Dale,
I think you really need to step back a few paces, calm down and rethink your brakes. C3 brakes are notoriously problematic. In my opinion ( Rick will tell you it is worth two cents ), is that you should bite the bullet and buy the stainless lines. It is probably the ONE thing you will NEVER have to worry about again in the entire brake system. It is also a BIG safety issue. Those brakes could have failed while driving and even at 35 miles an hour you can hit something pretty hard. Then you are really gonna be broke buying a new front clip and a paint job. I guess I sound a bit like dear ole dad saying stuff like that but, hey, think about it.

THANKS DAD!! I'm just kidding. You are totally right about the safety issue. I do want what's best. I ordered new stainless hoses for all four calipers and a new left front and front crossover brake line in the original Tin Bundy Weld steel tubing. I'll definitely make sure everything is working before I really take it on the road. I'll probably have to order new rear caliper lines as well when I try and take the old hoses off just like I did on the front two calipers. SNAAAPPP!! I'll probably get the parts early next week.

Yep, Glenn is right on this one. His advise is worth 2 cents. Stainless is the only way to go. The only problem is that along with Glenns' sage advice, he charges you for it.

I don't know if it's too late to respond to your post, but your local Auto parts store should carry a variety of brake and fuel lines, all you have to is bend them. I was in there getting the rebuild kits for the calipers and saw these lines and replaces my rears for less then $10. Just had to bend it, that was kinda fun too.

Just MY $.02

Imran
74 Conv.

Yeah, I heard they had the lines, but I didn't want to mess up while bending them. I ordered them from Zip already. New stainless hoses and tin bundy weld steel tubing brake lines. I figured I'd pay a little extra for a better job than I could do. I'm hoping they come in today. I have the old lines off, the calipers set up. All I need to do is take off the rear hoses, which I'm scared to do because I can see myself stripping then snapping the rear caliper lines as well. In time it will be done. (Hopefully just a little time. )

Well, hopefully you'll never need to redo the brake lines, but if you do, go with the auto shop ones, it was easier than expected bending them, just took a little patience, and almost an artistic touch.

btw, great car and nice website! Enjoyed looking through the pics.

Imran
74 Convt

Thanks Imran. I just got my lines and hoses from Zip last night. I went outside and put the two front steel brake lines on. I only have one clip to put back on, to hold the lines to the frame. The pre-bent lines worked out pretty well for anyone thinking of changing their lines. It took me about 2 hours to put both of them on. That included the time it took me to take it back off a little bit because I had gone the wrong way with it. It also took me a good amount of time to get the darn thing to thread into the block that the line from the master cylinder splits into. The hard part is done now... unless the rear caliper hoses are a pain to take off as well. Tonight I plan to put on the last clip for the lines, take off the rear hoses (incase I snap the rear caliper lines I can order them overnight delivery and have them by the weekend ) and attach the new stainless steel braided ones. Depending on my time I'll probably also start putting the front calipers back on and install the new front brake pads, bleed the brakes and pray for no more leaking.

|QUOTE|VTHokie77Vette said: Thanks Imran. I just got my lines and hoses from Zip last night. I went outside and put the two front steel brake lines on. I only have one clip to put back on, to hold the lines to the frame. The pre-bent lines worked out pretty well for anyone thinking of changing their lines. It took me about 2 hours to put both of them on. That included the time it took me to take it back off a little bit because I had gone the wrong way with it. It also took me a good amount of time to get the darn thing to thread into the block that the line from the master cylinder splits into. The hard part is done now... unless the rear caliper hoses are a pain to take off as well. Tonight I plan to put on the last clip for the lines, take off the rear hoses (incase I snap the rear caliper lines I can order them overnight delivery and have them by the weekend ) and attach the new stainless steel braided ones. Depending on my time I'll probably also start putting the front calipers back on and install the new front brake pads, bleed the brakes and pray for no more leaking.|/QUOTE|

*sigh* sounds like what my weekend is shaping up to look like. I had to send in my rear T-arms to get the wheel bearings done, I could NOT get them out, even flared out the spindle a bit trying with this huge puller I borrowed from a mechanic friend. But brakes, lines, spindles, all the rubber from the back, and we're thinking about dropping the differential also, and cleaning it up and replacing the $3 gasket that goes there...

Should be a fun weekend. Hope your brakes work out okay.

Imran
74 Convt

Well, I finally had enough this weekend!! All I had left to do was to bleed the entire system. I was loosening up all the bleeder screws and the very last one on my driver side rear caliper decided to shear off and leave the threads inside. So I went to sears and bought the screw extractor set, came home, did what I was supposed to do, and the screw extractor snapped off inside the hole. I then tried to drill it out, which didn't work well either. The screw extractor was very hard and it chewed up my DeWalt bit half way down before I realized that it was the bit that was getting shorter, not the hole getting deeper. I tried my best to drill it out, but I got no where. I knew I was going to damage the threads and I didn't know if the bleeder screw would work well then. So I quit with the darn overhaul, I went to Advance Auto, and bought all new calipers like everyone said I should have probably done in the first place. This purchase has now pushed my cement floor project back at least another month, but I really miss driving my vette so I wanted to do whatever I had to get it back and guarantee it was going to work good. The front calipers are installed and when I get the back ones on Tuesday I will just have to put them on and bleed them and I should be up and running Tuesday night and I should be good for another few years. I'm glad I did what I did though, I would never have replaced the old lines, the dry rotted hoses, and I wouldn't have learned so much about brakes if I didn't try to overhaul the old ones myself. It makes me mad, because the calipers I have on were put on no more than 4-5 years, but I guess since it sits most of the time and not in nice garage either, it really wears them down. But I'm happy to know that I'll have my car working and I know I'll be stopping great for a few more years.

Dale,

Ouch, sorry to hear about your rough experience, but there's a silver lining to your dark cloud. You won't have to worry about your brakes for a while, and even if something does go wrong, you'll know exactly what you're doing and how to fix it. And when you start up your car on Tuesday night and take a spin, I'm sure you'll forget all about your bad experience... That's what I love about our cars so much, I don't mind putting money into it, because I know that the returns will be excellent!

Imran - 74 convt - Still waiting on that return