Best Approach for Brake Re-do

[sperold]

I am interested in what is the best approach to re-do the brake lines on a SHO with ABS.

I may get the stainless line kit and replace all lines to be sure of long term reliability.

This will be farmed-out, so I would like to know the best approach, as the shop is not above taking advice from a customer.

Is there an advantage to taking out the master cylinder and booster apparatus to get a better shot at the ABS cluster of lines?
Is it better to remove the ABS unit and motor from the frame mount and plumb some of the lines away from the car.
Is this an up-top or down-below exercise. for the lines in the engine compartment?
Any tricks or things to avoid?
Any advice on the rear device that routes the lines to the 2 rear brakes (the thing with the spring on it).

 

[zoomlater]

Did you do a price comparison with the lines made by Shonut Performance verses the shop. I thought Chad just replaced his lines using the Shonut parts

https://shosource.com/products/ols/products/shonut-stainless-steel-hard-brake-line

 

[yaycandy]

I did all my lines from sho nut on my 90 with abs. Wasnt too terrible. I didnt remove the master or abs unit. Took a day but the front is a pain, lots of arm shoving up through the front wheel wells. Im sure i did it a screwy way also but it eventually turned out alright

 

[sperold]

Yes, I would not consider the brake line job if the ShoNut package was not available. It would seriously consider abandoning the ABS and putting in the 89 master cylinder and booster and simply running 4 regular lines to the wheels if the pre-formed ABS line system were not available.

It looks pretty nice in the picture (with the engine removed), but I am pretty sure it is a bear of a job, and that is why I need some advice, preferably from people who have done this hard part of the job.

 

[yaycandy]

Yea i did mine myself and it works fine but the abs light is on. I couldnt find the plug thing they sell to allow me bleed it correctly. I have the light bulb pulled out until i find a shop that can bleed it correctly.

 

[Irish Pride]

Yea i did mine myself and it works fine but the abs light is on. I couldnt find the plug thing they sell to allow me bleed it correctly. I have the light bulb pulled out until i find a shop that can bleed it correctly.

Bring it to the convention this summer and I'll let you use my Teves bleeder.

-Chad

 

[Irish Pride]

I replaced all the lines recently on my 91+ with the SHOnut kit. Remove the airbox and intake hose and it's all right there. The hardest one will be the front right line because of how it routes along the firewall. If I remember correct, I got at the junction block from inside the wheel well. At the abs pump is pretty easy to get to.

-Chad

 

[yaycandy]

Bring it to the convention this summer and I'll let you use my Teves bleeder.

-Chad

Which convention? The one out by pittsburgh? Its going to Carlisle Ford Nationals

 

[Irish Pride]

First week of September at Pittrace.

 

[BaySHO Performance]

I am interested in what is the best approach to re-do the brake lines on a SHO with ABS. I may get the stainless line kit and replace all lines to be sure of long term reliability.

This indicates that you want to replace the flexible lines that go to the calipers. I've never had to replace the hard steel lines further inboard, having worked on over 250 SHOs in the last 20 years. So I can't comment on doing that.

One thing you will find when replacing the rubber lines with stainless steel ones is that the new lines won't fit into the side rail brackets without modifying them. Starting point:




Paint surface with mechanic’s blue, install an 18mm lower control arm lock nut (without a ******). I had to also make sure that the brake line that doesn’t twist was oriented correctly for bolting to the caliper:




Finished prep with this:




Variety of hand files used to get more or less the correct opening:

 

[RonPorter]

But Nick, you also live in California! Up in snow/salt country, rusty brake lines are definitely a "thing"!

 

[yaycandy]

But Nick, you also live in California! Up in snow/salt country, rusty brake lines are definitely a "thing"!

Near oceans there is a ton of salty air even with socal winds. Not sure how the wind dont put out the fires though

 

[thegreatbriguy]

classic tube or inline tube also has kits.
I take out the air box and move the wiring harness out of the way.
I make my own, but it is a pain. In comparison to the kit, it is way cheaper material cost. I just bought 50 ft of coated line on ebay for $30. That is plenty to do an entire car.
Since you are paying labor, might be worth it to just buy the perfectly bent lines for $300.

 

[sperold]

Since you are paying labor, might be worth it to just buy the perfectly bent lines for $300.

I have a lot of these SHOs and I even thought of buying the kit and using it as the template for lines that I bend myself. I would use the screw ends from the old lines. I have heard there are improvements in the line material, but do you have any suggestions?

Thanks for your tips.