Need to replace front right brake hardline on a 05 Saab 9-3

[ET16]

Unfortunately, I ended up kinking the hardline above the nut for the front right brake hose on my 05 Saab 9-3.

I sprayed the fitting beforehand with PB B'laster, but it seems that there was a lot of debris in the joint and when the thread broke free at the hose, the nipple didn't spin higher up, and I kinked the line.

I see that the hardline I need is back ordered, so I'm planing to go to the junk yard tomorrow.
I see that the line snakes up, across the firewall and into the ABS unit. It doesn't look to difficult to remove, but I have never done this job before.

Any advice ?

 

[Astro14]

You can bend your own replacement hard line. Its actually pretty easy.

You’ll need a tubing bender, a flaring tool, some fittings, and some nicopp tubing.

The nickel copper alloy is strong and bends relatively easily. It’s available at most auto parts stores, and isn’t too expensive.

Use the bender so you don’t kink the tubing.

Buy about double the length that you need, just in case your first attempts are less than satisfactory.

Oh, and file that PB’laster in the circular file, and get some Kroil or Liquid Wrench. PB’laster has failed me every time. Loathsome junk.

 

[ET16]

You can bend your own replacement hard line. Its actually pretty easy.

You’ll need a tubing bender, a flaring tool, some fittings, and some nicopp tubing.

The nickel copper alloy is strong and bends relatively easily. It’s available at most auto parts stores, and isn’t too expensive.

Use the bender so you don’t kink the tubing.

Buy about double the length that you need, just in case your first attempts are less than satisfactory.

Oh, and file that PB’laster in the circular file, and get some Kroil or Liquid Wrench. PB’laster has failed me every time. Loathsome junk.

I know I can go this route, but I don't have confidence that I'd do the job right. That's why I was going to get the used part.
The tricky part seems to be back by the firewall. I need to remove a plate, and then release the line from some clips, and then snake everything out.

 

[greenjp]

Where in MD are you located? I know a really good Saab mechanic in Montgomery County...

jeff

 

[Lubener]

I would measure the length you need and purchase replacement locally. You could buy a couple lengths and couple them together with the appropriate union if you don't have access to a flaring tool to make your own. They are easy to bend. I have even bent steel lines before without any problem. You have to get ones with the correct fittings or buy the correct ones if you make your own lines. I doubt your old fittings are in good shape to reuse and I would bet anything from a junkyard will not be in good shape either. You will also have to have access to a scan tool which will activate your ABS so that the system can be successfully bled.

 

[ET16]

I'm in Montgomery County, myself. I often go to Viking Automotive in Gaithersburg.

 

[eljefino]

Don't buy used brake hard line, even if they'll sell it to you.

The fact that it kinked shows it was getting up there in age anyway. The cavity in the nut that the line passes through is a great spot for water to pool and for corrosion to start. It's a good thing you found this.

Survey the line from the fender to the MC/ABS to see how much of a hassle it would be to replace the whole thing. You can buy preflared brake line at the auto parts store in the approximate length you need. Go a little long and coil the excess up in a little loop.

There are a couple different flares-- ISO, bubble, and double, so you may need adapters, especially at the MC/ABS module side.

Flaring your own line is a step up in difficulty but we all learn some time, and often under duress. The benefit of this is you might get to reuse your old line nuts. I typically flare at the firewall to run new rear line, but replace front lines entirely. The downside is it's already difficult to learn on dry line on your workbench, and worse still under the car with brake fluid trickling out making a mess.

You do NOT need flare nut wrenches. If the old line nut doesn't come off with an open end wrench, cut it off and put a 6-pt socket on there or use vise grips. Install the new with an open end wrench. I'd bring all the old parts-- two line nuts, and two flare remnants, to the auto parts store to compare to what they have so you can cobble something together. You'll probably find a line with the correct flare and line nut for your rubber hose, and something completely off on the ABS side of things, which is where the adapters come in.

Should still be able to get out of this mess for
Trav posted a pic of himself bending hard line by wrapping it around a Tabasco bottle (2-inch diameter). Perfect! You can bend 3/16 steel line bare handed but the results will look dumb. Don't go under 1-inch radius bends.

Do not assume anything is SAE or metric. Make sure you don't put a 3/8 line nut in a 10mm fitting-- the threads are real close and will go but can strip out under hydraulic pressure.

 

[ET16]

Thanks for the replies.

It looks as if I may be able to get the OEM Saab line. It's hard to tell, though, how difficult it would be to snake the line around.

I think I may just take the car to my indie.

 

[greenjp]

I'm in Montgomery County, myself. I often go to Viking Automotive in Gaithersburg.

That's the place! I had a 9-5 Aero for 12 years, took it to them for anything I didn't think I could handle. Still take my Hondas there for similar jobs.

 

[JC1]

You can buy prefabbed Nicopp line sections, but you would probably need to cut the line somewhere to splice it in.

Get yourself a good flaring tool and you'd have a good result.

I have this one and it makes perfect flares.

Amazon.com

Here's a video of it in use.

 

[ET16]

My indie is on vacation, so I may try something myself.

I may go to the pick and pull and practice taking off the brake line and passing it through the wheel well and across the firewall. If it goes okay, I just order the factory part. It doesn't seem to be very expensive.

 

[ET16]

I went to a different shop. They think that the engine needs to come out to install a new OEM line.

 

[supton]

I went to a different shop. They think that the engine needs to come out to install a new OEM line.

Yikes! I'm guessing though if a non-OEM was used it could be spliced? Either spliced to good OEM line or if all of it has to go, then a couple splices in the right spots would make all the difference.

 

[ET16]

They are going to splice now in sections now. I will have to sign a waver of some kind.

I went to a pick and pull near me that had a Saab 9-3 to see how hard it was to remove the line. Getting it out wasn't that bad. Getting it back in was much harder. I was pressed for time and had to give up.

 

[Trav]

The engine does not need to be removed for many jobs on a 03-11 Saab 93 and definitely not the brake lines. These also do not need splicing, a piece of NiCopp can be fed through and bent as it goes, this is a very easy job for someone with any sort of mechanic skill.
If they do splice it make sure they use a flare fitting then its not a problem OE also use them sometimes do not let them use compression fittings.

 

[ET16]

The engine does not need to be removed for many jobs on a 03-11 Saab 93 and definitely not the brake lines. These also do not need splicing, a piece of NiCopp can be fed through and bent as it goes, this is a very easy job for someone with any sort of mechanic skill.
If they do splice it make sure they use a flare fitting then its not a problem OE also use them sometimes do not let them use compression fittings.

Trav, thanks for the reply.

I think they are planning to do a bubble flare on the splice. At first they were going to make a new line, but they balked. The Saab part is back-ordered and only available in Sweden, unfortunatley. I'm thinking of taking the car back and going to my regular shop.

 

[kschachn]

FWIW if I had tried to use preformed brake and fuel lines when I replaced them all on my old Accord, much more than the engine would have had to come out. More like the transmission, the exhaust, heat shields and the fuel tank at a minimum. That's where the use of Nicopp or Cunifer lines come in, we were able to snake them through the needed areas and cut and flare them as required. At first I was looking to buy the ones from Honda but thankfully they were not available.