As I know my rusted rear hard lines won't pass inspection, [and should be repaired regardless] and as pre formed are NLA, I started to [attempt] to remove the pass. side rear line. Using a heat gun on the clips I managed to break only half of one.

My question is, "DID THEY BUILD THE CAR AROUND THE BRAKE LINE????" Just kidding sort of. I've been under a lot of cars in 50 years but have never seen anything as convoluted as this mess. About 6 months ago I replaced all the brake lines on my Chev. 2500 with Stainless, [a pre-bent kit] That entire job wasn't as big a pain as this seems to be. But then again, "truck".

And not to be a "Richard" but I know how to flare brake lines correctly so I don't need help along those lines. Just don't want anyone wasting their time with that part.

I did see in one of the posts, [which I can't find now] where someone had a link to brake line "connectors" but can't seem to find it now. Any hints there? I think I'm going to cut the lines where they go over the "hump" as from there forward, mine are in good shape. That will also let me "snake" them over the parking brake cables to avoid removing them.

I can't imagine what the dealer would charge for this...On the other hand it might be worth it.

Things that prevent the brake line from being lowered;

The left side sub-frame mount [not too bad as it's near the front of the line]
The exhaust hanger shield[not too bad, 6 bolts]
The rear exhaust heat shield [again not too bad]
Parking brake cables [now that one sucks]
The fuel line. [there's disconnect but I assume that's under pressure]
Two plastic vacuum lines [that go to something that I'm not even sure what it is]
The thing that I'm not even sure what it is [photo below, please enlighten me]

I lowered the "thing" but I think I need to disconnect the lines to;
#1 move it out of the way, and #2 lower the plastic lines to lower the brake line.

Please check out the photos and the questions in captions.

Thanks,
rob



Photo #1. The "Thing". I'm guessing it has something to do with the ASC or the DSC but I looked through the Bentley Manual and don't see any mention of it. What is "The Thing" and what does it do?



Photo #2 The three lines that prevent the brake line from lowering. The one with the fitting goes toward the top of the fuel tank so I assume that's the fuel line. I also assume it's under pressure. The other two lines go to "The Thing". Notice the brake line that started leaking as soon as I popped it from the bracket. I guess this is why you fix rusty lines.



Photo #3 Lines going into the "Thing". Does anyone know how the fitting on the right comes apart? That line goes to another "Thing" up under the right rear wheel well. The one on the left has 2 tabs to press, but I've not seen a fitting like the one on the right and don't want to break it.



Photo #4 The other "Thing" under the wheel well that the large hose and another hose go to.



I'm thinking about cutting the line in the 2 short straight sections before they go up and over the tunnel as from there forward they're in good shape. I think I'll cover them with a coat of grease or something.

 

The 'thing' is an emissions device, a filter for the fuel tank vent.

 

The "thing" looks like a charcoal canister for evap system ..

 

Just replacing the bad section seems like a good idea. Think I’ve seen those connector kits at autozone

is it possible to snake the new line through without removing the fuel lines?

wish I could be of more assistance. I’ve not done this job

 

Thanks Adam, [and Scudder]

And that's just what it is. Without a doubt the most complicated canister I've ever seen, but...BMW.

With that [knowing what the "Thing" was], I was able to find it in the shop manual but that was not much help. "Remove the 3 hoses". Well no sh*t Sherlock... One had 2 clips, that was easy. The other had a fitting I've never seen before. After warming up all the fittings with the heat gun [to hopefully keep the plastic bits from breaking], I pried on it gently pushing it away from the canister and it popped off. I'm hoping it "pops" back on.

The one fitting that broke was the one that should have been the easiest, a nipple a rubber hose went on. Of course the hose was completely welded on and was soft to where it was coming off on my hands. In hindsight I should have just cut the hose. I'm attempting to super glue that back together, effectiveness TBD.



