Customs brake line advice

Steve I didn't even want to bring it here. I wanted advice on how I could fix it. Me asking you to make this priority shouldn't have led to that outburst. I was wrong in engaging you in a yell off. I never heard you apologize. You said " sorry you got my rag" I don't even know what that means. I told myself that it is what it is! You did say you would be right over but you showed up revving your car. It worried not only my wife but my kids. I want nothing or need nothing. Hope you have a nice vacation. FYI it was leaking when I drove home from your shop. I called you as soon as I got home and saw it. You said residual fluid from not cleaning up. You then called a couple days later. I'm sorry that this is where we are at, and I wish you the best Steve!

 

Shit work is shit work no matter who does it, and that is shit work. If you did a job like that in Canada and the customer called the Ministry of Transportation, you would be fined $500, lose your license and next week be looking for a job at McDonald's.

 

I will never talk bad about my northern friends again

 

AN fittings and stainless lines are NOT SAE. I've seen Midgets and Sprints with the 'high tech' AN fittings, but believe they wouldn't pass a Brake/lamp inspection in a licensed California shop...

Anyway, if it's a street driven vehicle, use SAE brake line. AN came into being with fuel systems.

 

Went to NAPA and got the correct material. I also ordered a new T from CGFord that I hope to get in tomorrow. Going back to a stock set up. Thanks again!

 

I know none of the people here and I am not a famous Hot rod builder but even I wouldn't go to fix a brake line leak with thread tape and Jb Weld.

 

Tread paste I'm just glad he gave his side and it jives with mine. People always want to stick up for the dude with the fame. Im not here for the witch hunt.

 

It is the DOT that approves and sets the standard for things like brake lines and fittings, and there are MANY DOT approved brake line fittings for both AN and Stainless. Companies like Goodridge, Russell and many others sell them.

 

I've built quite a few brake systems from race cars to street stuff and it has always seemed like if I wanted to do all AN (like a high end roadster) there was always at least one fitting that nobody made (maybe a T with a mounting lug or something) so there was only one choice, fab it.......and since I'd use stainless AN fittings, it just took a TIG, etc. The regular street stuff is much easier, and as HRP said pretty much everything is available from NAPA or your favorite parts store. One thing that I have noticed, though, is the proliferation of offshore "AN" fittings and hose - if you examine them some are poorly machined, seat angles incorrect, scratches in the seating surface, etc. Remember, the original AN fittings were made for the military, inspected numerous times, some serial numbered, and for that time frame, fairly expensive.
I try to use all Aeroquip stuff if possible, including their hose (in dash 3). Something as important as brakes really calls for the best parts available and really careful work - which generally means more expense.

 

Damn I'll bet that dude never does brakes again! At least I hope so.

 

Today I bought two new wheel cylinders, a new rear rubber brake line, new 3/16" steel line and fittings. I also ordered a new rear brass T made for my car. Going with stock components.

 

JB Weld.........Really ! RUN like hades !

 

crazy!

 

bring it all to Steve and let him fix it. he is willing to do it. let him keep it till it's right. post the results. you both will feel better.

 

[QUtrusttb33anda3rd, post: 11122801, member: 126584"]bring it all to Steve and let him fix it. he is willing to do it. let him keep it till it's right. post the results. you both will feel better.[/QUOTE]
No trust, no relationship. If everyone is telling me that what he did could harm me or others, I'll pass. I feel fine. I have a plan and just have to make it happen.

 

Well having to redo a factory flare on a piece of tubing from the parts house on a fuel line I made up yesterday I'd think it may be that Steve got his hands on some less than first rate fittings or the fittings got damaged by over tightening.

Damned few of us who have worked on cars for a number of years either as a professional or as a hobby or do it your self repair person can say that we have never run into a situation where we just flat couldn't get something that seemed so blasted simple to work the way we wanted it to and especially when it comes to working on tubing and tube fittings with fluid running through them.
You can count me in with the group who doesn't see the need for the AN fittings and all the adapters creating more connections but one uses what he has used in the past with good success. If I had built a long list of cars with AN fittings that I had great success with that is what I would have used.

 

Been waiting to hear your take on his version. Hope to hear from you

 

But the JB weld and teflon paste? or the outburst? I understand what you're saying but seems like more then bad parts.

 

Nurse, can you hand me the scalpel, and a close pin?

 

No trust, no relationship. If everyone is telling me that what he did could harm me or others, I'll pass. I feel fine. I have a plan and just have to make it happen.[/QUOTE]

Harm to you maybe a little over reaction..... BUT brakes are certainly no joke and anything slightly off should defiantly be attended to quickly ... It's defiantly something you want correct on your car especially in so-cal!

