Car Repair: How We Fixed a Broken Metal Brake Line

The Story
I was driving to the store one morning. I had just turned off campus and onto the main road when I heard and felt a small pop, my foot sinking a little lower on the brake pedal. Since it was early, the roads were empty. I tested my brake lightly and realized what had happened: my brake line had broken. I could still stop the car, but it was difficult on flat land, let alone going down hill. Luckily, I was just outside of a CVS Pharmacy parking lot. I pulled in, found a flat spot on the edge of the lot, parked, and walked back to school. Luckily, my parents were passing through on their way to Virginia and my father was able to come help me fix the problem.

The Fix
Fixing the brake line was not hard, but there were multiple leaks due to the age and condition of the vehicle. Before you begin working, I highly suggest that you spot the leak and then thoroughly check the line for other leaks before starting the repair as it will save a lot of trips to the store and ample amounts of fluid.

After deciding that the brake line was definitely the issue, we jacked up the car and secured it. The next step was to find the source of the leak, determine the damage, and decide on a length of line to repair it. Using a hack saw, the section of bad line, caused by rust damage, was removed. We took this section to the auto parts store to find a new length of line equivalent to the old piece. Many DIY repair pages suggest getting a longer section than needed so there will be a piece in case there is another break in the future, which we did. We also picked up two compression fittings to connect the new part to the existing line.

After measuring the part, my father cut it to the necessary length and attached it to the existing line using two wrenches and the compression fittings. As mentioned before, it’s always a good idea to check for other damage while you’re under the car. After repairing the other, less noticeable leaks, we replaced the lost brake fluid and pumped the brakes to rebuild pressure. After checking that no more fluid was leaking and the pedal felt solid, the job was finally and thankfully finished. Remember that after any repair job, it’s important to collect all of your parts and it’s polite to clean up any mess left.


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