Brake pedal goes to floor - Found problem

[George Selby]

At 10:08 PM 5/7/04 -0400, you wrote:
>Notice I said the FLAPS tubing had a connector compatible with the Audi
>connections and they provided a different fitting for the splicing that
>required the doubled flare.   I wasn't flaring the line at the point of
>connection to Audi fittings.


They make Bubble Flare brake line adaptors!!!!  Advance Auto has them in 
stock at every store!!  I had to replace the rear lines in my 90 Jetta 
about 2 months ago.  The required length was longer than any of the 
pre-formed lines they already had in stock. I looked for adaptors to join 
two bubble flare tubes, but found none locally (on my first attempt, asking 
the manager of the store,) or on the internet.  So I came up with the idea 
(probably not original) of using the bubble flare ends to join to the stock 
VW lines, and then double flaring the other sides to use a readily 
available adaptor between two double flares.  I rented the double flare 
tool, and it worked for about 4 flares, and then the tool bent 
sideways.  Just for future reference, the cheap double flare tool available 
from AutoZone doesn't work on coated brake lines very well (these look 
brown, incidentally this is the type line they sell at AutoZone) but works 
great on uncoated (bare metal silver colored - available from every other 
major chain, like Advance or NAPA) lines.  This wasn't enough flares, as I 
used up two of the four practicing.  So I went back to my local Advance 
Auto (where the manager is friendly to me) and I carefully examined their 
small parts bins.  (I see them in every chain store, they are usually 
behind the counter, made of black metal, contain about 10 drawers, and 
contain all the little stuff: clips, o-rings, grade 8/10 metric bolts, etc. 
you can't seem to find anywhere else. And the parts monkey usually doesn't 
even know these 'magic boxes' exist, so you have to know to ask to look in 
them.  Anyway, after a careful examination, I found METRIC BUBBLE BLARE 
ADAPTORS.  Then it was a simple matter of splicing two line together, and 
then bending them in the appropriate manner to fit.  They make enough 
different lengths of pre-flared brake line that you can generally get to 
within a couple of inches of the correct length, and this is easily taken 
out by making the bends a little larger than necessary.

In fact they had all the different types of flare adaptors available so you 
could make longer lines for any car that uses 3/16" line (or it's metric 
equivalent, which between the two is most cars.)  They make adaptors with 
metric thread and bubble flares (for European cars;) metric thread with 
double flares (for Asian cars;) standard thread with double flares (for 
American cars;) and standard thread with bubble flares (for British 
cars.)  I showed the manager my discovery, and HE was amazed.  He never 
knew they could even get them, much less that they were in the store already.


George Selby