2G Rusty rear brake line replacement (AWD)

[daughters-car]

I do not like the look of the rusty rear brake line that runs from the passenger side of the car over the fuel tank and over to the driver's side wheel and would like to replace it with some new hard line. I have all the bending and flaring tools and have done plenty of previous brake line repairs on other cars, so I have the know-how. However, I do not see any way possible to get to this line to replace it! Do I really have to drop the whole rear subframe to get to that dang line!? Car is a 97 Spyder with AWD swap.

Anyone else had to do this on an AWD car that can give me some tips?

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

Why not route it where YOU want it, in a safe place and secure it down and be happy? Since you have all of the tools, it would make it pretty simple.
When my pickup blew a rear line pulling into the lumber yard, I was lucky and not going fast. Got stopped. Looked at all the fluid on the pavement and where it was coming from, and low and behold, it was between the frame rail and behind the gas tank....no way to get to it, or easy anyway, so I just bought 3 lines and connectors for them and ran my own new line from the prop valve all the way back to the rear axle and have not had a single problem. It didn't care how the fluid got to the rear, just that it DID get there. Just a story and what I did. Hope to help.

 

[daughters-car]

The one on my 2003 Silverado blew out at the gas tank too, but I was able to get to that one good enough to replace. Had the same thing happen on a 92 Toyota pickup, but I ended up dropping the tank on that one and replacing all the fuel lines as well - those Toyota trucks have a BAD rust problem!

I was considering re-routing, but I just don't seem to see any other good routes to go with it. I'm open to suggestions from others who have done it. I've also been thinking about just running it through the same area and leaving it hanging there unsupported, but those kind of things really bug me. I don't take chances with brakes. I totaled my first car, a 1965 Impala, because of a blown brake line. This Eclipse is my daughter's car - another reason I want to feel like it's done right. I've been spraying the rear subframe bolts with PBlaster for the last few days thinking I'm probably going to end up dropping it, but I haven't committed to it yet. I guess it doesn't look like it would be all that difficult, drop the exhaust and driveshaft, disconnect the trailing arms, brakes, shocks, and upper knuckle bushings, undo 4 subframe bolts and it looks like it would come out?

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

Yep, as long as the bolts haven't been in too long since it is a conversion, they should come out pretty easy. If it is your kids car, I completely understand being done right for safety sake for her.

 

[daughters-car]

Well, the subframe is out. Didn't go as easily as I hoped, of course. Both of the front subframe mount bolts where rust welded into the bushings! I spent probably a couple of hours soaking, hammering, and prying to get those to break loose. It's going to be sooo much easier now to fix that brake line! Looks like it's a good thing I decided to do it this way too, I see some paint flaking and rust starting to take hold on that cross member. I'll get to clean that up while I'm at it.

 

[daughters-car]

Got the new lines ran and all put back together earlier this week. I'd been soaking the brake bleeders in PBlaster and acetone/trans fluid every day since I started this so they would hopefully break loose when it came time to bleed. I tried heating, tapping with a hammer, every trick I could come up with and the dang things still ended up breaking off! I'd like to shoot the engineer that decided to use such small bleeder screws. It's a good thing I've got a complete parts car. I made sure the bleeders would break loose on it first, and then stole the calipers from it. Ended up that I didn't even get any air out the bleeders anyway. So, to pass along a trick that contributed to that result... When I put the new lines on I left the caliper ends disconnected while I connected the opposite end. Then make sure there is plenty of brake fluid in the brake reservoir and just wait until brake fluid begins to drip out the open end of the brake lines. This will typically push all of the air from the new lines as the brake fluid fills the lines from simple gravity bleeding. You will still need to bleed to make sure all of the air is purged, but this little trick sure helps.