Shop manual. One step away from useless. "Remove the 3 hoses". Well, no kidding! And the upper mounts were a bit of a head scratcher. Pry the bracket off off 2 rubber grommets. Again, no help from the shop manual on that either. The 2 socket head screws on the bottom were pretty easy, the top, mostly out of view was a different story.



2 of the hoses going into the "Thing", [I may just keep calling it that] The one on the left was easy, the other came off but I'm not sure why.



Another shot of the weird fitting. Anyone know how these are "supposed" to come apart?



Nipple for the rubber hose that broke. The one that "should" have been easy. Just cut the hose and get a new piece.



All this angst to get to one part of the pass side brake line. Screwdriver is sort of pointing to the rusted brake line. What a PIA! Pretty much impossible without removing the canister, [The "Thing"]. Note the rust scale on the rear subframe. Really yje only rust on the entire thing. The guy across from me has a lift and I'm going to go at that with a needle scaler and brush paint wit POR-15. Rust never sleeps...



Super glue to the rescue...Maybe.

So, to be continued.
, "Maybe" I won't have to remove the newly installed parking brake cables. I've only glanced at the drivers side, possible not as bad. Dang, I shouldn't have said that...

This is fun.
robj

 

Back so soon???

Ok, with the lines to the "Thing" loose and the "Thing" out of the way I was able to lower the left side of the brake line enough to remove it toward the passenger side of the car with out bending it up so it can be used as a good pattern. The most important thing.
This was only possible as I cut the brake line on the short straight part, just before it goes over the tunnel to the passenger side.
Executive decision time;
Originally I was going to replace only the rear portion but I found a spot of corrosion on the front section at one of the clips. I could maybe clean it off and be good but I've never been one to halfass and with the decision made to cut the line, the front portion will be a piece of cake to replace. So new piece in front, connection, then new piece in rear.

Sometimes developing a plan is the hardest part.



The offending plastic lines that the line needed to go around. The good news was with cutting the line I didn't need to drop the parking brake cables.



Location of the cut and placement of the connector. The front line will be pretty easy, relatively speaking of course.



The offending right side brake line. Pretty convoluted piece of work but a good pattern. The nickel/copper line is reportedly pretty easy to bend, This' will be a good test of that claim.

Stay tuned, lines and fittings ordered.
robj

robj

 

On to the drivers side removal.
Not quite as bad as I didn't have to take "The Thing" down, but still no day at the beach. Remember to warm the clips up that hold the line with a heat gun or you'll probably break every one.

I disconnected the front of the line at the front footwell first [Where it drops down from the firewall] then popped it out of all the clips on the straight run to the rear.
Then disconnected the other end where the hard line connects to the brake hose.

Then worked my way from the end of the straight part across the floor to the side where it runs next to the fuel tank. These clips there were a little more difficult, but heat and a long screwdriver. Also, at the very top next to the fuel tank the wire for the suspension position sensor is actually clipped to the brake line itself so make sure to remove that.
Then I cut the line at the end of the straight run next to the other cut line. I'm actually not sure that's exactly where the connector is going yet but it'll be in that vicinity. It's the only way I can see to snake the rear sections in place.
The line came down by lowering the front, [where it runs to the side of the car] then moving it forward. It's a little tricky right in the back where the fitting/connection for the hose is as what looks like the seat belt bolt protrudes and I needed the long screwdriver to "nudge" it past that. It came down without changing it's shape so that was good. A decent pattern.



Although not yet leaking it sure wasn't far from it. This is in the short run from the long straight section coming from the front to where it turns to the side of the car. Easily visible. Seems that all [most] of the corrosion is right where the clips are. I think I'm going to put a dab of silicone grease on each clip before snapping the line in. CHECK YOUR LINES! The life you save may be your own!



Both Left and right lines, just as they go on the car. Sort of looking down.



More of an end view, looking front to rear.



They were cut in the two short straight sections between where they come from the front of the car and where they go upward.

So, waiting for brake lines and fittings. Stay tuned for additional cursing...
robj

 

So, more brake line talk.

