I needed to replace the rear brake steel aka hard lines on my 2004. I tried removing the old lines over the tank and fishing new ones in without any luck. I went around the tank. To be honest I'm not thrilled with around the tank. I'll likely drop the tank enough sometime in the near future to get back to the OEM routing.
This is one thing which I've been doing as SOP which I think helped the disassembly. I've learned to take a large pair of wire cutters or small bolt cutters and chop the steel brake line right at the fitting. That allows me to to use a deepwell six point socket on the fitting while holding the other part with ViseGrips. Saves messing with line wrenches and possibly rounding the fittings.
Another SOP thing for me is covering the ends with a double layer of tinfoil until I actually set the fittings into place. It takes away some of the worry about contamination. It also holds the fitting on the end so it doesn't slide around.
A CAUTION.
The SAE aka USA brake line threaded fittings will fit the Metric Bubble Flare. The threads are close. The real issue is that the SAE flare is concave. Inspect that the replacement brake lines for the Sprinter have a protruding "bubble" and not the dish shape of the SAE flare.
On my 2004 2500 the brake lines route from the ABS unit to an OEM coupling near the area of the cross member under the driver seat. Those two lines are sort of complex, but I was able to copy them using my hand tubing bender. A 60" brake line works to copy the lines, but 60" is a bit too long. The one line measured to 56" so I knew that the stock 60" lines would do. When I copied the lines I started at the lower coupling end and finished bending at the last vertical bend. After the line was in place and loose coupled to the lower union, I used my hands to bend a dipsy doodle loop to deal with the excess and line up for the ABS socket. (As Dennis once described, the loop is a DIY work of art.)
The lines are 3/16" Euro bubble flare style M10 x 1.0 size
Unions I used were AGS BLU-8C. Equivalent are Edelmann 276000 or Weatherhead 7975.
Added:
March 2022. I would avoid the steel Dorman 785-439D steel unions. The threaded portion is very deep compared to the brass unions. The AGS PAE 320 steel line nut was close to bottoming against the Dorman steel union. It did seal the line bubble end, but the line nut was right up against the steel union body.
Added:
While making up some more epoxied brake line nuts I noticed that the OEM nuts were too short to properly tighten the bubble flare into the Dorman unions. I used my lathe to trim off each end of the barrel. I needed to trim back more than I expected. If the nut thread section is long the Dorman unions will be fine. They may not work with the shorter threaded OEM line nuts. The more compact brass bubble unions are a better choice if available. (Check for proper Euro bubble flare. A parts store gave me a brass SAE type even though I specified bubble flare. Fortunately I caught the mistake while in the store. No brass bubble flare on hand so I got the Dorman unions.)
Brass union = 3/16 EUR A
To replace from the union fittings under the driver seat to rear hoses
Following the original over the tank route...
Driver side (10 ft total): I'm quite certain that 2 ea. 60" lines will work.
Passenger side (11 ft total): 1 ea. 60" + 1 ea. 72" should be good.
Going around the tank...
(Length does depend upon route)
Driver side (11 ft total): 1 ea. 60" + 1 ea. 72". Alternate = 2 ea. 60" + 1 ea. 12" (but 1 ea. 20" may be the only option)
Passenger side (14 ft total): 2 ea. 72" + 1 ea. 20". Alternate = 2 ea. 60" + 1 ea. 48" (but one more 60" may be the only option)
Added Sept. 2021: I found the Euro 72" lines difficult to source locally. Eg. - AGS Company BLE-372 or PAE-372 options?.
OEM fittings are 11 mm (7/16") wrench size. The coupling under the seat area needed 11mm and 13 mm wrenches.
My replacement PAE-320 - 20", PAE- 360 - 60" and PAE-372 - 72" steel lines had 12 mm wrench size.
Some NAPA lines had 10 mm nuts.
Alternate part numbers. 3/16 EUR 30, 3/16 EUR 60, etc.
Added Sept. 2021: Typical Euro bubble flare lengths seem to be.
AGS Company BLE style 20", 30", 40", 60" Maybe 72", 84"
AGS Company PAE style 8", 20", 40", 60", maybe 72", 84"
SAE J572 on the label
The above numbers do nothing at NAPA.
NAPA did have 20", 51", 60", 84" on hand.
The replacement unions needed 13 mm wrench size.
Just some general information. vic
Edit: I did try something different this time. I took a couple of my previously removed fittings with cut lines and adapted them to blind fittings or plugs. I removed the front most brake lines and then installed the plugs in the ABS housing to stop the drips. That allowed me to leave the reservoir full while I copied the front lines.
To make the plugs I first cleaned the old fittings with carburetor cleaner. Next I used epoxy and a cut off nail to fill the fitting to seal it. Epoxy has no problem with being in contact with brake fluid. The plugs worked great.
A Temporary "Get Home" Suggestion
In the road salt northeast I have learned to smear heavy duty wheel bearing grease on all brake lines and fittings. I especially coat the lines anywhere that they are held by clamps or clips. Those areas collect road dirt and then hold moisture/corrode. A also put a bit of grease on all threads (not near the open ends) eg. - bleeders, unions, connections. That saves future problems.
Added:
This is one thing which I've been doing as SOP which I think helped the disassembly. I've learned to take a large pair of wire cutters or small bolt cutters and chop the steel brake line right at the fitting. That allows me to to use a deepwell six point socket on the fitting while holding the other part with ViseGrips. Saves messing with line wrenches and possibly rounding the fittings.
