Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » [GMCnet] Rear brake lines, drop the holding tank(?)(!)
| [GMCnet] Rear brake lines, drop the holding tank(?)(!) [message #355308] |
Mon, 01 June 2020 11:43  |
Ek_Lektro
Messages: 167
Registered: March 2011
Karma: 2
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Senior Member |
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Greetings faithful GMC community,
Short story: What size (and type) of brake lines and fittings are needed to replace everything from the proportion value back to the rear hoses?
Thanks!
Long story: Well, we figured getting back to owning just (1) GMC again would make life simpler (sold the 21’ Birchhaven last Sept);
but… after some front-end work on the Eleganza, we go to the alignment shop this weekend,
and the mechanic enters the RV and says he’ll drive it on the rack.
Instead, he’s heading out the parking lot (for an unannounced test-drive), driving my rig like its a high clearance pickup truck,
and he exits the lot straight on, no hesitating, and badly bottoms out the coach, breaking the exit neck off the body of my nearly new macerator pump.
(As i’m inspecting it, it looks like i can take the body from the exact model that burned out last year, and put it on this presumably good motor).
But as i look under the coach, there’s fluid… not holding tank contents, but brake fluid, right in the middle, between the holding tank and the gas tank.
When they finish the alignment, i drive it off the rack and the brakes go to the floor.
i try to pinch the line and add fluid, but the line is too rusty, and its rusty all the way to the T fitting.
So i loosen the 9/16” fitting at the proportion valve, bike to Auto Zone, get a short pre-fab brake line,
pinch it off, install, fill fluid, and drive home carefully, with hazards on, with front brakes only.
The manager at the shop said he’d pay for the macerator, and i have to think that the brake line was coincidence,...
and/or my responsibility, because some of these rusty rear lines are at least 21 years old (since i’ve had the coach)
So… consulting with Miguel at MGM GMC, i understand that it’d be nearly impossible to replace even just the one broken brake line
with the holding tank in place, and i can see that its not quite possible to turn the wrench enough (unless i notched about 1.5" into the frame
with the angle grinder, enough to turn the wrench… and welded it back afterwards(?) damn… don’t really wanna consider that.
But curious if anybody else has ever done that.
Realistically, the other 2 rusty lines should be changed while i’m back there. So… as LA burns, it looks like i’m dropping the holding tank?
But,… remember, perfect storm, my macerator is dead, my attempted rebuild yesterday didn’t work. Motor runs, but nothing flows,
and i don’t know if i can find the macerator (Flojet 18555000A Portable Pump) locally. And we don’t want to wait for delivery.
I can’t drive the coach to a conventional dumping station (30 miles) on front brakes only. So looks like i have to “manually” empty the tank today,
buckets carried to the toilet, yep. (Makes the prospect of notching into the frame an actual consideration… no, no, no.. can’t do that.
So the main purpose for this post, other than “entertaining” some of you good folk who i’m sure have been stuck in a similar funk from time to time)..
is that i want to make sure i get the correct brake lines and fittings on their way, and i’m told Amazon has the stuff, and I need to order today,
I’ve been advised to get the bendable stuff, as compared to steel, and then i can have my mobile mechanic friend do the bubble flares.
I definitely have to replace from the T-fitting to the passenger side hoses, and should also do from T-fitting to the drivers side hoses.
i should probably also do from the T-fitting forward… at least to the union, halfway to the front, and i should buy enough line and fittings to go
all the way to the proportion valve if we have time. (But with riots ongoing, and new curfews in place of covid lockdowns, i don’t feel we have much “time”).
Can anybody suggest what in particular to order? Thanks!
When it comes to brake line diameter, i’m wondering if the wrench size corresponds reliably with the outer diameter of the line?
For example, at the T-fitting it took a 7/16” wrench. So what size brake line is needed, and what’s the spec of the fitting?
At the proportional value it took a 9/16” wrench, etc.
Any help appreciated. I presume i could get something via this search https://www.amazon.com/s?k=brake+line+bendable&ref=nb_sb_noss
Yeah, Maybe the riots are just a temporary flare up, but we’re too close to downtown LA to take this casually, and prefer to get out ASAP,
either up the coast for a it, or go stay with family in CO til things simmer down
Thanks again!
Greg / ’78 Eleganza II w/1100 rooftop watts of SolarSonic / leaving LosAngeles
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| Re: [GMCnet] Rear brake lines, drop the holding tank(?)(!) [message #355309 is a reply to message #355308] |
Mon, 01 June 2020 12:39  |
winter
Messages: 247
Registered: September 2007
Location: MPLS MN
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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I just finished replacing my rear brake lines. I used a pre-bent kit from Jim K. The lines going to the rear were a 7/16 fitting. The individual lines on the rear wheels were smaller.
I had the fuel tanks down when I changed the lines but I left the holding tank installed. It was tight but I had room. I cut the old lines out with a cut off pliers. All of the frame mounts were rusted as well, so those I either snapped off with the impact wrench or I cut them off with a cut off tool. Having the fuel tanks down helped with stringing the line along the frame rail, although I don't know that they would prevent it if left installed.
I think the twin cities are done burning now. There probably isn't much left to burn in some areas.
Jerrod Winter
1977 Palm Beach
Green Jelly Bean
Twin Cities, Minnesota
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