This should be a brake line build thread.
Number 1. Get Nickel-Copper brake line, [3/16] Forget steel, forget stainless. This is the best stuff ever. Bends reasonably easy, [by hand no less] and doesn't rust or corrode.

This is 25'. I would buy more than you think you will need. You will mess it up and waste some.

The next issue. Mini's have what is called a bubble flare. This is actually the first step in the double flare required for brake lines. But, there's a difference in the fittings between the 2, photos below. Bubble flare fittings have a square shoulder going into the fitting, while the double flare is tapered.

The next thing is, most brake tubing comes as coiled stock. The first task is to straighten the line. This is best done without haste. If you just "unwrap" it, it'll have small kinks and flat spots that are pretty difficult to get straight as every place you bend it back tends to create a hard spot making it more difficult to get it straight.

Tools; I have a few different ones from past jobs, but I ended up using the "pliers" for the first and last 90's and in-between bent it with just my thumbs.

Flaring tool; One of my garage buddies was doing stainless lines for his '32 Cadillac and was having issues with the line splitting at the flares. He bought the best flaring tool I've ever seen from Eastwood. Although this does bubble flares in stainless and steel, it didn't work that well with the nickel copper [for the bubble flare], probably as it was too soft. Didn't matter as I was going with standard double flares and it works great on them.

When bending it's important the get the heights correct if you want it to go back in the OEM clips.
I think we'll go to the photos and captions at this point. One picture is worth a thousand words.



Not the best photo ever but you can see the difference between a standard double flare and a bubble flare. The bubble flare is actually the first step in making a double flare. On the right is the double flare and the correct fitting for that. On the left is the bubble flare and fittings for that. You'll notice the bubble flare fitting has a square shoulder and the double flare fitting has a tapered shoulder. Do NOT mix and match these fittings. The good news is what the fittings screw into, either style will work.

Tools;


The one in the middle has nylon dies does a really nice job. But the bends it makes are not tight enough. The one on the right seems a little "sloppy". The pliers type work "ok" but I really only needed them on the first bend leaving the caliper and the last really tight bends where the connector is going for the straight run to the front. The first one at the caliper is tricky. You need to flare the end, put the fitting on then there's a 90 right there. Took me 2 tries on the first one.
It's a good reason to get a lot more line than you need and start with a piece 2' longer than you need. It would suck to screw up, have to cut some off, bend the entire thing and up too short.

Flaring tools;



The one on the left is the standard auto store flaring tool. It works ok, but not so much on stainless. It will probably work ok doing a double flare on nickel-copper, never tried it on a bubble flare. Remember , bubble flare, or double flare. A single flare is NOT good enough!
The one on the right is the coolest flaring tools ever. It has a die for each size tubing. One die for the first step, a second die the turn the bubble flare into a double flare. It made a great bubble flare on steel and stainless, but on the nickel/copper it didn't work well doing the bubble flare.
[Edit; I did later figure this issue out. using this I could have cut all the old fittings off , re-used them and done all bubble flares. Live and learn, even at 68]
I think the copper is too soft. But did the double flare great.

Of course at $200 it better work great. https://www.eastwood.com/professiona...ring-tool.html

Now Photos;



Step 1. Straighten the coiled line gradually and carefully. It does help.



I started out with the original line stapled down. That lasted until the first downward bend. As I worked my way around, I taped the old line to the new.It helped stabilize everything. It's a little difficult to explain, but I moved the new line around the old to get the most accurate dimension. Ex. where the line went down, I made sure the old and new were next to each other. When making a left or right bend, they were over top each other.



Pretty close. Not 100%, more like 95-98%. But this line is soft enough I think it can be nudged a little. I think it's a go.



The drivers side was a little easier. Not quite as many bends. So, close enough [I think] I left the ends a little long as I'm not quite sure where the connectors will go.

Next up, the straight [more or less] runs to the front. then figuring out exactly where to put the connectors. The rear lines may need a little tweaking and some additional cursing but we're getting close.

