Hey guys, it's been awhile. Last June I made the decision to finally update my brakes from 4 wheel manual drum to power discs up front. I also looked at my crusty old brake lines and decided they needed to be updated as well. I went with the right stuff detailing 14" kit so I wouldn't have to change spindles and SS. brake lines. Kit- RSD-AFXDC14 Lines- RSD-PSP67H2
Well after the nightmare of getting the lines routed and getting the old spindles apart, it looked like everything would be easy to button up. Then I bought a house and a whole lot of other not firebird stuff happened, but I think I'm finally at the point where I can finish the 1 year project that I initially thought would only take a Saturday.
Here's where we get to the problem. The SS lines seem to want to be about 1" higher than the distribution block. If I get the lines lined up correctly to the distribution block, it causes the 2 short lines that run to the master cylinder to be off by about 1". In retrospect I wish I had just gone with regular steel lines so I could help manipulate them into place, but with the SS lines, they are way to rigid to move. I have been able to get everything hooked up using some elbow grease, but I feel like it is putting way too much tension on the master cylinder, and potentially where it mounts to the firewall. Also there is no way I would be able to bench bleed and then get all the lines hooked up before the MC spilled all its contents all over the ground. I really have to force the lines into place, even with the MC and distribution blocks left loose on their brackets.
Also with everything forced together the pushrod for the brakes is definitely about 2" lower on the brake pedal than the hole where the power brake pushrod should line up and well below where the manual pushrod hole is. I'm not sure this is related to the forcing, but wouldn't be surprised.
Initially I figured I could just bend the SS lines a bit, but even with a bender, it will be tough to take enough slack out of the lines to get them to drop an inch. My other idea is to either shorten and reflare the short lines from the distribution block to the MC, but a little apprehensive since I haven't double flared SS before. Other idea is to just buy some regular steel and custom bend the shorter lines.
Has anyone had any problems with the brackets right stuff sent them or any issues with their conversion having lines that are routed too long or anything? Anyone have a similar issue and hopefully some sort of solution? It's been a yr since I rebuilt my carb and the car runs great, it just doesn't really stop that well, which makes cruising a bit dicey. Also having the brake pedal in the passenger seat is a little unnerving.
I don't have any pictures yet to help describe this, but I'll get some soon.
the only issue I had this the rights stuff kit was the rear brake lines were a little long and didn't sit right against the rear housing... and I still have one line I cannot get to stop leaking at the dis. block..... they were a little hard to get into place but not to to bad...
I think I'll take another whack at it this weekend. thanks for the advice. really wish I hadn't gone SS lines. Now I read that they are super hard to seat and seem to leak, like you mentioned above. This is what happens when you try to do something nice for your Bird. If it uses lipstick or a dipstick, its bound to give you a headache.
If making a couple new short lines will fix your issue then it sounds pretty easy. As far as the pivot being too low on the pedal side, it seemed like it never lined up like I thought it should but works fine. I'd get everything mounted and tightened down before connecting the pushrod. Maybe it will line up better.
There are a lot of haters to SS brake lines and I'm one of them. They just suck. Hard to bend, hard to flare and hard to seat and leak all over. They look nice but that is where the appeal ended for me.
Best decision I ever made was ripping all the SS lines out and getting a kit from Inline tube.
