CruxGNZ Posted July 12, 2001 Share Posted July 12, 2001 I have done everything for the rear disc brake upgrade on my '73. I have stainless steel braided brake lines for my '73. My problem is, how the heck do you get the stainless steel braided brake lines made for the '73 to connect to the '82 caliper? There is no adaptor for this! I even had the NAPA guys stumped for over an hour. I tried to make my own adaptor but, it leaks. It was a metric bolt 10mm 1.0 pitch that threaded into the caliper and had a nut in the middle of it. There was a hole drilled through the middle of the bolt and at the top of the home made adaptor was a tappered hole to accept the lines from the '73. The design was taken from someone on this forum or HybridZ.org. It was a good design, just can't make it seal right. Now I'm thinking that I may have to get stainless steel braided brake lines for the '82, then find a way to make them fit to the hard lines on my '73. I really do not want to do this. I will have spent over $150 on brake lines then! Many of you have done this swap, how did you get the lines to connect? I need my car to be mobile by tonight! HELP!!!! !M! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted July 12, 2001 Share Posted July 12, 2001 For my '73, I have braided line in between the stock hard brake line from the rear distribution block and then another hard line from the braided to the caliper. (hard-braided-hard to caliper) I used brass fittings found at most auto parts stores, unfortunately my fittings were ISO instead of double flare but there are no leaks so far. You can get the hard brake lines from most of the same stores. Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted July 12, 2001 Author Share Posted July 12, 2001 What do you mean ISO? How did you get a fitting to go into the caliper and seal? No parts store anywhere has anything for this. I have tried to use a hard line from the caliper to the braided hose but nothing will seal to the '82 caliper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted July 12, 2001 Share Posted July 12, 2001 This adapter is to get the fluid into the caliper right? I just bought brass fittings with inverted flares. Apparently there are IOS and double-flare types, and after finding out about them, I reliazed what I had done. My guess is that you just screwed the hard line into the caliper. Just doing that doesnt provide a seat for the brake tube. Mine leaked right away at first when I did this and I went to the brass fittings. That tapered hole you mention is the flare, when tightened down, the tube should fit snugly against that. I don't remember what the stock lines for the new caliper looked like, I left them hanging at the junkyard... Email me, I will try to take a picture of this thing tonite. Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted July 12, 2001 Author Share Posted July 12, 2001 I know that the hard line will not fit into the caliper, that's a given, it has nothing to seal to. The brass fitting that you mentioned, where did you get it? I have been to many, many parts stores, but still nobody has a brass fitting that screws into the caliper that has a large enough hex to be used with a crush washer. They all say it is a pipe fitting not a brake fitting even though I brought in the caliper and brake line to be used. AHHHH! I need a fitting that is 10mm x 1.0 pitch with a large hex to seat against a crush washer against the caliper and the top of the fitting will be a female port with a convex protrusion at the bottom of the port to accept a 3/16" flared steel brake line. That line will then run to my stainless steel braided brake line. I can then drive my car. Anybody know where I can get this fitting? !M! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scca Posted July 12, 2001 Share Posted July 12, 2001 on nissan calipers - that are NOT a inverted flare (like the rears) you can use a NORMAL 1/8" pipe end and screw it in. this will seal fine. but NO ONE makes a 1/8" pipe to metric inverted flare fitting- only a standard one. and usually a metric flare wont seal on a std fitting- owen got lucky. i generally cut the end off a line and redo a new double flare with a normal standard end on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted July 12, 2001 Share Posted July 12, 2001 I did what Mike says on the Wilwood calipers I'm using - just get a standard (3/8-24) tube nut, cut off the flared end of the hard line, remove the metric tube nut, replace it with the standard one, and re-double flare. Then you just need a 1/8" NPT male to 3/8-24 felmale inverted flare adapter to screw into the caliper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Shasteen Posted July 12, 2001 Share Posted July 12, 2001 I havent retro-fit my brakes w/an upgrade yet; but whenever I need to repair a hydraulic hard line...I too simply cut out the bad spot (fitting or damaged section of the line) & flare a new end to seal the damaged line. You can go to a pep-boys, western auto or find a wholesaler in your area that sells automotive tools & buy a flaring kit...then you can flare you own lines. You'll also need to buy line cutters....I went to Sears & bought 3 different size cutters; 1)large 2)medium 3)small cutters (we're talking brake/clutch line sizes here...not "Plumbing Pipe Line sizes"). You may also need to buy some line benders. Eastwood sells some nice tubing benders w/wheels that roll w/the bend so that your tubing at the bend doenst "kink" on you. I bought both the larger & the smaller pair Eastwood sells....I've used them multiple times & have found them quite applicable-easy to use. You can buy new "Steel Lines" from any auto parts store. If you plan on replacine an entire line-always buy an extra line; chances are you may damage one of the lines to the point it cant be used & if you have an extra line w/you this will keep you from having to make a second trip to the parts store. Practice your bending & flaring on these lines before attempting to modify your existing lines...unless you decide to replace the entire line as an assembly. W/a little practice you will impress youself w/the ability to bend your tubing & flare you own ends. Also, if/when you're dealing w/stubborn bleeder valves that refuse to seal-you can try teflon tape on their threads. Buy yourself a flaring kit, K-D tool kit being the most popular do-it-youself kit can usually be found on the Pep-Boys shelves. K-D sells both an ISO kit & a Double Flare Kit. Kevin, (Yea,Still an Inliner) PS: When you flare you own lines...dont forget to slide the new fitting on the line (in the correct position) prior to flaring the line end (Hey-dont look at me like that-of course I've never flared a line end only to realize I've left off the new fitting! Okay...busted-I did that onece before!). [ July 12, 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Shasteen ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted July 12, 2001 Share Posted July 12, 2001 HAHA! Did that with my fuel line! I was like, hey, what's this fitting doing sitting here on the fender??? Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruxGNZ Posted July 15, 2001 Author Share Posted July 15, 2001 I would like to thank everyone for helping me. I finally found an adapter to screw into the '82 caliper after countless phone calls and visits to shops. It was found at a radiator specialty shop a few miles from here. I even plumbed in my Wilwood prop. valve. I just need to bleed the brakes and make sure there is no leaks. Man, what a pain in the ass! Something so simple can take up so much time. Looking back on how I worded my initial post, nowonder it took so long to get a reply. I was just franticly typing words because I was stuck. I'm one of those people that once I start something, I wont stop 'till I finish. Now, it's MGD time for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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