'04 R1150RT Brake Line Replacement help

[jfremder]

I've got my new lines, and have many unremarkable bleeds of my whizzy brakes under my belt from routine service over the years. I'm ready to install these shiny braided lines from Galfer, but wondering if there's any 'gotcha's I should be concerned about... Never started from scratch before. Is there any special technique, or sequence I should use with virgin lines?

[AndyS]

You may well need more brake fluid than you bargained for.

When you start from scratch, there are a lot of air traps that cam take an age to bleed out. The T piece brake line splitter on the top of the front mudguard and the brake hose distribution block on the Steering head are nightmares for holding on to the odd little bit of air and so may take a lot of patience working round and round.

[NavyDad]

Did mine last spring. If you have bled the "whizzy" brakes before you will have no problems. As AndyS said take your time and keep a bit of extra fluid on hand. Go slow and watch every threaded connection with care. It is easy to get one started wrong or cross thread and then you will have an issue.

[Twinsig]

 

Yep, my spieglers should arrive today. Probably going to use my diy vac pump/refrigerator compressor.

Thanks for the "T" block/splitter advice!

[ElevenFifty]

Mine went in without difficulty. I did find that after install a couple of the fittings were weeping fluid ... tightening the fitting a very small amount resolved the weeping but it takes some force. Bleeding was relatively easy.

 

My son-in-laws 1100 came with new steel lines recently installed and a couple of weeks ago, he ended up riding home with brakes that had to be pumped a few times to be effective. Examination revealed two points where fluid was leaking from the fittings. Tightened both to stop the leak and spent nearly an hour bleeding out the trapped air.

 

So ... after installing, and before replacing the tank, cycle the brakes aggressively to locate any slightly weeping fittings.

 

D

[Boomer343]

Couple of tricks I use with new lines. Take them out of the packaging the day before and place them somewhere nice and warm.

You can also carefully use a heat gun or a hair dryer to warm them up and relax them if time is short.

 

Next trick is to wet the lining with brake fluid. I used to have access to a Phoenix Injector and would use it but now have a small squeeze bottle with lid that has a flip up dispenser. Hold the line vertical over a bucket and put a few drops of brake fluid down the line. Let it run down then flip the line top to bottom and repeat.

 

Last I use a thin coating of Raybestos Silicone Brake Lube on the new crush washers and the threads of banjo bolts. It is compatible with brake fluids.... not all Silicone Lubes are.

 

Get to do my Spieglers in the spring .... minus 25 C here today....

[chrisz]

 

Last I use a thin coating of Raybestos Silicone Brake Lube on the new crush washers and the threads of banjo bolts. It is compatible with brake fluids.... not all Silicone Lubes are.

 

What is the purpose of using lube on the banjo threads?

[azccj]

I installed Spiegler lines about 10 days ago on my 04 RT. The Spiegler lines have the advantage of being able to rotate the fittings on the lines for a better fit, maybe other brands offer this as well. Mine went on without any issues and after pumping 2 quarts of DOT 4 through the whole system everything seems fine and dandy

[Boomer343]

chrisz I used to host yearly Raybestos Brake Clinics out of my High School Mechanics shop and this was a tip from the instructors when replacing wheel cylinders and calipers.

 

This lube will act like an antisieze for future removal of the fittings and also help with sealing.

 

I also use the lube around the threads of bleeder screws especially when doing a vacuum bleed as it reduces the extraneous bubbles of air that find their way past the bleeder screw threads.

 

 

 

 

 

[philbytx]

Wilwood also makes a similar product, compatible with all DOT fluids.

Its about $8.00 for a small container.

[chrisz]

Boomer343, the reason I ask is that when I worked for many years in the automobile brake parts business (steel lines) and one of the no-no items was any lube on the fitting threads. As the car manufacturer using air driven (calibrated) torque wrenches would easily strip the threads of the fittings due to lube causing over-torque condition. And where the threads were intact the flare at end of the tube would split. Maybe the banjo threads are different beast to fitting threads...

[Boomer343]

chrisz I wish the oem, especially Chrysler, would have used something on their fittings....the first thing we used to grab when a Caravan showed up was the flame wrench....VBG

 

My facility was located in the same building as a large Ford dealership, Cam Clark Ford. A component of the partnership was having technicians from the dealership working with us.

 

It was interesting to see how quickly some of the aftermarket solutions we used made it into their shop.

 

Back to the topic... over the 10 years I ran the shop we did several hundred brake jobs and never had a stripped thread on a wheel cylinder or caliper due to using lube on the threads.

 

Had a few vehicles show up years and many miles later for another set of brakes and it sure made working on them easier.

 

You would have gotten a chuckle out of my collection of failed brake line flares that students did. One of the course requirements was to produce an acceptable double flare and for bonus marks a bubble flare. Damn that flare kit got a workout.

 

Pissed the kids off when after they had struggled with the hand flaring kit I'd demo the hydraulic unit....VBG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stan Walker]

using lube on the threads

 

It seems to me that if this was a very good idea, either Spiegler or BMW would recommend it. Since they don't, I choose to not use it.

 

Stan

[Boomer343]

Stan I won't make you drink the kool aid...VBG

 

A couple of things to consider though.... when you are say replacing a line on a filled/drained system there will be brake fluid on the threads so in fact they are lubed. Factory we assume will be dry thread. My preference is to displace the brake fluid on the threads and fittings with the silicone brake lube.

 

I will note again it is a specific lube I suggest...Raybestos Silicone Brake Lube.

 

This is a fairly subtle variation on the install of the brake lines. As always your experience may vary.