I've purchased some stainless steel brake lines (ssbl) from classic tube but don't have a clue how to install them. Does anyone have a good write up? I'd really appreciate any suggestions or tips because I've never bled my brakes before.
You need to buy a Factory Maintenance Manual, and I would highly recommend a brake bleeding tool, as opposed to the old "vacuum line stuffed in a beer bottle".... tubing wrenches, as opposed to standard open-end wrenches are also recommended.
Brake fluid is highly corrosive to paint- so don't spill any on your car, or touch your car once you get it on your hands (which you should avoid, because its carcinogenic)
Follow the procedure in the factory manual for removal and replacement of flexible brake lines.
Basically:
You will need to open all the bleeder valves and drain the fluid from the brake lines. Remove the old lines & install the new lines. Then put in new fluid and bleed the system of all air. It can be very messy without the right tools. Do not convert your system over to Silicone fluid- use the factory DOT spec brake fluid.
traffic- If you have installed all of the other parts on your car, I'd bet that you could do the brake pads. Really easy to do. You don't have to disconnect any lines or anything like that at all. The parts are so straight forward that I don't know how you could screw it up.
heicfii- One point I am confused on is why I cannot reuse the fluid that I have drained. My car has 1600 miles on it, and has not been driven anywhere near hard enough to cause the fluid to boil in the lines. Is this just a precaution that is always taken when bleeding brakes? I cannot see that the old fluid would have significantly more exposure to air (and thus humidity to absorb from air) than the new fluid when it is poured into the system.
Replacing the fluid is a precaution, and it is aways done. It isn't just moisture that we're concerned about, its "foreign matter".
I have never heard of a shop that was willing to pour the fluid back into the system, no matter how "new" the fluid was. If they do, they're setting themselves up for a ***** of a lawsuit when the brakes do fail...
The bleeder valves inevitably contain some amount of foreign matter, especially if one of the plastic caps has gone missing. Even a small contaminant from the inside of a receiving container, or the drain hose, can end up causing you a lot of problems (foreign matter, moisture, or other chemicals).
A hydraulic system should always be thought of as a "sterile" system- clean and free of any contaminants. Hydraulic systems hate any form of foreign matter or moisture or air- they end up failing.
A piece of foreign matter (like dirt) can very quickly damage brake piston seals, and score piston liners, leading to leaks and failures. Spend the $12 or so and ensure that your system is "clean". Most foreign matter enters the system through rotting seals, rusting steel, or by allowing contaminants to fall into the reservior when re-filling. In the old days, they didn't have the filter screens on the top of the reservoirs that they have now!
Just because the fluid "looks" good, doesn't mean that it isn't contaminated.
traffic- If you have installed all of the other parts on your car, I'd bet that you could do the brake pads. Really easy to do. You don't have to disconnect any lines or anything like that at all. The parts are so straight forward that I don't know how you could screw it up.
heicfii- One point I am confused on is why I cannot reuse the fluid that I have drained. My car has 1600 miles on it, and has not been driven anywhere near hard enough to cause the fluid to boil in the lines. Is this just a precaution that is always taken when bleeding brakes? I cannot see that the old fluid would have significantly more exposure to air (and thus humidity to absorb from air) than the new fluid when it is poured into the system.
I was told that you should bleed them after changing pads. You need to squeeze the pucks on the calipers and put the new pads on them. I might could get by doing that much, but I want to do it all at one time...
__________________
2006 GT Premium, Black with parchment leather IUP, Shaker 500, Side, 5 speed Hurst shifter.
Mod's are:
JLT CAI with SCT X-cal 2 Tuner w/ Bama Chips 93 octane tune;Gold 10" Shelby stripes. CDC Ducktail & Classic Chin Spoiler. SS Grill with center light option, 1967 GT 350 badging. SLP Long Tube Headers w/ catted X pipe, Flowmasters American Thunder; FRPP 4.10 gears, Steeda ultra springs & UD Pulleys. BMR Fabrications Panhard Bar, LCA's w/ brackets, A arm support, Strut Tower brace.
Spreading the pistons to install new pads is much easier with the system emptied of fluid.
I have to admit, I have not heard of the practice of changing the fluid during a pad replacement, unless the fluid is aged or it is going to overflow when you spread the pistons.
Sounds like a safe practice, but I generally don't mess with the fluid when changing the pads, unless I have reason to believe that the system may already have air in it.
If it is recommended by the pad manufacturer or Ford, then CYA and do it.
I'd like to hear about how the stainless lines feel after the install!
stainless steel brake lines install- HELP! 