Another SOP thing for me is covering the ends with a double layer of tinfoil until I actually set the fittings into place. It takes away some of the worry about contamination. It also holds the fitting on the end so it doesn't slide around.
A CAUTION.
The SAE aka USA brake line threaded fittings will fit the Metric Bubble Flare. The threads are close. The real issue is that the SAE flare is concave. Inspect that the replacement brake lines for the Sprinter have a protruding "bubble" and not the dish shape of the SAE flare.
On my 2004 2500 the brake lines route from the ABS unit to an OEM coupling near the area of the cross member under the driver seat. Those two lines are sort of complex, but I was able to copy them using my hand tubing bender. A 60" brake line works to copy the lines, but 60" is a bit too long. The one line measured to 56" so I knew that the stock 60" lines would do. When I copied the lines I started at the lower coupling end and finished bending at the last vertical bend. After the line was in place and loose coupled to the lower union, I used my hands to bend a dipsy doodle loop to deal with the excess and line up for the ABS socket. (As Dennis once described, the loop is a DIY work of art.)
The lines are 3/16" Euro bubble flare style M10 x 1.0 size
Unions I used were AGS BLU-8C. Equivalent are Edelmann 276000 or Weatherhead 7975.
Added:
March 2022. I would avoid the steel Dorman 785-439D steel unions. The threaded portion is very deep compared to the brass unions. The AGS PAE 320 steel line nut was close to bottoming against the Dorman steel union. It did seal the line bubble end, but the line nut was right up against the steel union body.
Added:
While making up some more epoxied brake line nuts I noticed that the OEM nuts were too short to properly tighten the bubble flare into the Dorman unions. I used my lathe to trim off each end of the barrel. I needed to trim back more than I expected. If the nut thread section is long the Dorman unions will be fine. They may not work with the shorter threaded OEM line nuts. The more compact brass bubble unions are a better choice if available. (Check for proper Euro bubble flare. A parts store gave me a brass SAE type even though I specified bubble flare. Fortunately I caught the mistake while in the store. No brass bubble flare on hand so I got the Dorman unions.)
Brass union = 3/16 EUR A
To replace from the union fittings under the driver seat to rear hoses
Following the original over the tank route...
Driver side (10 ft total): I'm quite certain that 2 ea. 60" lines will work.
Passenger side (11 ft total): 1 ea. 60" + 1 ea. 72" should be good.
Going around the tank...
(Length does depend upon route)
Driver side (11 ft total): 1 ea. 60" + 1 ea. 72". Alternate = 2 ea. 60" + 1 ea. 12" (but 1 ea. 20" may be the only option)
Passenger side (14 ft total): 2 ea. 72" + 1 ea. 20". Alternate = 2 ea. 60" + 1 ea. 48" (but one more 60" may be the only option)
Added Sept. 2021: I found the Euro 72" lines difficult to source locally. Eg. - AGS Company BLE-372 or PAE-372 options?.
OEM fittings are 11 mm (7/16") wrench size. The coupling under the seat area needed 11mm and 13 mm wrenches.
My replacement PAE-320 - 20", PAE- 360 - 60" and PAE-372 - 72" steel lines had 12 mm wrench size.
Some NAPA lines had 10 mm nuts.
Alternate part numbers. 3/16 EUR 30, 3/16 EUR 60, etc.
Added Sept. 2021: Typical Euro bubble flare lengths seem to be.
AGS Company BLE style 20", 30", 40", 60" Maybe 72", 84"
AGS Company PAE style 8", 20", 40", 60", maybe 72", 84"
SAE J572 on the label
The above numbers do nothing at NAPA.
NAPA did have 20", 51", 60", 84" on hand.
The replacement unions needed 13 mm wrench size.
Just some general information. vic
Edit: I did try something different this time. I took a couple of my previously removed fittings with cut lines and adapted them to blind fittings or plugs. I removed the front most brake lines and then installed the plugs in the ABS housing to stop the drips. That allowed me to leave the reservoir full while I copied the front lines.
To make the plugs I first cleaned the old fittings with carburetor cleaner. Next I used epoxy and a cut off nail to fill the fitting to seal it. Epoxy has no problem with being in contact with brake fluid. The plugs worked great.
A Temporary "Get Home" Suggestion
Edit:
In the road salt northeast I have learned to smear heavy duty wheel bearing grease on all brake lines and fittings. I especially coat the lines anywhere that they are held by clamps or clips. Those areas collect road dirt and then hold moisture/corrode. A also put a bit of grease on all threads (not near the open ends) eg. - bleeders, unions, connections. That saves future problems.
Plugs for temporary leaking line isolation.
I've learned to smear wheel bearing grease anyplace on the lines which may collect muck to rust.
...
I carry my DIY plugs with me now too.
...
No solder. I used a small finishing nail with epoxy. The head is in the bubble flare end. In the field any removed fitting could easily plugged using 5 minute epoxy and a chopped off finishing nail, or maybe a hairpin of wire. The nail or wire is mostly to keep the epoxy from flowing out of where needed.
I always chop the line before removal so I can use a 6 point wrench or socket. Epoxy inside a cleaned cut off/crimped removed fitting ain't going anywhere. Be certain to clean everything completely before applying the epoxy.
vic
Added:
Some general information about the various brake line flare types is in this PDF.
Last edited:
It also keeps the lines intact for copying the angles.
vic
