24/16 9:54am
cinorLifetime Member
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I ordered my stainless lines from Corvette Depot in Ontario which I believe translate to Corvette America for you.  My lines were almost right on I never touched the crossover line on the front it fit right in, and all the other lines were very very close.  I guess a person has to get lucky once and a while

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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (16/24)
 5/24/16 12:34pm
vince vette
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If they are a subsidiary of Corvette America then the lines were likely Lone Star. When CA sent me replacement rebuild calipers under warranty they came in Lone Star boxes so I assume most of their brake items would. And per an earlier post, when I was at Carlisle last year the Lone Star parts matched up perfectly with the original master cylinder to pro valve lines I brought with me. 

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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (17/24)
 5/24/16 9:55pm
F4GaryGold Member
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Vince, I like your avatar!

Just curious, did you ever ask Lone Star where you could buy their lines?


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (18/24)
 5/24/16 11:00pm
vince vette
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I asked through the the "contact us" link on their home page. They never replied. Must be a big secret. 

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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (19/24)
 10/2/16 11:32am
vince vette
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holy engine crud batman, so it's been 5 months since I posted an update. Slow go but getting. Everything put together and nearly ready to try a start. Just a couple odds and ends to do but am going away for 2 weeks next weekend so won't try to start until after that. 

On the issue of odds and ends, I seem to have about a 12 inch black ground line hanging loose near the the proportioning valve. Can't see to remember what it tied to. I though for a while that it as tied to the prop valve itself to ground some other circuit. But then I found it is already tied to the frame. It doesn't seem to make sense to ground something like the prob valve which is already bolted to the frame. Anyone have any ides from whence it comes?


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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (20/24)
 10/2/16 11:43am
vince vette
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PS - sorry grapevine for long ago not thanking you for the like on my avatar. Likewise on the F4 for yours. A favorite of my youth. I spent a couple years as a middy in 76-78. Though in summer 1 I was on a frigate tailing the America I never saw an F4 on carrier ops as in the summer of 77 they had just put Tomcats onboard - now they're museum pieces. I did though get to race along side an F4 down in TX, kind of back '82. Leaving Austin driving by Bergstrom there was a phantom rolling on T/O- I had to have some fund in the vette keeping up with him on such a nice flat straight terrain. But once he was in the air he had me. 

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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (21/24)
 10/2/16 2:37pm
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vince vette said:
On the issue of odds and ends, I seem to have about a 12 inch black ground line hanging loose near the the proportioning valve. Can't see to remember what it tied to. I though for a while that it as tied to the prop valve itself to ground some other circuit. But then I found it is already tied to the frame. It doesn't seem to make sense to ground something like the prob valve which is already bolted to the frame. Anyone have any ides from whence it comes?

Chances are it was attached to the metal toe board splash shield, on the bottom side of the firewall there.




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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (22/24)
 10/2/16 9:16pm
vince vette
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Thanks - I'll take a look there. 

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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (23/24)
 10/3/16 2:17pm
vince vette
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Figured out where the black ground lead came from - cruise control transducer. Since it's mounted to plastic it needs a ground. Reason I didn't know where it came from? Because the cruise has been pulled out since sometime in the late 80's and the wire was just left hanging around thus it wasn't something I removed on this project. Why was the cruise removed - it has to do with modifications to figure out how much faster than 85 mph I could go and subsequent unusual stress on the speedo cable and eventually destruction of the transducer. Never got around to replacing cruise since. 

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Re: Recommendation for good brake line source (24/24)
 10/30/16 8:45am
vince vette
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Just to close out this thread - car started up yesterday, 10/29. Brakes held which was important as engine ran pretty poorly after 6 years without a start and 13 years since any road driving (and probably still a lot of the same gas in it that was in there in 2003). So I had to ride throttle and brake together to keep revs up for it to run but still move in the driveway at a low speed. 

That said, with a little gas dumped directly into the carb it started right up with just a couple cranks, then stalled. Repeated process, same thing, Repeated and then started and stayed on for full heat up. All good. Even the original 36 year old vacuum drives for the lights still worked - both popped right up. 

Thanks to all for the advise. Now on to getting power steering rebuilt so that in essence it will then be drivable and the real work can start. 


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