A little seepage I don't think you were in immediate danger but defiantly need to be fixed correctly for the long haul

 

It was dripping fluid when I drove it from his shop. It was about 1/2 down in the master when I filled it. His shop is like 2 miles tops from my house. I could see it dripping fluid onto the concrete. That's when I called him and he said it was just his lack of clean up. Then he called back and said it shouldn't be dripping. True story!

 

I think the JB Weld on a brake fitting sounds half ass at best, pay good money to a professional and JB Weld is the best he's got.... fuck that.

A wad of his gray favorite "fix it all" ends up plugging the pass side brake line up... nope that's not dangerous at all, I prefer when the right rear doesn't work at all on the freeway at 80...

Would it happen? No probably not.

Is this the way any of us would fix it?

 

I'm already in a wheelchair with legs that just work good enough haha I don't need to push myself with a straw I blow in!

 

Harm to you maybe a little over reaction..... BUT brakes are certainly no joke and anything slightly off should defiantly be attended to quickly ... It's defiantly something you want correct on your car especially in so-cal!

A little seepage I don't think you were in immediate danger but defiantly need to be fixed correctly for the long haul[/QUOTE]


Here's the deal on the seepage/leak/whatever

It was on a Tee...Wornshoes called about it, was told it was "residual fluid".

Now think about that for a minute...who has ever bled brakes at the Tee fitting?
Why should there be residual fluid there?

And Limeworks reply about the PTFE-or was it the JB Weld?, doesn't play out "was put there to see if that was where the leak was"...(or similar)...I don't understand that way of reasoning....I'd hoped he would explain that.

Now I don't run a shop, I', not a professional, but I've made hundreds of double/inverted flares (never in SS tho). ran too many brake lines to remember the count, but never once have I had "residual fluid" on a tee...if I had fluid on a tee or connection, it was because of a leak...plain and simple.

Again, why would there be residual fluid left anywhere on any connection. other that at the MC or wheel cylinders?

 

I have used plenty of AN fittings and stainless tubing for all sorts of stuff. Fuel, nitrous, brake lines and so forth.If you use the right stuff and do it properly and have the right tools it will look good and not leak.

Here's a thought.

Many people have used welded steel tubing instead of seamless because the China stuff commonly available is cheap. Thars the rub....matey. It will leak like a sieve. You can try to carefully sand the seam after it's flared and keep trying and hope you get it. Or you can buy the conical seals from Earls or others and make it easy.

https://www.holley.com/products/plu...ponents_and_accessories/seals/parts/169101ERL

Brake lines and JB weld....that's hackery of the worst kind. A shop that does this deserves to pilloried.

 

I've been in business for 26 years. Yes, I've pissed a few people off and I've had a few unreasonable customers too. Knowing Worn Shoes I can assure you all he is in NO WAY unreasonable, this started a year ago and he still can't drive his car! How many of us would have been unreasonable at this point?

The people I've pissed off in business? Ask them, they will tell you that I went to the ends of the earth to make things right. Even if we didn't see eye to eye afterwards nobody would ever say I screwed them or did them wrong. That's business. Sometimes you have to take your losses and do the right thing.

That said, I feel Limeworks owes a full refund for the work you paid for. Not just for the necessary repairs, but for EVERYTHING as I would have no faith in the rest of the work performed. You're already out a year's worth of enjoyment of the car, Steve should give you your money back 100% so you can have someone else perform the work the right way, with the right materials. Who knows what else lurks in places you can't see!

You don't use JB Weld or PTFE tape to fix a leaky fitting, you fix the fucking fitting! For that there is no excuse and the only apology should be monetary.

Steve may feel he's done his best to stand behind his work and come to your house, but like has been said multiple times, shit work is shit work. Give the man his money back so the work can be done correctly!

 

Give the man his money back. Worn shoes is a man of his word and is super patient and reasonable. Ive known him for 10 years . He paid for something and never received it. Due a full refund in my book . What no one has mentioned is that Steves old shop makes great pproducts and did good work. Most likely through his skilled employees. Maybe Steve wasn't so hands on or something? For a guy with all those years of experience, he sure did a alot of fumbling around under there with cobbled results and fast talk.

 

I just read the explanation of how your work was done. This thing's been dragged around the barn enough, but my biggest question after reading that is why were AN fittings , brass, steel and stainless used to do a simple job like putting new lines on a rear end? Then a topping of JB Weld and Loc-tite? The controversy will go on forever on this one. Get it done right, and like Tony used to say "Fugged-a-boudit!"

 

Glad to see that you've gotten on here, Steve, to relate your version of the story. Hope the two of you can salvage something from this journey. I'm kinda still amazed that this whole scenario took place. Good luck to both of you going forward.