This has been fun. To be perfectly honest. If a shop charged $250- 300 for this, it would be a bargain.

Has anyone had rear hard brake lines done at a dealer? I'm curious what they charge.
robj

 

nice work!

I don't know but I'd bet the dealer would charge thousands

 

Come on, thousands? Said in jest I'm hoping. But then again, BMW...
rob

p.s. Oh, and thanks for the complement. I'm not sure it's warranted yet, let's see if it bolts up and doesn't leak! . I'm just hoping it helps someone else. I'm trying to do a "step by step". You know it does take some amount of time and effort to post this sh*t. 300 views and 2-3 "likes". I know this isn't FB but it would be nice to know this is helping someone, otherwise why bother? Just sayin...
And while on this topic [of effort] how does one get out of "Third Gear". The drone is getting annoying ... Ha, drone, get it???

 

So continuing along...

After getting the rear portion of the lines "close enough", I took off the front section of the brake lines. Laid everything out lining up the cuts I made at the front and rear sections to be able to install the lines in 2 pieces. I actually stapled them down with a staple gun made for wiring. It really helped but I did have to take some of the staples out here and there.

I bought 10mm fittings made for double flares as the high dollar flaring tool didn't like making "Bubble Flares" in the nickel-copper line. [I later got that figured out as I had to]

For appearance sake, and for a workmanship like look, it was even more important, [to me anyway] to get these lines really straight as it was a long straight run.
To be honest, it takes almost as long to get the lines really straight as it does to make the bends.

NOTE: I did have one big issue that ended up resolved. One of the front lines is a 12 mm fitting [for reasons I can't fathom other than it makes it impossible for dumb a**es on the assembly line to attach the left fitting to the right side.] The other is 10mm. It appears no one makes a 12mm fitting for double flared line. I ended up cutting the old fitting off and figuring out how the spiffy high dollar flaring tool did bubble flares. [Use the 4.75mm die with the square shouldered die]. - Learning this, with this particular flaring tool, I probably could have cut all the square shouldered bubble flared fitting off, and re-used them. None were rusted that bad, it was mostly the steel lines that were rusted.
Photos will probably help. See below;


So I laid out the rear portion with the front portion lining up the cuts I had made. I had left some extra length on the rear line as I wasn't sure where I wanted to place the connectors. I ended up bending another 90 on the rear line to position the connectors on the straight portion. I also checked to avoid placing them too close to the brackets that hold the lines. I also staggered them as the lines run pretty close together at that point.



Stapled the original line down, then began bending the new line to match. I wish I could say it's exact but it's not as I'm bending the new line with my thumbs [nickel-copper thank you] but it's pretty exact where it matters.



The "Aww Sh*t" moment! Got the line all bent, the new [10mm flare] fitting on then realized one of the OEM fittings was 12mm. Why? Who knows. BMW... is why.
Of course now there was no room for a tubing cutter without the line being too short. I used a Dremel with a cut-off wheel to make the cut as close to the flare as possible. Then a fine file to square up the shoulders, then pushed the correct sized awl in the end to open the tubing to the correct ID.

NOTE: I never mentioned this before but it's very important to de-burr the inside of the tubing after using the tubing cutter.

Still lost a tiny bit of length, maybe 3/16's but I can probably cheat that much. I had to straighten the last bend some to get the longer 12mm bubble flare fitting to slide on far enough to get the line in the flaring tool. It was pretty amazing how stiff the line becomes after being bent only once. Stiff but was still able to bend it by hand.



Old 12mm fitting, [on the right] and new bubble flare for just that one fitting. The "bubble" looks different as it's not been tightened to a fitting yet.

Alls well that ends well. Passenger side line next.



One side done. Passenger side next then fitting up. Very well could be the easy part. We shall see.

And good luck with yours. I would still be really, really curious what a dealer would charge for this. I'm hoping it's a lot to justify this PIA operation.

robj

 

This thread is great! Brake lines suck. Hope they bolt up and don't leak. Keep posting!

