95 Buick century brake lines

[ram_man]

I am helping a family friend with her beater car. It needs a brake line I am fairly sure it's 3/16 line. It's a 95 century with a 3.1 v6.
The line leaking is the metal line from passenger side rear well where it bolts up to the rubber line . Question is does it run from there so the master cylinder at the front or does it brake sometimes a farther back? Also will the lines you buy from the me Part store already assembled will they have the same connection as the factory lines did!? I won't physically see the car till Sunday but am trying to figure out what to bring and what not to bring.

 

[Gasbuggy]

Does the car have ABS?

 

[Lubener]

Plan on replacing the entire run. They are likely 3/16, American threads. I replaced mine back in August, I had home runs to the front from each wheel but that is not always the case. You will have to inspect it. I measured the length of each run, bought the necessary pre made pieces(did not need adapters) and a couple unions. Don't be surprised if the fittings snap off where they meet hoses as I once experienced. Clean the connections up with a wire brush, spray some PB Blaster on them and allow it to work prior to attempting to remove.

 

[Trav]

+1 on planning to replace the entire run. Be aware on some of these that line may run across the top of the gas tank and using a pre formed line may necessitate removing the tank and other parts.

I don't know what you have for tools or experience but this job could go wrong quickly. NiCopp line and fitting is the way to go but requires a flaring tool and fittings. It is the easiest bending and forming line there is making installation much faster with less chance for kinks.
Its corrosion resistance is a huge plus but i suspect on a car this vintage it is not a big factor.

For a quick job where the line goes above the tank you can cut the old line at the tank and use it to zip tie the new piece of line you fish through next to it.
Finding the fitting size is easy, just ask to see a line or wheel cylinder and try the fitting they have at the store in it, the other end is usually the same size.

 

[ram_man]

Well the line in question goes from the rubber line in back all the way up the passenger side along the pinch weld basically. It doesn't screw into the wheel cylinder but maybe it's the same thread. I just am hoping to buy the lines already flared and use them but that would require the ends of those lines being the same as the threads on the car. The car also does have abs.

 

[mk378]

At the parts store have them get out the hose for that car, so you can check that fittings on the line you're buying will thread into it.

 

[ram_man]

Yeah I plan on doing that later today does anybody know if the line on the passenger side the runs from the rear rubber line all the way up to the front of the car does it go somewhere else or does it go straight to the master cylinder I couldn't get under without a jacket was really hard to tell where it went once I hit the firewall

 

[The_Eric]

I'm willing to bet it's ISO flared.

 

[mk378]

Yes I would also guess metric threads on a 1995 car.

If the car has ABS, a brake line from each wheel goes back to the ABS box under the hood. The ABS box is fed by two lines from the master cylinder.

Try to avoid letting the master cylinder reservoir drain out completely while you are working on the system, though if there is a leaky line it may be too late for that.

 

[ram_man]

Right so the line goes from the back up to the abs box? That's what it looked like but I couldn't tell 100% the other day. No way to get under it. The line on the back has to be 10x1.0 I believe but i am not sure what it is on the abs box side does any body know? I know that's a hard question probably not seeing it.

 

[mk378]

It would be rather unusual to have different threads on the two ends of a brake line. Usually all the lines on the car are the same.

 

[ram_man]

I've seen some gm's have different sizes the end at the back is a m10x1.0 but I don't think where it goes into the abs is that size but I'm not certain.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: mk378
It would be rather unusual to have different threads on the two ends of a brake line. Usually all the lines on the car are the same.

No it's not unusual at all. I see brake lines with different size fittings at each end ALL the time.

 

[The_Jeff]

If your line nut isn't threaded at the far end where it butts into the fitting, it's metric. A 3/8" line nut will thread into a 10mm metric but then pop out under pressure! I also recall ISO flares being used... I did this job on a Ciera once.

You can also use a 3/8 open end wrench as a go/ no go gauge for your old line nut. A 10mm won't fit in the jaws.

You're going to have to flare, it's a long run and would be expensive in 5-foot sections with unions, and the flares won't be the same on either end.

 

[ram_man]

I bought all the line I am going to need so as long as the line I bought will fit into the abs box I'll be ok if not I may need to get a piece of line that will or will have to flare the line and use the old fitting. Ehhh brake lines suck!