70ConvCutlass

Looking for any tips, recommendations for installing a single piece brakeline (from inline parts) on a 1970 Cutlass Convert. The body is still on the car, the old line has been removed. The rearend of the car is on jackstands.

Not sure if I should try to feed the line front the front or back.

kitfoxdave

I assume you are talking about the long one that goes from the distribution block to the rear. From under the car, feed it around the obsticles (shifter mechanism, etc), then raise the back end of it and slide it back into place, you may have to tweek the tubing a little to get the ends to line up correctly, but not very much. (mine were stainless) If the fit is tight over the forward lower control arm on the drivers side, it is because the body bushings are tired and compressed! This is much easier with new body bushings installed! ;-)

70ConvCutlass

That is the piece I'm referring to.Having the most trouble getting it to snake around the control arm as you mentioned. Perhaps I need to loosen the body mountings to create some additional space, but at this point it seems impossible to install a one piece line when the body is still on teh car due to the curves in the brakeline...

kitfoxdave

The fuel line is even worse to try to change in one piece... I ended up lifting mine about 5 inches when I replaced the mounts. The fuel line went in fairly easy and the brake line was simple by comparison... Best of luck to ya!

Allan R

Ok, dumb to question, but I'll assume you did straighten that ILT brake line before starting the install? I just went through an ILT brake line (complete system) install on my 72 Cutlass S and know exactly what you're going through. BTW, did you get the anchor mount by the control arm off or did you just cut the old brake line? You won't be able to use that anchor if you did as the fitting simply is too big to pass through it. And that clip is held in place with a bolt between the car body and frame.

Start by getting the car up in the air as high as you can. Mine is up about 18" off the ground to the bottom of the frame. Straighten the line to match the OEM line as much as possible. I found the one from ILT was badly out of shape at the tight turn at the rear.

Feed the line from the back to the front. It can take a little time and manipulation to get it to the right spot. (I spent about 1/2 hour matching my ILT line to the OEM that came out) If you need to bend the line a little to make if fit, that's ok because it's easy material to work with and it can be re-straightened after you get the line through a tight spot. Just don't go over flexing it to kink it or weaken the metal. I found myself wishing I had a helper at times during this fitting.

Do NOT attach any of the anchor bolts to the side rail until you've got the line approxamitely right. And even then, just attach them with one or 2 threads on the bolt

Attach the rear fitting to the center brake hose first. It's a tight fit with a dual muffler car, but easy with a single exhaust. You might want to remove the clip on the back of the center brake hose to let it come through the rear support. That makes it really easy to thread and tighten the fitting. Had to do that with my dual muffler car. It may be necessary to bend the brake line a bit towards the fitting end to line it up with the hose. Really important that the connection there is not cross threaded, and must be snug. Then put the hose back through and re-attach the clip.

Now attach the front of the brake line to the distribution valve. Again you might need to make some slight adjustments to the line to fit in squarely on the fitting.

Attach all the anchor mounts and snug down.

This line is intimidating to work with just because of it's length but if you work methodically it will go in. When you start feeling frustrated (and trust me it will happen at some point) walk away and come back to the project when you're calmed down. Took me about an hour to get my line installed.

FWIW? The quality control on the ILT brake line package left me disappointed. The bends were reasonable and needed some tweaking. The biggest disappointment was the rear brake lines to the wheel cylinders. Maybe it was the ILT brake hose too, but they leaked badly and I had to replace the new center brake hose and one of the lines. The brake hose seat fittings on are not well tapered on the part I bought from them. Their rf disc brake hose also leaked at the line fitting and I'm really disappointed with that. I've been chasing down leaks and paint destruction (from leaking brake fluid) from the new ILT tubing for the past week now. Your proof will be in the bleeding.

Del70

I picked up a full front to rear brake line. I am struggling to see how it is going to be installed with the body on. Years ago before formed line were available I bent my own line to represent the factory routing as best possible, but I had to use a union along the frame so it was possible to get the lines installed. I am tempted to just add a union.

As noted in this post, others have had success with a one piece, body on install. For a hardtop?

Open to any suggestions, ideas, tips. Thank you

kitfoxdave

When I did the front to rear line, I removed the body mounts jacked the body off the frame about 4 inches, and installed the line. Made it easier to get to the small bolts in the brake line clips and fuel line clips as well. 72 cutlass convertible.

Del70

Thanks, Lifting the body would work, but I am not going to lift the body. I will just put in a union, and perhaps there is a chance that after moving the bolts on both sides, I could lift the crossmember just enough on to slip the line under it . Last I might not replace it at, it is all fine. I just wanted to replace the rear sections and picked up front to rear section incase I had an issue, but would have prefer to replace it all at once if it was not a major issue. thanks

Loaded68W34

If you want to install it as one piece, you can do it from under the car if you remove the trans crossmember.

acavagnaro

x2. The cross-member is really the main obstacle. If you're working with a mild steel line you can bend it to install without having to remove the cross-member. I've never found any need to remove control arms. That bracket just forward of the left rear wheel between the frame and body is a PITA!!

jharsh

I actually just went thru this on my Rallye. The original line I installed was leaking so I had to remove and repair it. All I did was remove 2 bolts from the transmission crossmember on the drivers side a lift it high enough to get the brake line around it. After that everything was fairly straight forward. The only other trouble area was the larger side bracket that is never the rear control arms, but it was really not a big deal.

1968 442 converti

I know that this is an old thread but, I agree with you 100% about them making some unsafe brake lines. I think that they might not have that part of the business one day and I wouldn't be surprised if alot of people reported them to the BBB. When I first got my 1968 442 Convertible I bought 400 dollars worth of stainless steel lines from them for it and I had the same problem with the long line leaking at the back brake hose at the axle tee. At first I found no leaks until I realized where it was and found it due to having to add brake fluid to the rear reservoir on the master brake cylinder also, that I bought from them! Their instruction videos say to seat them loosen and tighten a little bit more to seat them. Some other places they have say you just need to keep on tightening them down more! I've been a mechanic most of my life along with my other family members before me and you shout have to tighten a brake line with all your might for it to stop leaking! Especially a brand new one much less an old used one! Fast forward in time a pick up truck I purchased I know not an Olds and alot newer the previous owner gave me some new ILT SS lines incase I ever needed them. Low and behold had a pinhole leak and at the back axle on the drivers side. Guess what? As of now it's not leaking anymore but, same thing had to tighten the you know what out of it to get it to stop leaking! My wife even told me you have to tighten that much to get it to stop leaking? She even knows you shouldn't have too! I was worried even with my flare wrench tools about shipping rounding off the hex head nuts! Still chasing the leak on my car! If the original lines weren't so rusty I would have left them on my car. When I called and talked to the tech at ILT he kept telling me that it's not their stainless steel lines but, it's the tee fitting hose on the back axle! Which is also, theirs! I told him I wanted to speak to his manager, he told me he was busy, I asked him to call me back because, I want either my money back or at the least new lines. I never heard back from them again. I wouldn't care so much if this was some fast and furious piece of you know what. But, as everyone on here at CO this is my pride and joy. Besides it being the usual blood, sweat, tears and MONEY!!!!!!! More so and most importantly this is a SAFETY ISSUE!!!!!!!

1968 442 converti

Been adding brake fluid every two weeks to the back reservoir also, it's only been 7 years that I installed them out of the twenty that I owned my car. I should also, be having ILT pay my brake fluid bill!