 

Thousands, that's my guess and I'm sticking to it I have no idea...

I'm sure at some point everyone who keeps this car long enough will need to do this...will help many many folks

 

Soliman,
I'm sure someone has paid for this. Hoping they chime in as I'm really curious.

Anyway soldering on. Got the other straight line made and installed the rear half . It seems to fit really well and was where it needed to be for the clips. The new S.S. braided lines bolted right up. Next is the front section then bleeding.
I thought I may as well include that as it's all part of the process. Lets go right to the video shall we?



New lines all made up. They ended up fitting right well.



Looks good on the platform anyway. I would really suggest usuning a nice [big] flat surface to do this. Not rolling around on the garage door.



Even though the lines are copper-nickel and won't rust, or corrode, I coated the new lines with Sharkhide. Great stuff! It's expensive, [about $50 a quart] at Eastwood, but goes a really long way. Just wipe it on [they suggest a diaper, but I just use a piece of cloth] and it dries in just minutes. I restored an aluminum sailboat trailer from the 60's. It was a white corroded mess. I took it apart and sanded it with 3-4 steps of sandpaper the coated it with Sharkhide. 8 years later even after sitting outside, still looks great, [but not quite as shiny but really good.]
But no corrosion. Should work pretty well to protect the lines. Might even preserve the shine...



So here we go. The drivers side was a "little" easier. You need to remove the large cable [I think it's the battery cable] from the clips. [warm them up with a heat gun a little to keep from breaking them]
I started with the rear section in the hole where it attaches to the hose, then fished it up past the cable and into the clips. I went up pretty easy. It didn't jump in there but not bad.



The challenging side. Moved the jack stand and started out with the line sticking out the passenger side. First snaked it over the plastic lines going to the charcoal canister.



At that point the inboard side got hung up in the tunnel. Got it over the parking brake cables but had to "tweak it" a little. Not too much but just enough. Go slow and careful.



The "fiddly" part. Getting past the parking brake cables. Just take your time. It's like a puzzle.



Up and over. A little "tweaking" back into place and popped into the clips.

And speaking of the clips. Each one still had a bit of the rust/corrosion left in the fittings. I used a short piece of the left-over brake line , pushed it through the clip to clean it out. A tiny wire or stiff brush would have work better but none on hand.



All lined up [no pun intended] in the clips. Front section to go. that should be a little easier.



Braided S.S.soft lines all hooked up.

Front lines and bleeding to come.
robj

 

So all snugged up...
Every thing fit up well and almost looks factory. Close enough anyway. I'm going to bleed next before putting all the bits [including the "thing" back together just in case there are any leaks.

Fingers crossed for no leaks.

robj

 

Houston, we have pedal! No leaks, no burps. Now to put all the bits back on. That may come another night. Tonight I'm having a beer. and tomorrow night I'm celebrating my middle child, Lisa's 31st birthday. 29, 31 and 33, how the hell did I end up here?

Pedal;



And this is the best thing ever. It almost made bleeding brakes fun. Sooo much better that waiting for a buddy to stop by and saying, "sit here and push on this pedal". Now let up, now push again, over and over!

Hook it up, pump it up, open the bleeders and done. Almost a joy!

Well, a little more than that, furtherest from the M/C first etc...



I've read where people had issues with these. I had none. Follow the instructions take your time and it's like a miracle! 45mm cap for Mini's.

OK. $50, but worth every penny.
I did add a quick disconnect as I read some of the reviews and it was suggested and I had one but maybe not necessary.




And, if you have every watched brake fluid dissolve paint, no precaution is too much!




A soft plastic hose and a pickle jar. [in this case a pepper jar - I live on the edge!]

Hose on the bleeder nipple, open it 1/4 turn, wait for no bubbles and done. Soooo much easier than the old days. 45mm cap adapter, When I was done, there was a little too much fluid in the reservoir . Something like a turkey baster would be perfect for sucking the excess out. I sucked it out through a straw...just kidding! Don't do that, it taste terrible! Stuck a clean rag in 2-3 times and that was enough.




