Brakes: Rear brake lines

[LeoH]

I am into the rear brakes on my Lark VI wagon and thought I would clean up and drain and refill the diff while the car's up (who knows if or when it's been done), but thankfully I cleaned the back cover and looked BEFORE I started unbolting things...somewhere, someone installed new brake line and they routed the line to the passenger side essentially right over the head of one of the cover bolts! NICE.

I hope this isn't too dumb a question, but can you get the line sections already formed so you can just lay them down and bolt them in? I'm not too concerned about having to flare and bend a long piece of tubing, I have a manual and could figure that out, but if I didn't have to it wouldn't hurt my feelings either.

ps, I read an earlier post about refilling the rear end and how that should be done while the vehicle's on the ground to avoid overfilling. I hope when I do that, it might reduce the leaking from the front seal. After cleaning 90% of the muck off the rear end, it looks like that's where most of my leaking from the rear is coming from. Is that a possibility or is leaking from the front seal a sign of failure always?

Leo Horishny
Sun Valley, NV

[LeoH]

I'm going to look closer at the rear end, but if I can tell the leak is from the front seal and the diff cover seal is good, should I just leave well enough alone and just refill to the fill plug?

Also, any tricks or tips owners who've refilled the rear end before would surely be appreciated. I'm 55 and thin, but I don't relish worming my way in there with 90wt. Off the top of my head, it seems like a make do funnel/spout using an old gear oil bottle with the base cut off and held upright to drain in the plug hole is how best to do this? Maybe add some flexible tubing on the spout to give some maneuvering room?

[62champ]

A leak from the pinion seal will be obvious - it will be wet from there to the lowest point where it is dripping off.

One thing you will realize is that there is not a huge amount of clearance between the gas tank and rear of the diff. One thing you can do is put the frame, just where the front of the leaf springs end, on jack stands and allow the rear end to drop down to make more room. I have done the home-made funnel thing, but it can take some time. The nicest thing would be a type of pump where all you have to do is stick the hose in and fill without trying to balance two things at once - think there are even some pumps for cordless drills, but hand pumps as well. Redline, Royal Purple, and Amsoil make some great synthetic rear lube that will be superior to any dino and not nearly as big a power robber as well. Good luck.

[LeoH]

I can see the clearance issue since the car is up on stands right now, that's partly what spurred me to think about doing the rear end fluid, but after reading one of the threads about the refill, one of the more well known posters (can't remember who now) warned about doing this off the ground as the difference in axle position affects the fluid level and can cause overfill to leak out the front seal. Considering I am already leaking out the front, I hesitate to consider synth blend now. If or when I do replace the front seal, I'd more likely switch then.

Thanks for the suggestion about a hand or drill pump, I will look into those options.

[62champ]

Unless your rear bumper is three feet higher than the front, you are not going to get a big difference in the diff. angle. You could always fill, lower car, catch run off, and then put in the filler plug.

I can remember my father talking about his '53 coupe - 375,000 miles and never has done a full rear refill - he said it would need a pint about every 50K and has never given a lick of trouble.

If you do go funnel/bottle route, you can guarantee some of that oil running down one of your arms while you are trying to hold everything - ah, the fun. Good luck.

[StudeRich]

The solution is no farther than the nearest Auto Parts Store. Most or all of them sell the Gear Oil Pump that comes with a tube to fit the depth of a Qt. or Gallon of Gear Lube. I think my Oil and Pump are StaLube brand, just look or ask at your store, works great with no access problems. I filled one with a gigantic Trailer hitch brace running VERY close in front of the Diff.

I have seen factory setups on '50's Studes. with the brake line clamp on one of the top rear cover screws and the line almost covering the cover flange, but when the screw comes out, no problem, the line will move away.

It is very common for these 40-50 year old Pinion Seals to fail and need replacement, it COULD mean that your front Pinion Bearing is sloppy, but not always. You will find out when you remove the driveline flange. Usually a seal will at least HELP. Give it a try.

