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NEVER use DOT 3. When it rains... Posted by Saana88 [Email]  (#207)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Saana88) on Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:46:02
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A month and a half ago, I was on my way to a friend's house when the evil Brake Fluid warning light lit up on the dash of my '88 900. It was 8:15 on a Sunday evening, so none of the parts stores would be open, not that I knew where they were. I headed over to the local convenience store and had to use some DOT 3 water, I mean "brake fluid" to top her off. The car drove all right but the fluid would leak out every few days. The clutch slave was leaking and the brake pedal was sinking to the floor. Not good.
After the clutch job (the hydraulics were original to the '89 transmission donor car) she drove okay, but the brake pedal was still sinking and fluid was going somewhere. After hearing the lecture from my mechanic ("never use DOT 3. It's junk.") I eventually got good at decelerating in third gear and using the parking brake. This isn't safe. Truth be told, I limped the car home the next time the light came on, resolved to fix the problem.
A quick undercar inspection showed the problem: the rear brake lines that run along the rear axle were heavily corroded. Judging from all the brake fluid that had sprayed around on the back of the fuel tank and along the axle, this is where the leak is. I ordered two replacement pipes, and surprisingly enough Saab still stocks them. $$$ but worth it. I ordered replacement rubber flex lines from eE while I was at it. Remember, these things last around eighteen years and mine are (next month) twenty years old. No one-way valving yet, but one of the fronts is starting to bulge around the base. Time for these to go away.
Problem: the extra fine thread, thin jam nuts used to hold the flex lines to the bracket on the rear axle were in bad shape. Everything was rusty down there, and I had to cut one after getting the other one off. With six "hardware" stores and a fastener specialty store nearby, I was fine, right?
A week later (today) I got the nuts I ordered off the internet. I needed four, so if anyone else wants to buy any or all of the 96 remaining, be my guest. I plumbed everything back together and bled new DOT 4 (grumble) fluid through. Brand new clutch, brand new clutch hydraulics, brand new rear piping from the body exit rearward.
Pedal sinks to the floor. Holy Hezmana, I killed the master cylinder too.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH! I am SICK and TIRED of driving my convertible down the mud bath that is the access road to the construction site where I've been assigned to work this summer.
To help out the problem, someone previous to my father (this dates back in excess of 120,000 miles ago) rounded off the brake pipe fitting where it goes through the right front wheel well. She holds fluid for now, but I don't know for how long because I haven't changed the front flex hoses yet. Like I said, one is swollen at the base. Bad.
By the time I'm done, I will have replaced every single brake line on the car except for the two that go through the passenger compartment.
Am I doing anything wrong (aside from using DOT 3 in a pinch), or is this just bound to happen now and again? The fuel accumulator is in the same area and is also extremely rusty, how long before that rots through? Those fuel lines have to be truly fun to replace.
No continuum crap. Idontwannahearit right now.
What goes on between the end of the pipe in the engine compartment and the end of the flex hose in the wheel well?
, Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:46:02 <-- Viewing This Message, Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:59:08
, Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:52:14
, Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:21:19, Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:34:22
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