brake line rust

I was under our car ('04 Cavalier) recently, and noticed that the brake lines are starting to rust. So far, it looks to be just on the surface, but it will get worse.

Is there anything practical to do, to prevent further deterioration?

Thanks, George

Reply to
George
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todays cars brake lines don't last. if it's surface rust lightly sand the rust off. They have rust preventive sprays, but the lines can still rust from the inside out if moisture is in your system. for replacement lines we sell a coated brake line that is supposed to prevent rust, but I've heard mixed reviews on these coated lines.

Reply to
m6onz5a

If it's just surface, it will take years to go through completely. Unless you want to sand them, you can just take some Rust-Oleum and coat them good. That will greatly lengthen their life. The other is, keep an eye on them and replace when needed.

Reply to
thepennsyltuckian

The only best way to handle that is to replace the brake lines with new one s. Back in the late 1970s I bought a 1954 Ford truck. One morning when I st arted that truck up and I mashed the brake pedal, the pedal went all the wa y to the floor. The right rear side brake line had rusted out. Don't take c hances with your brakes.

Reply to
JR

nes. Back in the late 1970s I bought a 1954 Ford truck. One morning when I started that truck up and I mashed the brake pedal, the pedal went all the way to the floor. The right rear side brake line had rusted out. Don't take chances with your brakes.

See? that brake line lasted over 20 years.. We get people coming in today with cars 5-10 years old with rusted brake lines now.

I think my Corvair went about 30 years before a brake line went.

Nowadays they purposely make them last a certain amount so you'll have to purchase more in the future. Just like everything else I guess. :(

Reply to
m6onz5a

Depends on what you consider practical. You hear about people applying protective coatings, and that makes sense if you find maintaining that practical. Here's my anecdotal experience from salt country with car I suspect are similar in brake quality to yours. '90 Corsica - rusted through rear brake line. 19-20 years old. Replaced that line only, since I was about to junk it because of other issues.

'97 Lumina - failed wheel cylinder seal - a month ago. Replaced both rear cylinders, shoes and drums. Lines okay.

'93 Grand Am - rusted through rear line - last week. Replaced that line only.

Here's my general rule. A rusty brake line (actual severe pitting) on my highway cars gets replaced before a trip. Hasn't happened yet. My highway cars just never get old enough.

For my local beaters, I only change a brake line when it fails. It can look bad, but go for years, well beyond where you'll junk it anyway. These cars have dual systems on diagonally opposed wheels, so unless you're moving fast, you should be okay to get it home when a single line fails. Won't be a comfortable ride though, for one main reason that you should look into. Unless you keep on top of the drum self adjusters, you'll be mostly or entirely braking with one front caliper. That's another subject, but I suggest you check your rear shoes/drums. An easy way is just jack up the back, have somebody press the brakes down hard, and see if you can turn the tire by hand. You might be surprised. This is assuming your '04 has self-adjusting drums and not tophat discs. I don't know.

Reply to
Vic Smith

Around pittsburgh, the lines typically start to leak at about 15 years. Something should be done before that. I don't think rust converter would hurt. Then some paint. Having news lines put on would be worth the investment.

Greg

Reply to
gregz

Reply to
gregz

Well the BEST solution is new stainless lines, BUT since that is also a PIA you could use a pressure washer to blow all the crud and dirt off. Then use a sprayer to apply some rust converter on the lines, soak them pretty well and let it dry, Then apply some paint. A couple coats should slow the rusting down. I would use rustoleum or POR type product. For brushes you might need to get creative to get everywhere. Wouldn't hurt to pressure wash the entire chassis and paint all the steel with undercoat, treat any rust before coating or use POR.

Reply to
Steve W.

^ what he said, if the brake lines are rusting there's more that's rusting as well.

Even Krylon is better than nothing, though - and likely better than some parts get from the factory (e.g. the diff covers on my Jeep didn't have any paint on them when I got it while the axles themselves still had a decent coating on them.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

A manageable but daunting experience. I've seen them more often rust from the inside out. Once I've replaced the lines on my cars, I purge the brake fluid completely once a year which also saves mater cylinders etc. My cars are all 1965 so I can't comment on new equipment; YMMV.