I think I might just have another beer...
robj

 

Having hand plumbed a custom brake line setup for my 67, I can really appreciate how much work this is. Taking the time to document it this well is above and beyond. True appreciation for your work will come through in 7 or 8 years when someone revives this thread for their new-to-them R53.

You don't know how much I wish you were my neighbor..

 

Nicest thing I've heard in a long time. But be careful what you wish for.
a little story. I have 4-5 friends that are long term motorheads. One worked at GM, ones a machinist, myself, [messing with stuff since 8 years old] and another guy, same thing. We even have a member emeritus, our friend Rick, always missed, never forgotten.
We've all been there, done that but are still learning.

We informally started the A** Hole club. We've been meeting at my shop every Friday for about 5 years. Drink beer, tell lies, kick tires and solve all the worlds problems.
But there are some qualifications;
1. You have taken on far too many projects than you can finish in one lifetime.
2. You can't work on any one project for more than 2 years. At that time you have to switch to a new project. ]And not feel guilty about ignoring the prior project.] Edit; when you complete the new project, it restarts the clock on the prior one.]
3. You can't join on your own. You have to be nominated by your wife when she's given up trying to make you into the man she thinks you ought to be. [a stumbling block for some younger guys-this can take time, dedication and perseverance.]
4. Admitting you're an A.H. is the first step of a one step program.
5. Don't say A.H. like it's a bad thing.
6. No Dickhe*ds allowed.

That's it. You're welcome to start your own chapter.
robj

 

Wow! I've been a qualified, certifiable ******* for 20 years! I just need to find others like me so we can form a club. 🤣

 

I wouldn't think it would be too hard. We're everywhere but it can be difficult to find each other, Rule #4.

I do hope the thread helps others, otherwise, why bother right?

Been pondering what's next. I guess put the stuff back together that was removed for the brake lines,
Then back to the back to the Build Thread. Still plenty to do.
rob

 

So back to Brakes.

The pedal is still hard today and no leaks. I'm calling this job done! New rotors, calipers, pads, S.S. soft lines, new hard lines and new parking brake cables.
Not much left but putting all the bits back that I took off to get to things.

Switched gears to a test fit of the black bumper. Wasn't sure how it would look on a blue car but I like it. The black stripes are all black, [no white border - there're still on the backing paper.]

The roof is black, mirrors are black, wheels are black, trim is black now the bumper is black. I think the stripes pull it together.

It's sort of a long story why the bumper was painted black but the bottom line is it was broken from an improper tow, repaired, [see build thread for details] and I really was trying to avoid doing an all over paint job. [and, I already had some black paint!] 150K miles on the car when I got it and although I've put in a ton of effort, [and parts] I had to draw the line at all over paint.

Bumper still needs color sand and polish, and I figured that would be easier to do on the car. Plus I got to take a long awaited look at the color scheme.
I think I like it. a little different but my friends will know it's me!

$500 Bargain Mini Build Thread here;
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4519936

So it's distinctive if nothing else.

Now go fix your rusty brake lines...
robj

 

The lines look so clean, spectacular work, dude 🙏

 

Thanks.
If nothing else, distinctive right?
It's inspired me enough I think I just might just order the Borla "Aggressive" exhaust. [Edit; I did order the Borla]

At 68 I'm connecting with my inner 18 year old self. 50 years, it's a hockey season. A really long Hockey season!

Lots of stuff to polish and to bolt back on. But may make noise and smoke sooner rather than later...

robj

 

Nice Job,

I did my lines with the OEM parts and just bent them to shape, following the old one i pulled out. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ification.html



They are all better now and it did take some work to get them out and back in. That back corner hump was the hardest part.

 

Thanks,

It was a bit of a job. I like the nickel-copper lines as they'll never rust and they do bend easy. I did most of my bends with my thumbs.

robj