Brake Lines

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ColSwede
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Brake Lines

Post by ColSwede »

So my brakes were pretty squishy (to put it mildly) so I took it in to get the brake fluid flushed and come to find out, there's leaks all throughout the brake system. I can get the master cylinder on Rockauto easily enough, but I cannot find the metal brake lines, bent and ready to be installed. Even my local Toyota dealer laughed when I called. I would like to avoid getting a kit that requires me to bend them if at all possible. Anyone know where I can get these?
ColSwede
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Petros
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by Petros »

Where are you located?

you can go to a self service wrecking yard and hunt up metal brake lines, usually in the western and desert states they are in good shape. in the rust belt, likely you will not find a Tercel in a yard, and if you do it would be a rust bucket.

I can not imagine you could find new inventory of exact fit brake lines for the Tercel. short of used parts, you will have to make your own replacements.
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slimdude85
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by slimdude85 »

If what Petros recommended isn't feasible (ie. you're east of the Rockies/north of Texas), you may be forced to make your own. Unfortunately, finding new pre-bent lines is going to be like finding a unicorn at the end of a rainbow on the 30th of February while it's 95 degrees outside. Since the Tercel is a low production number vehicle, I seriously doubt anyone will have a pre-bent line kit. Thankfully there are some brake lines that are made that you can bend by hand and don't kink. They are a little pricier than your standard steel line, but they're so easy to work with. Here's something like what I'm talking about: https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Nickel-Br ... B00651OAVS . This roll still has to be flared, but pre-flared lines in specific lengths with nuts are available as well.
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ColSwede
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by ColSwede »

Thank you. I am just a little east of Denver, so not in the rust belt. I have a secondary tercel wagon that I bought as a parts car, so I'm gonna look at those lines and see how they appear. Was just hoping to get all new lines...
jimcrazy
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by jimcrazy »

see if you can get the nickle-copper line,,easy to flare and bend just like copper tubing,,,not sure where you are but it is legal for use in canada for brake lines plain copper is not
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splatterdog
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by splatterdog »

The lines are one of the first thing installed at the factory and all of them are attached to each other in brackets. This increases difficulty. The whole assembly could be replaced from a donor car but the trans might have to come out to snake it all in.

You sure it needs lines? I've retired a few T4s due to rust and have never needed any amount of new line other than some fuel return line directly over the fuel tank. Stuck caliper pins can cause a squishy pedal too. Front hoses usually look ready to burst but are dirt cheap. Make sure rear adjusters work too.

Brake line requests at the dealer for almost any car of any year will get laughed at, especially at Toyota. Can't remember doing any Toyota lines since the late 80's. If I did it was probably self induced by not getting a flare nut loose from the line and twisting it up before replacing a hose or wheel cylinder back when I was inexperienced.

Nicopp line that slimdude mentioned is really easy to work with.
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Jonymoto
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by Jonymoto »

This may sound obvious, but don't use a plumber's flaring tool to flare the ends of the tube as it will leak.
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Petros
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by Petros »

make sure it is your hard lines that are actually bad. more often it is the flex hoses that will decompose and leak. Old flex hoses contribute to mushy pedal feel as well.

New flex hoses are available and relatively cheap, and there are always shops and on-line suppliers that can make you any flex hose you might want.
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'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
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ColSwede
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by ColSwede »

I haven't actually looked at the car myself, I'm just going by what they told me... They mentioned that one of the bleeders was missing, which I haven't looked to confirm that, or to ensure that it's not a recent break, like they broke it.
ColSwede
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by ColSwede »

I do know that the front brake hoses are pretty low mileage, less than 70k, but the car sat in storage for about 16 years.
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by The Professor »

For anyone forced to fabricate their own brake hard lines, this is an awesome tutorial:

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/artic ... lity-brak/
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by ARCHINSTL »

The Professor wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2019 7:58 am For anyone forced to fabricate their own brake hard lines, this is an awesome tutorial:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/artic ... lity-brak/
XLNT! Thanks!
Hopefully, I'll never have to utilize it on Goldie, but wish it would have been available when I replaced the lines on my POS rust magnet, an '88 Dodge (Mitsu) p'up! Another of those jobs I'll never forget!
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ColSwede
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by ColSwede »

Took my Yota to another shop for a second opinion... As I knew, the front pads and rotors need replacing, which I already have new ones. Rear drums and shoes need replacing and the rear brake hoses need replacing... But that's it. They didn't notice anything with the metal lines or master cylinder...
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Petros
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Re: Brake Lines

Post by Petros »

if you are going to replace the rotors, you might consider going to the ventilated front rotors (that will require new calipers). the vented rotors do not cost much more, you use the same pad.

see my thread on the brake up grade in the repair guides section.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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