Reply to
AMuzi

Many cars have pockets underneath where moisture gets caught and accelerates brake line rust. My 98 Taurus has a plastic shield under the drivers door that did jut that. Rotted from the OUTSIDE in. Got luck and got some junkyard lines that were not in too bad of shape. Cavaliers are the same

I took the junkyard lines, cleaned them up, and spray painted them. Hopefully, the rest of the car will rot before the lines go again

bob

Reply to
bob urz

yep since brake fluid absorbs moisture, and the fluid seldom gets changed, it is likely it'll rust more often from the inside out

Reply to
m6onz5a

I never change brake fluid unless I'm replacing a brake component. Even then I only replace what the bleeding replaces. Whether you change brake fluid as part of a maintenance program is a different argument. I might see doing it with expensive ABS systems, but I've never done it. Decide on a car by car basis and my decision has always been "don't do it." Every leaking brake line I've replaced has been rusted badly on the outside. Pitted deeply, rust scaling, etc. Every single one. Water and salt and oxygen are always working on the outside. Whatever "moisture" gets into the fluid can't compare. Not even close in my experience. Might work different in the desert. Here's a real good link on manufacturer engineers' views on changing brake fluid. Unless you don't agree with it.

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Reply to
Vic Smith

That would be on cars that are used frequently. Vehicles that are left sitting for long periods tend to be the ones that the brake lines rust from the inside.

The leak will be at the lowest point in a stretch of line.

-jim

Reply to
jim

On Mon, 27 Aug 2012 07:55:28 -0500, jim wrote:

You talking about museum cars? The Grand Am brake line I replaced last week - rusty as hell on the outside - gets driven about 200 miles a year. Sits in driveway 99.9% of the time. In the rain or humid air, sometimes after being driven on salty streets. So unless you're talking about museum cars, inside rust is inconsequential. I don't buy the water settling at a low point either. Since much is made about brake fluid being hygroscopic you would think water wouldn't separate out at low points, but diffuse throughout the fluid. In fact, if you believed the "hygroscopic" claims, master cylinders would be overflowing from sucking up water. I've never seen brake fluid levels increase in any car I had. What brake fluid gets tested when somebody is anal enough to test brake fluid? Master cylinder reservoir brake fluid. I've argued about this before, and the "brake fluid changers" never convinced me that water is an issue with the brake systems I've had. That link I posted

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says Ford, GM and Chryco don't recomment changing brake fluid except on the Metro or Tracker. I don't have one. "Ford said they measured the water content in 7 to 10 year old Ford vehicles and found that the water content was actually quite low: only 1 to 1-1/2 percent. So based on their findings and the design target of 3 percent water, they see no need to change the fluid for preventive maintenance." Anyway, I've always said that "hygroscopic" nonsense is just an excuse for people to use a big word, break off bleeders and generally get themselves all confused. But if somebody wants to change brake fluid, have at it.

Reply to
Vic Smith

And yet the interior of every aged steel wheel cylinder (that I've witnessed) seems to corrode and pit mainly at the bottom of its radius, a likely result of entrained moisture in the brake fluid.

Reply to
Heron

I probably should amend to "entrained and later precipitated" ...

Reply to
Heron

Don't know. I should have pulled the pistons on the 2 wheel cylinders I just replaced, one of which had a leaky seal. Didn't think of it because I didn't care about it. 7 buck part. Might have been rust that worked in from the outer boot that finally did it in. "invaded from the outside and later pooled by gravity." Or not pooled. Didn't look. I've seen pics of rusty caliper pistons which rusted from the outside. Rust all around the perimeter. Can't explain what you've seen. In almost 50 years of driving I've replaced only 2 wheel cylinders, a couple masters long ago, and no calipers. Maybe 4 externally rusted out lines. I never changed my brake fluid. And I drive old cheap cars that I suspect never ever had their brake fluid changed. But like I said, to each his own. I've got nothing against brake fluid changes. Even thought about doing it, but said "nah." Wouldn't change because I was afraid of water, but maybe other corrosive causes, like copper. Replace the corrosion inhibitors. It's all voodoo, mostly from those selling brake fluid flushes. Pick your witch doctor. I'll just go with manufacturer's maintenance schedule and leave it at that, unless I'm here arguing about.

Reply to
Vic Smith

I have seen at least a half dozen vehicles that were parked for a year or more that when put back into service blew out a brake line and it was always at the low point in the line. In some there was no visible outside rust where the line blew. Leave one of your old cars sit for 3 years and it is almost guaranteed it will blow out a brake line as soon as you start to drive it again.

I don't know about your water theories but in the real world brake slave and master cylinders will tend to get pitted at the lowest spot also. I would guess it has to do with fine particles that settle out of the fluid and form sort of mud sediment which must be corrosive. It's common for drum wheel cylinders to be pitted in the middle at the bottom. Often doesn't bother anything because that middle part of the cylinder isn't used.

Don't know if water has anything to do with it. Its related to the fluid sitting undisturbed.

-jim

Reply to
jim

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