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Replacing Brake Lines - 2003 GTP

you master will run dry on you. step one is to bleed it, fill and use the line nuts off the master to the abs pump as a bleeder. pump the brakes hold and crack the line nut, air will come out, do both lines till no more air comes out. then keep the master full and bleed the brakes like normal.
 


The one for the right front wheel basically fell apart the second I touched it. I'm glad I go the whole line kit. I'm not going to mess with the left front. It's a really short run and looks good. So now it's time to reverse the process. I'm going to start with the right front line because it's first in the brackets. I painted it hoping to give it a bit more corrosion resistance - particularly in the area of the insulation. Then I'll move on to the rear lines.

Not sure if I can do it all today - I need to chauffeur the kids around and catch up on some other stuff. I'm going camping next weekend and Dead Metal (the RV) hasn't moved since June - lots of work to do there too. But I can't get the rig out because of where the GTP is sitting so that's my incentive to wrap this project up.
 
Okay - right front line is in. It was nice that Classic Tube bent it to stock parameters but I had to bend the s*** out of it to get it in place. So it's nothing like it should be. I need to work on bending it around the exhaust and whatnot. Hopefully the rear lines will be easier.
 
And done. This. Job. Sucked.

In retrospect, I wouldn't use the Classic Tube kit again. The flexible rubber fittings are much bigger than the stock steel flex hose and introduce 8 more unions (aka potential leaks). It's tough to jam all that stuff behind the ABS module.

Two of their flares that ran from the ABS module to the aforementioned rubber things were sketchy and leaked. I took it apart 3 times because I couldn't get at it and it leaked every time I put it back together. The 3rd time I got a big ass spanner wrench and torqued that thing down as hard as I could. No more leak. The second one may still be leaking a tiny bit. I can't tell if it's residual fluid or what.

Pedal feels okay - could be better. There's probably a bit of air still in there but it stops well. One bleeder wouldn't seal back up so I had to replace it, but iat least I was able to get it loose.

I'll probably bleed it again after my son drives it around for a few days.
 
exactly why i dropped my car off at the shop with the line kits......i was just not into it, (working 6 days a week dont help either) had the kits for a year almost too.
 
Scottydoggs said:
exactly why i dropped my car off at the shop with the line kits......i was just not into it, (working 6 days a week dont help either) had the kits for a year almost too.
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Yeah I could think of about a hundred different and better ways to have spent the weekend. But it's done - my son got to learn some things too. He was driving my backup Avalanche which has a whole lot of issues of its own. I feel better about him driving the GTP.
 


dont get me wrong, hats off to ya. its pita job on your back. the other reason i was not into it.

in the end mine had to be done, i'd patched it up 3 times and it was all ready to let go.
 
Scottydoggs said:
dont get me wrong, hats off to ya. its pita job on your back. the other reason i was not into it.

in the end mine had to be done, i'd patched it up 3 times and it was all ready to let go.
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Oh I get it. My son is 17 and has limited funds. As tempting as it was to have it towed somewhere (where I'd pay for it), I wanted him to learn how to fix it. The line kit was $200 shipped. I split the cost with him. He's got a $500 insurance bill coming up so I cut him some slack :)


I'm going to pay for rolling around on my back for the next few days tho.
 
i agree, time spent with your son and sharing how to fix your car is great for everyone. and you saved a couple hundred easy.

so many kids today cant even change a flat tire. lots of not knowing a damn thing going on. i blame the schools for all this being they cut shop classes out almost everywhere now.
 
i bought a roll of some nickel alloy line from napa it bends really easy and supposed to be corrosion resistant unlike those pita steel lines and i bought a flaring kit from lisle it does bought double flare and bubble flare the bubble flares come out ok after some practice i changes way too many brake lines between my GP and i had a lessabre and silverado . i heard G M uses coated lines now .
 
chenango kid said:
i bought a roll of some nickel alloy line from napa it bends really easy and supposed to be corrosion resistant unlike those pita steel lines and i bought a flaring kit from lisle it does bought double flare and bubble flare the bubble flares come out ok after some practice i changes way too many brake lines between my GP and i had a lessabre and silverado . i heard G M uses coated lines now .
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After this experience I'll probably do nicopp next time. The pre-bent steel lines got all bent out of shape trying to route them anyway. And I'm not sure what the flexible fittings at the ABS module really buy you other than more potential for leaks.
 


Changing the lines is the ****yest job ever. When I was changing mine, it took everything I had to get out to the car and work on them. I loathed every second of it. I procrastinated like no other. HA! The lines and the carpet, what a PITA those were. The lines were a pain, but I didn’t have to bend them or mangle them in any way though. Maybe I just got lucky and they were made right that day. I also had most of the car taken apart, and I was doing the fuel lines at the same time so I had a lot more clearance. The worst part of the lines is the area where they come together at the bottom of the firewall. It was hard to get them to cooperate and to re-clip them into the original brackets. I definitely left a few brackets out.

As far as the rubber hoses, you’re right; More unions = more leaks. But after the headaches of trying to get all those lines to cooperate by the firewall, it was a relief to work with the rubber hoses that have some flexibility and play, instead of the rigid steel. That being said, getting those flare nuts to thread into the ABS module was the WORST. Hands down. Even worse than the actual install. Almost brought me to tears. No joke. It was the last step to completing the entire install… and they WOULD NOT THREAD!! I had to walk away a few times. In the end, after trying off and on for 3 days, I go ‘em in there. I still can’t believe how hard it was. Glad that’s over.

NICOOP is an option. I didn’t want to worry about all the different union sizes, buying the flare tool, cutting, flaring. Seemed like a bigger PITA. I weighed my options and went pre-bent to be done with it.
 
Yeah getting the fitting to thread into the ABS module without cross-threading them was ridiculous. My fingers still hurt. And the bend by the firewall was the worst. I got 2 of the 3 clipped in. I couldn't get the RF line to cooperate so I said f-it. It's not touching anything it shouldn't be.
 
i always turn them line nuts backwards slowly while lightly pushing in on it, as you turn it you'll feel a click and the nut will drop deeper, now you know the starting threads are lined up. now turn clockwise and most of the time with a little wiggle and they thread right in.
 
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