LotusTalk - The Lotus Cars Community - View Single Post - Stainless Steel Brake Line Install Walkthrough complete with PHOTOS!!!

davecarama · 08-24-2008, 06:41 PM

05 Elise Fronts

The lines:
Passenger Front.

Warning, this one SUCKS. You have already gotten everything out of your way that you can, but you will notice that there is a coolant hose in the way I was able to use my wrench on the inside of the little plastic thing, some people use a dremmel tool and make the hole longer. The plastic thing just happens to be the thing that holds your windshield in place, which is why I chose to NOT MESS WITH IT.

REMOVAL
Follow the line up from the caliper till you see a little tab bracing it against the suspension. Use your 10mm wrench to remove the tab and let the hose dangle (save the nut). Sector111 kit comes with new clips, if you have the Goodridge kit, you need to save the clip to reuse it.
Follow the hose the rest of the way up and you will see it has a nut. The 17mm nut is on the other side of that wall, and is what lives under that big plastic thing. You want the long 13mm banjo nut again. Again, stuff is going to come out. I used put a rag to soak up the drips. There is no way you can get hoses in there, it is going to be messy. Loosen that banjo nut till it is free to slide away from the hose.
Now take a 17mm and a 15mm, put the 17mm on the larger nut (same side as the banjo) and the 15mm on the other one. Remove the 17mm one and if you are using the Goodridge lines, you will need to save this (and the washer). You will not need to reuse these with the sector111 kit as they provide new ones.
Pull the line out of the hole and use the 15mm to loosen the other end from the caliper.

INSTALL
Take the new line and stick it in the caliper, turn away until it is snug. If you are using a Sector111 kit, use a 14mm to tighten the bolt.
Stick a washer on the other end of the hose (if you have the sector111 kit, if you have the Goodridge kit, you can ignore that).
Place the hose through the hole and use a washer and the 17mm nut until hand tight.
CHECK THE LINE NOW. Check to be sure it is a natural flow, not twisted or kinked. If it looks good go to the next step, if not, loosen the 17mm and let the hose unbind.
Using the 14mm wrench, hold the hose still and use the 17mm to tighten the nut so the hose is firmly in place.
Attach the banjo nut now to the hose and tighten snug with the 13mm wrench.
Use the clip to secure the brake line to the suspension (use the needle nose pliers to help pinch the clip around the hose) tighten with the 10mm wrench. Be sure you have full steering wheel movement.

(For the passenger side, removal and install is harder than it sounds. For the drivers side… well, it is just as hard as it sounds)

Do the same thing to the Drivers side front. And you are DONE! Almost… You need to bleed the brakes… and put your car back together. Don’t know how to bleed? Ask someone else, I am tired!

Total time to remove and assemble: 2.5 - 3 hours (not including the brake bleed). Break it up with a partner, and I bet you can do it in half the time (splitting wheels)

08-24-2008, 06:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
davecarama Driving it every day! Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 651	05 Elise Fronts The lines: Passenger Front. Warning, this one SUCKS. You have already gotten everything out of your way that you can, but you will notice that there is a coolant hose in the way I was able to use my wrench on the inside of the little plastic thing, some people use a dremmel tool and make the hole longer. The plastic thing just happens to be the thing that holds your windshield in place, which is why I chose to NOT MESS WITH IT. REMOVAL Follow the line up from the caliper till you see a little tab bracing it against the suspension. Use your 10mm wrench to remove the tab and let the hose dangle (save the nut). Sector111 kit comes with new clips, if you have the Goodridge kit, you need to save the clip to reuse it. Follow the hose the rest of the way up and you will see it has a nut. The 17mm nut is on the other side of that wall, and is what lives under that big plastic thing. You want the long 13mm banjo nut again. Again, stuff is going to come out. I used put a rag to soak up the drips. There is no way you can get hoses in there, it is going to be messy. Loosen that banjo nut till it is free to slide away from the hose. Now take a 17mm and a 15mm, put the 17mm on the larger nut (same side as the banjo) and the 15mm on the other one. Remove the 17mm one and if you are using the Goodridge lines, you will need to save this (and the washer). You will not need to reuse these with the sector111 kit as they provide new ones. Pull the line out of the hole and use the 15mm to loosen the other end from the caliper. INSTALL Take the new line and stick it in the caliper, turn away until it is snug. If you are using a Sector111 kit, use a 14mm to tighten the bolt. Stick a washer on the other end of the hose (if you have the sector111 kit, if you have the Goodridge kit, you can ignore that). Place the hose through the hole and use a washer and the 17mm nut until hand tight. CHECK THE LINE NOW. Check to be sure it is a natural flow, not twisted or kinked. If it looks good go to the next step, if not, loosen the 17mm and let the hose unbind. Using the 14mm wrench, hold the hose still and use the 17mm to tighten the nut so the hose is firmly in place. Attach the banjo nut now to the hose and tighten snug with the 13mm wrench. Use the clip to secure the brake line to the suspension (use the needle nose pliers to help pinch the clip around the hose) tighten with the 10mm wrench. Be sure you have full steering wheel movement. (For the passenger side, removal and install is harder than it sounds. For the drivers side… well, it is just as hard as it sounds) Do the same thing to the Drivers side front. And you are DONE! Almost… You need to bleed the brakes… and put your car back together. Don’t know how to bleed? Ask someone else, I am tired! Total time to remove and assemble: 2.5 - 3 hours (not including the brake bleed). Break it up with a partner, and I bet you can do it in half the time (splitting wheels) __________________ Vision without execution is a hallucination.