Front brake Hardline replacement

[Mikealwa]

I need to replace the front brake hardlines from the abs to each wheel well. I got the right oem lines from the dealer which have to be bent. Do I have to follow the factory route when installing? It looks likes it's be very difficult if not impossible without removing a lot from the engine bay.

The cars an 1989 325ix I just picked up. It's pretty rusty and has over 250000 miles. I'm not sure how long it's goona last me but I'd like to get it rolling without having to go to crazy taking everything out of the engine bay to get the new lines in.

[superj]

you can run it whichever way gets your brakes working and doesn't cause interference with other stuff.

and those unbent lines are cheaper from a local autoparts place. just for next time

[Mikealwa]

So I got both oem front hardlines in from the abs to the wheel wells...almost. Overbent the passenger (longer line) as I was trying to get it I to abs module. Went out at bout no copper line and a cheap bubble flare kit to make my own. The kit wasn't very good and after a lot of tries got some suspect flares and installed the line.

I went to bleed the brakes with help from my gf. Only the past rear brake bled and the suspect pass front!? I could t get anything out of the driver's rear. I don't see any major kinks in any of the lines or leaks anywhere. I do have the chase bays flex rear brake line kit. Maybe something is overtightened at a junction in the kit? I don't know what that caliper won't flow fluid. I do have brand new calipers all around. I started the car up to move it, needless to say the peddle goes straight to the floor but the car will stop itself. Also the check engine light came on and the car struggles when I apply the brake now. I may have over extended the Piston in the mc and that may be buggered as well as the booster? Haha I'm too impatient for this kind of work, I just want these darn brakes rollin. In debating on buying the chase bays brake booster delete and abs delete to simplify the system and remove all Hardline. I feel like then I'll have way less issues to trouble shoot, but I'm done for now spending any more money.

This may be a bit of a rant, but any tips? I might have to redo the front brake lines with a better quality flare tool, but I was able to get flow through the line I made myself. Other then that I do t know where to start.

[superj]

it took forever for me to get fluid when I put new hard lines on my truck. you could be just stuck pumping for a really really long time. it took like two days before I got pedal. I would lay under the truck while my son pumped and we would do a half an hour at a time and then swap and do it for an hour and then take a break from aggravation.

[Mikealwa]

That's great insight. The odd thing is I have fluid going to the furthest wheel from the abs🤔. I will definitely just do another few bleeding sessions before I go buying a new MC or booster. I must have created a vacuum leak when puting the lines in causing the car to stall so I'll look for that as well. I have a bad feeling I messed up the seal in the mc. When I got the car the PO just blocked off the outlet at the abs for the rears and the front brakes worked fine. So I wanna say if I get the lines in good things should work.

[Mikealwa]

After doing some research I decided I'm deleting the abs. It'll clean everything up and make it so much easier to install new lines to the MC and trouble shoot further issues, if any. The abs may be good still, but with a car this old and all that extra line required to get to the abs it's just a black box of issues. I drove a 2001 Civic for years with no abs or tc so I'm not worried about it. All I had to do was buy a t fitting and some line and I can get this hooked up and see where we're at then!

[superj]

if you know how to brake properly, you don't need abs anyways. you just have to make sure your safety inspection doesn't get messed up from it so save your parts in case the make you put it back in

[Mikealwa]

There's no safety inspection in WI and no emissions for vehicles over 20 yrs old 😬.

[superj]

lucky dog

[Mikealwa]

Abs is out, I may test the mc and brake booster by plugging one outlet of the mc and connecting one caliper with a line to the other port of the mc to see if I can at least bleed and gold pressure in the system with one wheel. I should easily be able to diagnose a bad mc this way I'm thinking. If all's good I will continue!

[Stück]

I would not remove and delete the ABS just because its a little extra work to make the requisite lines.

I hand bent every line for the E30 I'm restoring from a spool of bulk line and flare the fittings with new line nuts on them. It was a couple hours work to clone each line with painstaking precision, surely quick and good enough would go faster....

