Sorry for the late post, HRitHV fans, I got a one-time side job this week, so I had to take it.
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This is EV-Steve's S10 EV conversion, an '85 model that's been laid up a while. He asked me to go through the brake system and get it up to snuff. The 3 large white boxes contain some of the batteries that power the truck. He runs 120 volts now; 20 6-volt batteries.
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His truck needed some brake parts replaced, and some hard lines replaced as well. The hard lines get rusty eventually and leak. Replacing hard lines on an assembled vehicle can be a challenge. It's part tough work, and part art form, really. The factory puts them on way before anything else is in the way; actually before the body is on the frame. The ones for this truck were relatively easy, because the whole bed tilts up as shown. Nice.
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You can get hard lines at any auto parts store, they look like this, if your eyesight is bad:
They come in 10-inch incremental lengths, and there are coupling nuts to make really long runs. The nice thing is they already have "double flared" ends on them. You need double flared ends to withstand the pressure in a hydraulic brake system. This pressure can average 2000 psi.-
Here are some of the lines I did on EV-Steve's truck. You can see the sweeping bends and how you must go around obstacles. The brake hose is new as well. The whole system must be good to work properly.
To make the lines really nicey-nice, you sometimes have to shorten the length to make them fit well. If you doubt your abilities, you can just make a sweeping loop with the extra length. This way you don't have to make a new double flared end after cutting, which requires special tools and some experience, or at least practice. If you make a leaky new end, you are no better off than before. -
I personally could not bear having the too-long lines on there. In my view it is bad workmanship and therfore unacceptable. I was not satisfied with the look of the lines I did, so I cut them shorter, and made new double flared ends. Now they are the correct length, and they look great and function perfectly.
Sometimes the fittings will leak. This is especially prone to happen on any double flared ends you make. Get out your line-wrench (you do remember I taught you about these special wrenches, right?) and give the fitting a good tightening. There. Still leaks don't it? Frustrating. No no no, don't just crank on it more, you'll strip it!!! Jeez. You want to make another flare, but then the line will be too short, huh? Forget that.
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Here's the tricky-trick secret to all of this (aren't you glad you stuck around for the tricky-trick secret? I knew you would be): Loosen the fitting, then tighten it again. Repeat. Repeat again. Notice that every time, the fitting will tighten a little more than before, with less effort. This is the flare bedding in. Keep doing this until the leak stops. Yes, it will.
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Now just bleed the brakes, and stop confidently and safely.
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I have a good carburetor story from the F100 coming up. Hopefully we can get that running soon. Thanks for tuning in.
1 comment:
You told me it would be boring, it isn't boring! Well, maybe not the most exciting post ever, but not boring. You are very lucky I was not holding that wrench. My solution would have I broke something. The Keith Urban joke is funny, and I get the brake one although it isn't.
I don't want to give you the impression that I am ungrateful or anything so I'd like to say thanks for the adapter, the icepops etc. Maybe I will poke my head by when I'm up there in the future, as long as that is okay with the three of you, and my bike holds together.
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