Brake line went out on me today.
I don't like the odds of getting it properly detached from the rear ,,, Haven't looked at the front yet.
Searched around a bit but I need some quick input - Can I just cut off the corroded section and replace with rubber brake line ?
Thats assuming that I have any good section left at all. I'm gonna drop my spare tomorrow so I can get some head room to get a better look.

More lovely rust pics for you westerners & southerners to be jealous of !

Top pic shows leak is pretty extensive, coating the frame rail and gas tank.
I reached behind and felt it, its pretty much disintegrating in my hand.
It must have ruptured all at once, no warning signs until the brakes mushed to the floor stopping for a light. Glad I was not far away from home when it happened.

Bottom pic shows the junction where the rear brake lines meet, and part of the defective line going back along the rail.

 

OK first and foremost there is no such thing as replacing that steel line with rubber anything. You would blow the rubberline right up under those pressures. If you snap of the steel line on the back side of that bracket you can get a socket on there for a better bite and that fitting will come right out. If it doesn't then put vice grips on it and it WILL come out. That line is very common to corrode and fail. Then either run a new line behind the tank or around like others have done and reconnect to up front at the T fitting. It will come loose up there. You may have to buy two pieces of line and get creative or if you have a double flaring tool or know someone who does you can make a nice clean repair. You will need a union fitting if you need two lines to fix it. those lines are all 3/16th inch by the way.

 

Patching a BREAK line sounds like a bad idea.

 

Patch it? Really?

 

Ok, fixing rusty brake lines is something new to me, hence why I asked the question.

I have a 68 Firebird and 67 Chevelle I am constantly working on also, rust is not an issue on those as they never see snow, I have replaced brake lines on those one end to the other, but at my leisure.
This I have to either get done in 1 day, or take it to a shop.
I'm inclined to the 1st option.

Thanks speeddemon at least for an answer that required a couple brain cells to be rubbed together, unlike the rest of these jokers who just prowl the forum on a daily basis, looking for posts that they can see who can outdo the other making wisecracks at.

 

Just replaced mine last week. I used three pieces of line from A-Zone.
A 60 inch, a 30", and I think a 20" one. Ran it above of the frame rail with vacuum hose covering every place it could rub. Secured it with plastic wire ties. Didn't have to make any tight bends. All bends made by hand without kinks. Cost for four lines,(yes I got more than it took) and 3 or four unions was less than $40.00. Only had to use 2 unions.
Mine blew out one block from home, talk about luck!

 

Well you never patch a break line. I my not do the work on my truck but I know thats a bad thing to do!

 

you can get a cheap pipe bender, pipe cutter and a flaring tool from advance or autozone. buy some brake line also and get to bending. connect the new line at the front then start bending it as needed to get it to match the old line. then when you get to the back just cut it off, flare it and connect. when i redid the brake lines from the master cylinder to the rear brakes on my thunderbird i had to do just that. the brake lines i bought were straight and had a fitting on each end. i was able to use the fitting on one side and had to cut and flare the other end when i got it where it needed to be because it was too long.

don't use teflon tape or kink the lines when you do it. and no 90º bends. any sharp bends need a good round radius on them and thats where the pipe bender comes in handy.

 

Don't forget to double flare though.

 

He can probably get them cheaper at his favorite store, Harbor Freight.