[Mikealwa]

I just bought this car for fairly cheap. It seems in ok shape, but to be honest I haven't even gotten it on the road yet. You can definitely tell it's been in the Midwest all of its life. I think I'd need to pull a decent amount of stuff from the engine bay to cleanly get the lines in to the abs unit. I'm afraid if I start doing that I'll find way more that needs fixing haha. For now I just want to get it rolling and this seems the simplist way. I'll have the abs pump and can always do it over the factory way in the future. To be honest this car isn't in very good shape and it may not be worth that effort to keep the abs in at least not for me right now.

[Mikealwa]

I finally had time to flare my own nicopp lines after eliminating the abs and I have brakes!

[superj]

nice. brakes are definitely helpful.

[MVADER]

Was your abs system working before removal? I’m running all new hardlines, just have abs pump to passenger front caliper left to do. Also ran rear hardliners as well.

You wouldn’t happen to be parting ways with your abs pump/computer?

- - - Updated - - -

Those pictures satisfy my OCD. Goddamn

[Mikealwa]

I'd get rid of it. I didn't have any lights on, but I can't confirm it works. I destroyed the plastic cover that covers the unit because there was an Allen bolt holding the cover on that was very stuck. I chose to brake the plastic cover off and in doing so smashed a relay or fuse on the unit? 🤐. I wasn't anticipating reusing the pump, so I wasn't worried about it. I can take a pick TMR if you want. I'm usually more careful.

[MVADER]

Yeah if you don’t mind sending a picture, I’ve got a bunch of relays and spare plastic cover. You wouldn’t happen to have the abs ecu as well?

[ZeroDarkE30]

I would not remove and delete the ABS just because its a little extra work to make the requisite lines.

I hand bent every line for the E30 I'm restoring from a spool of bulk line and flare the fittings with new line nuts on them. It was a couple hours work to clone each line with painstaking precision, surely quick and good enough would go faster....

Every time i see this mans car a single tear falls from my eye knowing how much time and money it takes to get this clean.

[superj]

yup. they are always beautiful cars when Jordan is done with them

[Mikealwa]

Yeah if you don’t mind sending a picture, I’ve got a bunch of relays and spare plastic cover. You wouldn’t happen to have the abs ecu as well?

I'll take a pic today and post after work. I'm learning as I go so if there's a standalone ECU for the abs in the cabin, I did t touch that and it's still in there. I dont need it, but would need to look into getting it out. I'm assuming it's not too bad.

[Mikealwa]

Here ya go MVADER. If you want it I can probably spend some time soon to get the abs computer thingy out.

IMG_20200127_171234709_HDR by Mike
IMG_20200127_171149621 by Mike
IMG_20200127_171204987_HDR by Mike

You can see corrosion of some kind on the top as well. I want to assume it works, but I would get rid of it if you want to give it a shot.

PS:
IMG_20200127_171608414 by Mike

Since I got the brakes sorted with new calipers, rotors, pads and all new lines, we got the timing belt changed, water pump, distributor and rotor, camshaft seal, thermostat, thermostat bleed screw, all new coolant hoses, accessory belts, new ps pump tension-er bracket. Changed the rear diff fluid, now need to change the front diff fluid, transfer case fluid, tranny fluid probably this weekend. Then goona lube up my the splines on the front drive shaft as thats a known failure point for the IX if not properly maintained. After that need the valves adjusted and the dog gone tachometer fixed in addition to millions of things likely to pop up as usual. Want so bad to take her out in the snow as I know the AWD is functioning properly, but I have rust issues and some holes in the floor pan, so IDK if its worth it.

[MVADER]

damn you did a number on that pump cover and took out the pump relay as well! I actually was able to source another pump but thanks for looking out!

I had my tach go on my car too, ended up being the Lithium Batteries in the SI board, was able to swap those out and it was working again. While I had the cluster out I checked the gears on the odometer (odo wasnt working) and they were crumbled, ordered a set of new gears from garagistic and popped those in and my odometer and got that working as well!

https://www.garagistic.com/collectio...dometer-repair just check to see if you have VDO or Motometer gauges, that makes a difference lol

later on in my resto I might check out some cluster refurbs by E30_dad on instagram, he makes some really impressive stuff you should check him out!

https://www.instagram.com/e30_dad/

[Mikealwa]

Ha, I guess I did do a number on there. Glad you got a good pump and thanks for the tip. I'm guessing it is my batteries, but spunJ mentioned a pigtail connecter at the dme I still have to try to locate to make sure it's connected...above the glove box.