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This afternoon while hauling a load to the recycling place Blue (my '65) burst the LF brake line right at the bottom bend. Needless to say I lost all braking capability- you know how useless the handbrake is on these- at 50 per while approaching stopped traffic. If there hadn't been room on the grass to the right (no shoulder) to pass it would have been bad-bad and I doubt I'd be writing this. After careful inspection I realized that ALL the steel under this truck has deteriorated markedly since we moved to Florida two years ago. Sad to say my beloved F 100 is no longer roadworthy and safe so I'm parkin' it until I've got the time and money to do at least a rudimentary restoration. Meanwhile, I think that the next time somebody offers ten grand for that truck I might just say yes.
By the way, any recommendations for replacement lines? I should mention that I'm going to want to use a later dual master cylinder, but I'm not sure about power assist yet. Can anyone offer some input and advice?
rx
Good to hear it turned out on the good side as it could have been a lot worst.
My dad had a 63 C10 and it also had the single line master. Even just moving it around in the garage or yard I got the shakes just knowing what could happen and it had new lines and wheel clys.
On your lines do you have the tools & skill to bend your own lines? If so get a coil of cooper nickel brake line in your size and a few ends and make your own.
The copper nickel line is easy to work with and the hardest part of doing lines is making flairs and after you have done a few it is not hard.
Also the C/N line takes longer to rust out and I am pretty sure you will have to make some lines when going to a duel master.
You may want to look into replacing wheel cly, all lines and new master and going with silicon brake fluid.
It does not absorb water like normal fluid and rust the lines from the inside out.
Only bad I hear is the pedal can be a little spongy.
I've driven on them too. But we can hardly act surprised when 50 year old brake lines crap out. Don't do it! Did you need new shorts?
The NiCopp brake line is everybody's favorite these days. Bends really easy, takes flares well. I replaced everything except the pedal on my truck, no way around it. When the parking brake is setup it should work well.
An outfit called Inline Tube in Michigan has a complete Stainless kit for $170. Has anyone ever heard of this company? Also CJ Pony Parts has a dual master cylinder kit. Does anyone have an opinion about these companies? Thanks for your input!
rx
My opinion is that stainless steel lines are harder to seal when making the connections. I prefer the mild steel. If you flush your brake fluid out periodically, rust shouldn't be an issue, or go with silicone, Dot 5 fluid. That's my preference for a good, solid pedal with no water absorption issues. Otherwise, InlineTube should be fine...I would just order the steel lines.
Copper-nickel lines are the right bet. Here, I get the 50 foot roll from Advance auto. Most parts stores carry it.
I'd switch to a dual master, most Ford or GM have the correct bolt spacing to mount it, you'll need ask Master Power or some other about pushrods.
If you're still drum/drum, no worries about proportioning valves or any other bits, though you'll need to makes sure you have residual pressure valves, so buy a master from a drum/drum donor. Simply match the bore (very likely 1 inch), and your braking will be the same, safety will obviously be far better.
I personally do NOT like DOT 5, due to very bad experience in higher altitudes. Issue is, DOT 5 tends to sucks air, esp. with disc calipers, high altitude expands that air, and you're heading down a mountain without brakes.
DOT 4 is my recommendation.
2X on the copper/nickel being easy to use and very rust resistant even in the rust belt. I use EZ bend from Napa.
I have used a stainless kit from classic tube for a 2002 pickup. Nice kit, every thing fits nicely. When going into existing fittings (like the ABS unit), stainless steel can be difficult to stop leaking. I tightened, loosened, and re-tightened those fittings about 20 times each to get them to seat. They've been fine for over 3 years now. I've read you don't want to flare stainless steel unless you know how to anneal it properly to relieve stress and prevent cracking.
Inline tube and classic tube I have heard of, forget who I used on my 70 AMC, fit was great and the steel lines sealed no issues.
As has been posted on the S'S line I have heard hard to seal and why I went steel on the AMC.
On the fluid because of the spongy pedal is why I would not use dot 5 but want to put it out there as a choice for any one reading this thread.
Dave - - - -
Dave - - - -
Sometimes I think we can overthink stuff. It's important to buy Quality. And stainless steel sounds good, but it is notoriously difficult to flare and tougher to work with. For "amateurs", or maybe a better way to put it would be "one-time professional", who isn't concerned with cosmetics either, doesn't want to make a career out of a brake job, who doesn't want to buy top shelf flaring equipment, the Nicopp is an excellent choice. It's easy to bend with your hands.
The negatives mentioned above regarding dot 5 are due to air in the lines. There should be no air if the system is properly bled...and I will admit that dot 5 is more difficult if one doesn’t follow a few rules. In any case, either will work fine when used properly.
'68-'72 F350 dual diaphragm brake booster/firewall brackets/dust boot and a '95 Ford Explorer MC I installed on a friend's '65 F100. (front suspension equipped with DJM drop beams, '78 F150 front discs. On the rear, stock '65 F100 rear drums).
I fabricated an aluminum spacer to go between the booster mounting brackets and the firewall --pedal pivot location on '67-earlier Ford trucks are much closer to the firewall than on '68-up model trucks.
I fabricated all the hard lines from the front to the back of the truck from a couple of 20' coils of 3/16" diameter steel tubing.
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