Well, winter came and went and will come again, that was a nice bit of snow we had, I look forward to more,

Thought I would start this up to see if any locals are on here and have repairs/upgrades that they want to do to their trucks/car/garages or are in need of motivation to start, as we could all maybe help each other or recommend some good shops that could do the work for us. At least we can motivate or be motivated sitting in front of this here screen

My Project(bear with me):

History:
I have posted in the past that I was trying to find a 1977 F150 and I still haven't found one plus I still have my Oldsmobile that I was trying to trade for it. It's been parked for 2 years(yikes!) because the brakes needed attention and I didn't have the motivation to get to it until this year. It should still pass aircare(I hope)

Started:
My driveway has a big angle to it, so much that bumpers hit when I turn uphill onto it from the street. My car has been parked on that angle for those 2 years(yikes!) that when I fired it up to move it I found I now had no brakes when I released the park brake and started down the short&steep incline!(I had to go down before I could move it to the other side of the driveway to put it into the garage)

Ongoing:
September was when I began. I knew it was the master cylinder(MC) as I had to keep topping off the fluid before I parked it long ago and of course now the car had tried to kill me going downhill into the street(after checking fluid to make sure it was full). So knowing I have to bleed all 4 brakes anyway I had a look at the front brake lines to check the rubber hoses and of course they are starting to crack, so I head down to the parts counter and get me a MC and front lines and while I'm at it, the rear rubber flex line as well.

Got home, bench bled the MC, installed it but haven't hooked lines to it yet, replaced the front rubber lines and hook lines to MC, bled the rear brakes fine, start bleeding the rightfront-all is good, start bleeding the left front-all is not quite right. The front right metal line(that I just bled!!!) decides it has had enough and ruptures. Some mild swearing ensues.

3 weekends later(in October), after going under the car with a tape measure, I have purchased 2 new metal lines with the correct fittings already flared, I just have to remove the old ones so I can bend the new ones to match. If one side ruptured, pretty sure the other side is close to it. Get them all bent up and put them in, dang it was tight by the proportioning valve(PV) to change the fittings! Start bleeding the fronts again to check everything before I start with rears again(just to be sure there is no air in any lines). ThiRd! push of the pedal when one line from the MC to the PV decides to rupture-aaaaarrrrgghhh!!!

Car sat until 3 weeks ago(November). I removed both lines from MC to PV, measured and bought replacements but their fittings are incorrect so I have to replace 4 fittings and cut and flare 2 ends. I clean up the garage a little and put some stuff in the cars trunk where I find the two hard lines I got from a friend when he sold his big car and they are the right lengths and diameters(one tube is bigger than another) - DOH!

So now I need to cut/flare/install/bleed/tires back on/Aircare/and put a for sale sign on it so I can have money for a 1977 F150 in decent shape. And return the two hard lines I didn't need You never know what you'll find until you clean!

 

Sounds like you had some fun.

I have a better box and cab for my 75. So one day I hop in and take it to the wreckers so I can do the box swap I get the donor box ready to pull off. I get my old box ready to pull off. The day I do that it has turned colder.

I am now going to stick a few bolts in the original box and run with that for the rest of the winter. This providing I get motivated to do it.

This is probably best because then I can bring the box and cab home in the spring to do the needed work while they are not on the truck.

Have you had any luck with Castanet?

 

Wow!
I found myself chuckling to myself as I read your post.
Where did you end up after you found out there were no brakes?
When you bleed the brakes start with the wheel furthest away from the MC,and work your way to the front.It will ensure all the air is out.

 

I ended up going down the driveway and turning right as fast as I could!

So, an update, I rewrote a little of the last part of my previous post:

3 weekends later(in October), after going under the car with a tape measure, I have purchased 2 new metal lines with the correct fittings already flared, I just have to remove the old ones so I can bend the new ones to match. If one side ruptured, pretty sure the other side is close to it. Get them all bent up and put them in, dang it was tight by the proportioning valve(PV) to change the fittings! Start bleeding the fronts again to check everything before I start with rears again(just to be sure there is no air in any lines). On the third push of the pedal one line from the MC to the PV decides to rupture-aaaaarrrrgghhh!!!

I think I borrowed the 2 jackstands for the rear of the car in November?

Car sat until November. I removed both lines from MC to PV, measured and bought replacements but their fittings are incorrect so I have to replace 4 fittings and cut and flare 2 ends. I clean up the garage a little and put some stuff in the cars trunk where I find among a few spare parts the two hard lines I got from a friend after he sold his big caddy and they are the right lengths and diameters(one tube is bigger than another, 3/16 and 1/4) - DOH! I returned the lines I had just bought and got more brake fluid. I was able to use one fitting on the "new" old lines I forgot I had in the trunk but still have to double flare 2 of the ends, I slipped on the other old fitting and bent both lines to match the old ones and slipped the the final two fittings on so I know where they all go later.

I started to work on it again in December and mangled one double flare on my first attempt...

January passed....

Today in February I cut off the mangled flare, took 3 tries to dbl flare it right and one try for the other line. Took forever(an hour?) to get the first line that goes to the rear brakes to thread in by hand and then tighten, pulled it and rebent the last angle 3 times, my fingers were hurting there was no space to work and trying to adjust the line to change the angle on the nut to get it started in the PV was a royal PITA! The second line dropped right in and threaded right away...

Because the lines had ruptured way back when, the fluid had drained out of the MC at that time, I put the brake bleeder plastic pieces in and capped them, so I had to "bench bleed" the MC again today before hooking up the new lines, so I left it in the car, hooked up the two little plastic lines and pumped the pedal a whole bunch of times until no air came out, about 20 minutes and tapping the MC with a socket extension every few minutes to dislodge air bubbles.

Hooked up the lines! The system is assembled! (finally)

I left the cap off the MC and did a one-man brake bleed. Got a clean yogurt container and long hose and filled the system with fluid one brake at a time to get the air out and check for leaks before the proper bleeding began. I wanted to make dang sure no more metal lines were going to bust on me!!!! I started furthest corner away from MC and then other rear brake and then right front and left front, always drained about half the fluid out of each resorvoir per brake.

Put cap on MC, pumped brakes 5 times, called it a night, throw tires on and testdrive tomorrow

 

I think I'd have beat the crap out of the poor car by now. Flaring is a big PITA. I don't think its quite as easy as it seems it should be. And yes I know I have spent more time than I can remember trying to get the lines threaded back on.

You have brakes now. One step closer.