[Skip Lackie]

IRT your question about preformed brake lines, I don't think any are available for your car (would be glad to be proven wrong). The big brake line companies (eg, Inline Tube, etc) will make you a set if you provide them with your old ones as a pattern. However, my "research" of this subject a few years ago turned up only a couple of Stude models for which brake line patterns had already been made. I recently made up new brake lines for a 3R6 pickup, and was able to use pre-cut, standard size, already flared tubes for most of the pieces. I did have to make two short lines, and used the new copper-nickle tubing available from FedHill. It's easier to make leak-proof double flares.

[52 Ragtop]

As far as the preformed brake lines go, there are 2 companies that make them: www.inlinetube.com, and www.classictube.com. IIRC, inline tube, a=has a lot of Studebaker lines. I bought a complete set in stainless steel for my 63 Avanti. "Most" of the lines were dead on, some required a little tweaking to dial them in.
If anybody needs a new line for the stock single M/C to the T contact me, as I converted to a dual M/C.

Jim

[Morris Van Horne]

When I replaced the fluid, I took the specs on the rear end oil to NAPA, and they were able to recommend a modern replacement. They also had a pump shaped like a standard grease gun with a plastic hose on the front end. Used the same pump for the tranny and overdrive except had to shrink the hose size for the tranny/OD.

[brian6373]

To keep oil from running down your arm, like when you pull the engine oil drain plug or any other job like that, tie a rag around your wrist. Works great.

Brian

[LeoH]

To keep oil from running down your arm, like when you pull the engine oil drain plug or any other job like that, tie a rag around your wrist. Works great.

Brian

That sounds good!

[LeoH]

When I replaced the fluid, I took the specs on the rear end oil to NAPA, and they weee able to recommend a modern replacement. They also had a pump shaped like a standard grease gun with a plastic hose on the front end. Used the same pump for the tranny and overdrive except had to shrink the hose size for the tranny/OD.

Interesting. I'll look for that pump, with the rag around the wrist as a cost saving alternative if the price is not right on the pump.

[LeoH]

I have seen factory setups on '50's Studes. with the brake line clamp on one of the top rear cover screws and the line almost covering the cover flange, but when the screw comes out, no problem, the line will move away.

That's what I saw. The bolt below the one holding the brake line clip is right under the path of the brake line. I know it's steel, but I'm hesitant to tweak the line out obviously if I don't have to. I hear what you're saying though, thanks.

It is very common for these 40-50 year old Pinion Seals to fail and need replacement, it COULD mean that your front Pinion Bearing is sloppy, but not always. You will find out when you remove the driveline flange. Usually a seal will at least HELP. Give it a try.

That'll be for another day. Replacing the rear cylinders, getting the buggered axle threads rechased, draining and bleeding the brakes by myself for the first time is a plate overflowing enough, thankyouverymuch. I've looked at a couple of videos about replacing the pinion seal. Brrrrrrr. Not by myself, that's for sure.

I looked in the manual for the system bleed routine and did not see one. I am assuming that the bleed pattern should be Hill Holder, Rt. rear, Lt. rear, Rt. Front, Lt. Front if I go by the idea of furthest to closest to the M/C? I'm also curious as to how long it takes, in general, to do an alcohol flush of the system? I am not going to do that now, but I wasn't happy in the appearance of the fluid in the MC after I sucked most out last year and I might do that later this year.

[Skip Lackie]

I looked in the manual for the system bleed routine and did not see one. I am assuming that the bleed pattern should be Hill Holder, Rt. rear, Lt. rear, Rt. Front, Lt. Front if I go by the idea of furthest to closest to the M/C? I'm also curious as to how long it takes, in general, to do an alcohol flush of the system? I am not going to do that now, but I wasn't happy in the appearance of the fluid in the MC after I sucked most out last year and I might do that later this year.

Agree on your flushing order. And if you're going to replace all the brake rubber parts, I'd suggest flushing with something more volatile than alcohol, like lacquer thinner or acetone. It will cut all the sludge in any remaining steel lines, and 30 seconds of compressed air will dry out the lines completely.

[LeoH]

Thanks for the suggestion Skip.