1994 Explorer: Rear brake-line pin-hole leak repair?
 

I recently (today) bought a 1994 Eddie Bauer with 152,000 miles on it.
The vehicle looks good, and runs well. Unfortunately, after about 40
miles of driving it around town while slowing for a stop-sign, the
brake-pedal suddenly hit the floor. The backup system worked as
expected though, and I didn't rearend the old lady ahead of me.

My problem is a pin-hole leak in the steel-pipe on the left side of the
chassis that connects to the rubber-tube which goes into the rear-brake
manifold. It looks like the area on the pipe is a good candidate for
standing-water corrosion, and I'm somewhat releived that the damage is
reletively minor and "easily" accessible (a bitch to get at, but it's
highly visible). I attempted to seal it with some rubber and a
pipe-clamp, but the braking-pressure is much too high for this method
to work, and when I brake, the fluid just ****es out the sides.

Is this piping weldable? Is there a different clamping technique I
could use? Is a replacement pipe available, and is it easily
installable?

Thanks,
John

1994 Explorer: Rear brake-line pin-hole leak repair?
 

While this is repairable, it is inconvenient and time consuming.... there is
a hole in the tubing and this tubing involves brakes... The entire length of
tubing is now suspect and should be replaced. Additionally, all the other
lines under the car should be carefully inspected for corrosion and replaced
if warranted...

For a vehicle this old, there will be no direct replacement items available
but there are "form in place" tubing sections on the market....

Why, in Gods name, did you invest money in a vehicle (when your level of
knowledge is quite apparent) without having it inspected by a reputable
shop????

"There's one born every minute..." - P.T. Barnum...

1994 Explorer: Rear brake-line pin-hole leak repair?
 

You could cut out the bad area, and some distance on either side, and
replace it with a new piece of steel tubing. However, in order to do it
properly, you will have to double flare the cut ends and use a new piece of
tubing also double flared, and connect them together with fittings. Do not
use compression fittings. This would be unsafe. It might be easier just to
replace the whole thing if you don't have the double flaring tool.
Ron

> wrote in message
ups.com...
>I recently (today) bought a 1994 Eddie Bauer with 152,000 miles on it.
> The vehicle looks good, and runs well. Unfortunately, after about 40
> miles of driving it around town while slowing for a stop-sign, the
> brake-pedal suddenly hit the floor. The backup system worked as
> expected though, and I didn't rearend the old lady ahead of me.
>
> My problem is a pin-hole leak in the steel-pipe on the left side of the
> chassis that connects to the rubber-tube which goes into the rear-brake
> manifold. It looks like the area on the pipe is a good candidate for
> standing-water corrosion, and I'm somewhat releived that the damage is
> reletively minor and "easily" accessible (a bitch to get at, but it's
> highly visible). I attempted to seal it with some rubber and a
> pipe-clamp, but the braking-pressure is much too high for this method
> to work, and when I brake, the fluid just ****es out the sides.
>
> Is this piping weldable? Is there a different clamping technique I
> could use? Is a replacement pipe available, and is it easily
> installable?
>
> Thanks,
> John
>

1994 Explorer: Rear brake-line pin-hole leak repair?
 

HA HA!

You don't know how ironic your Barnum signature is: I live outside of
Bridgeport, Connecticut, and durring my first "owner" drive, I took a
lesiurely cruise through the graveyard there (as I'm wont to do) where
old P.T. is burried. I actually drove past his grave yeasterday! He was
probably rolling in it as I went by.

Thanks for your input, Jim. Actually, I spent relatively little for an
Explorer that is generally in very good shape (other than that freaking
brake-line). I will need to look into a form-in-place option, and
expect that I could fo this myself. In the meantime, I've isolated the
rear section from the rest of the system at the ABS unit. I won't
describe how, as it's very embarassing.

1994 Explorer: Rear brake-line pin-hole leak repair?
 

Thanks for your input R&B,

I actually picked up a compression fitting set this afternoon in hopes
I could splice it, but the pinhole is RIGHT NEXT to the portion where
the line goes from helical medium guage wire (used to protect the
tubing I guess) and a bare section where the compression kit would
work.

I'm screwed!

1994 Explorer: Rear brake-line pin-hole leak repair?
 

Does it involve a nail???

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> HA HA!
>
> You don't know how ironic your Barnum signature is: I live outside of
> Bridgeport, Connecticut, and durring my first "owner" drive, I took a
> lesiurely cruise through the graveyard there (as I'm wont to do) where
> old P.T. is burried. I actually drove past his grave yeasterday! He was
> probably rolling in it as I went by.
>
> Thanks for your input, Jim. Actually, I spent relatively little for an
> Explorer that is generally in very good shape (other than that freaking
> brake-line). I will need to look into a form-in-place option, and
> expect that I could fo this myself. In the meantime, I've isolated the
> rear section from the rest of the system at the ABS unit. I won't
> describe how, as it's very embarassing.
>

1994 Explorer: Rear brake-line pin-hole leak repair?
 

Oh MAN! That's spooky! And here I was proud of myself for "inventing"
it.
I suppose it's still patentable; I used a little bit of bicycle-tire
rubber too.

1994 Explorer: Rear brake-line pin-hole leak repair?
 

After this many years in the business, I can honestly say that I have seen a
lot of things.... At the same time, I haven't seen "everything"... realizing
that makes a lot of difference...


> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Oh MAN! That's spooky! And here I was proud of myself for "inventing"
> it.
> I suppose it's still patentable; I used a little bit of bicycle-tire
> rubber too.
>

1994 Explorer: Rear brake-line pin-hole leak repair?
 

Thank God for the screwed part.... I can't speak for all of North America...
compression fittings on brake lines are "VERBOTTEN" in Canada... This as
about as saftey related as we can get (and yes, I realize that some
manuacturers include compression fittings with various brake devices) and
compression fittings are prone to failure in more instances than double
inverted flare fittings.

Of course, if you really don't give a rats ass if your car can stop in a
panic brake situation.....

If we are to err, we should always err on the side of caution....


> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Thanks for your input R&B,
>
> I actually picked up a compression fitting set this afternoon in hopes
> I could splice it, but the pinhole is RIGHT NEXT to the portion where
> the line goes from helical medium guage wire (used to protect the
> tubing I guess) and a bare section where the compression kit would
> work.
>
> I'm screwed!
>