StuntmanMike

iTrader: (2)

I konw..."ghetto rig" and "brakes"...two words that should NEVER be in the same sentence.

Hear me out...

A friend of mine has an '00 Buick Regal. A few months ago she lost her brakes. One of the rear lines had corroded to the point where it burst. She took it to a shop, they wanted 1,000-2,000 bucks to fix it, along with the fuel lines that were also corroded.

She decided to just get a new car, and is going to trade in the Buick. I was thinking, to just make it driveable to get the 25 miles to the dealer, to crimp off the rear lines before the burst section, bleed the fronts, and just run on front brakes. Not ideal, but it should make the car at least driveable to get to the dealer.

I tried to do this today. I took vise grips and tried to crimp the rear lines, and thought I had it done. Once I got some pressure in the system after bleeding the fronts, when we started the car with the power assist, the fluid just blew past the crimp and sprayed out in a mist.

I tried in a few different places, crimping it over and over with the vice grips, but no go, I just can't seem to get them crimped enough to stop fluid flow.

Anyone have any ideas on how to do this effectively?

Right now it's Buick -1, Mike-0.

Thanks!

01 ss vert

iTrader: (1)

you sir, are potentially putting everyone on the road at danger. A Brake line should not be expensive to replace. Do it right.

Also you really thought A crimp would hold a brake line under pressure?

If you get it ghetto rigged, you need to tell the dealership. Again, please don't cheap out and put everyone at danger, including your friend and the future owner. It's the right AND ethical thing to do.

SS SLP2

iTrader: (8)

I agree, be sure and explain to the dealer, if you must drive it did you fold the line over and leave the vice clamps attatched?

best bet is to let the fluid leak out as it will only leak from the end with the broken end AND you will still have brakes on the other end just drive slow
MY .02 Johnny

StuntmanMike

iTrader: (2)

This isn't to be a permanent fix, it's only to be driven once.

And yes, she's already disclosed the issues the car has.

I didn't know if the crimp would hold the pressure or not, which was why I was trying it. Obviously it has not. I was hoping if I crimped the line in a few places in a row it would be enough of a restriction, especially if I was able to crimp the lines flat.

Personally, I think she should just put an add on CL and sell it as is, and someone can come get it, but she's set on trading it in. I can't really see them giving her much more than 500 bucks for it, where I'm sure she could get 1k for it on CL. The car only has 89k on it and is great otherwise. Fix the brakes and it could be a nice car with alot of miles left.

zacht

iTrader: (18)

why not cut the line, put a fitting on it. and put a cap on the end???

then possibly the next person can just un-do your plug and keep going with brakes??

im not for rigging a car up....but i think this method would work...

TAEnvy

iTrader: (2)

Im in the auto repair industry. Id probably be easier to fix it yourself. If new parts are high go to the junkyard and get them for 50 bucks.

Probably get more for it if she still wants to sell it.

Why was it 2K to fix, did they put in a bunch of "reccomended" services that dont actually apply to the brake line/fuel line repair. Seems high to me but I dont have my labor guide in front of me.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

+1. Just replacing the hose (get a cheap one) is just as much work as doing a ghetto rig. ...and you'll live longer!

Shockwave179

iTrader: (7)

This seems like a TERRIBLE idea. Just get a line and replace it.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

You can get a length of brake line and a brake line union for like 15 bucks at the parts store. Just do that.

TheHeadFL

Just get a double flare tool for like $20-30 and do it properly with actual fittings. You can probably get a union fitting and a cap for cheap.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Um, tow it to the dealer???????????

StuntmanMike

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I decided not to do it. I told her to etiher tow it to the dealer, get it fixed, or put it up on CL as "as is, come get it".

I don't want to mess with it, and quite frankly, I'm f'in sick of working on cars. Between working on my own junk and fixing my mom's car last week I've had it with auto repairs for a while.

The 1-2k was for a complete replacement of brake lines and fuel lines. She took it to a place that is a notorious rip off, but after looking underneath it I have to concur, at least on the brake lines. I thought I could maybe splice a new piece of line in, but they're horrible. I don't think I'd be able to crimp and flair any of it. Plus as the car is located 30 miles from my tools and jacks, I'm just trying to work on it in her condo parking lot with the front on a set of Rhino ramps. Not much room underneath.

I told her when it first happened she should justtake it to a different shop and get it fixed, but this got her fixated on buying a new car. Such a nice friend I am, since it happened she's been driving my winter DD.

I told her today I'm done with it, she needs to figure out what to do with it on her own. And I want my Jeep back, I unfortunatley have a bunch of work to do to that I've been putting off, so hopefully she gets something this weekend. She's supposed to go to the dealer tomorrow.

SVThuh

iTrader: (2)

Im guessing this 'friend' is hot as all holy hell for you to be doing this much to it and lending her your jeep?

Pictures? lol.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

I replaced the entire rear line on my Camaro when I had it, from the ABS block back. Parts cost no more than $25. Yeah, getting all the bends right took some time, but with the help of a friend and the lift at his work, we got it done.

Scott_D

For all future viewers, not really meant for StuntmanMike, to late. If you are successful in capping or crimping your rear brake line, you will hydraulically lock your master cylinder, meaning when you press on your brake pedal, it won't go anywhere, does that make sense to you? You won't be able to stop!!!! If it is before the "T", if it is after, you"ll have double brake bias to the one rear brake, and likely lockup the wheel while braking, if capping or crimping is successful. And still may not have enough throw on the brake pedal for the front brakes to be able to do anything!!!!!!

Update: I looked at the engineering of the master cylinder, front and rear brakes are couple together, but with pressure springs, so if one of the two is hydraulically locked, the pressure springs in the master cylinder compensate for this failure, but I don't see any compensation for double bias fluid flow if the cap or crimp is after the "T", except for anti-lock brakes.