Build 1969 FJ40 named Mavis

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I decided to try this for replacement hose.

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Whoops, we couldn't find that. - https://www.grainger.com/product/55YL96?RIID=70355674495&GID=&mid=OrderConfirmation_REST&rfe=8214da4d1989cb76611677054a190683717d43ec538c2ff1c66b2612e958944e&gcrfe=8214da4d1989cb76611677054a190683717d43ec538c2ff1c66b2612e958944e&gucid=EMT:11126144:Item:CSM-323&emcid=NA:Item
I think the O.D. is slightly oversized, but I can use trickery to allow it to work.
 
Ozz said:
Where did you drill the hole exactly? I'm having the same issue with mine.
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I drilled it on the bottom so it could drain out. I sprayed electrical contact cleaner in it and just kept pushing it on/off until it felt like it was working properly. It is still working fine
 
Got my 10 feet of hose from Grainger today and removed the other end from the old hose. Cut the hose to length using the old hose as a pattern.

Took 15 minutes to install the old fittings on the new hose and another 15 minutes to run the hose through the frame and connect both ends.

Stupid simple job requiring only hand tools, though I used a vice on one end and a Knipex on the other, just to see if the vice was necessary to press the nut over the tapered bushing to get a good seal. Vice is not necessary, but recommend at least a slip joint pliers.

Unless you lose the original hardware or they are stripped out, I simply don't see the point of using any aftermarket solution. Mr T designed it to be rebuilt.

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120mm said:
Got these beauties in the mail today. Installed and bled the brakes, but am holding off on new soft lines because my calibrated mechanic hand told me I might ruin a hard line or two taking them off without copious penetrating oil, some heat and time. In the meantime I will drive it to see if the new cylinders didn't just fix the issue.

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Sorry for the blurry pic but the old cylinders were basically unused FIC units that looked every day of the 20 years this rig sat.

Even though I honed the bores, my finger felt a hinky bore surface in the one that was sticky. Also replaced the other cylinder because it was in the wrong position and was annoying to adjust.

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Here I am, two years later, replacing the Right Rear Rear brake cylinder. It has been leaking from immediately after installation, and is now leaking from everywhere.

I know that most repop parts are garbage, but just wanted more than two years out of it.

I still haven't installed the soft lines, due to rust concerns and not wanting to brake off the hard fittings getting them off. But time to bite that bullet.
 
Soak your brake fittings with a 50/50 mixture of acetone and automatic transmission fluid the day before you mess with them. Get some proper line wrenches. Be prepared to cut and flare with a new nut on the steel line.
It may not suck as bad as you think, but it's worth the hassle to try to mitigate problems and be prepared if they come along.
I intend to do the same with my 60 in the spring. Last trip to the Rockies with a trailer shortened the life of my brakes significantly.
 
I actually prefer a vice grip on the nut over a flare wrench to crack the line. I have never found a flare nut wrench that wouldn’t strip a nut if pushed hard enough. But what do I know; I’ve only been working on rusty FJ40s for fourty years.
:rolleyes:
 
120mm said:
0% chance of doing that successfully. You may as well asked me to be prepared to jump to the moon
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Buy a 25 foot roll of the material and a bunch of extra nuts.
Practice on scrap until you get the feel for it. This is probably going to be necessary for at least some of your original lines.
Learn to make new ones, or pay someone a lot of money to make you new ones. The rust eventually turns into a leak. Leaking turns into brake pedal Inop, then your beautiful survivor of a landcruiser becomes scrap metal due to a collision at speed!
Don't let this happen to you, learn to build reliable steel flared lines.
 
trainbufftony said:
Buy a 25 foot roll of the material and a bunch of extra nuts.
Practice on scrap until you get the feel for it. This is probably going to be necessary for at least some of your original lines.
Learn to make new ones, or pay someone a lot of money to make you new ones. The rust eventually turns into a leak. Leaking turns into brake pedal Inop, then your beautiful survivor of a landcruiser becomes scrap metal due to a collision at speed!
Don't let this happen to you, learn to build reliable steel flared lines.
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Yeah, I know how to make flared lines. I've made a few as an aircraft mechanic.

It's the idea that a mere mortal can cut off a pre existing line and reflare it successfully without cracking it or creating a leak that I was responding to
 
120mm said:
Yeah, I know how to make flared lines. I've made a few as an aircraft mechanic.

It's the idea that a mere mortal can cut off a pre existing line and reflare it successfully without cracking it or creating a leak that I was responding to
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If your flare tool cracks the line, it's a s***ty flare tool. The offset eccentric style flare tool from Ridgid works awesome.
RIDGID 41162 Model 377 Precision Non-Ratcheting Flaring Tool https://share.google/fmXu1aoLBqbihgH4Y
Here's a cheaper version that's still eccentric: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C4NKJWBS?tag=ihco-20

Eastwood also sells a version of this one I found on Amazon, which also works great but isn't exactly handy for trying to flare lines that are still on the car.

Simply put, the cheap harbor freight or auto zone flare tool are basically garbage, IMHO. You'll be amazed at how good you are at flaring lines with proper equipment. 🤠
 
Let's not confuse flaring a new brake line with flaring an old brake line in place. Primarily because there's usually no way to get the cutting and flaring tools in there and once you do, stretching the hard line to make it fit is a bad word.

I've tried it myself and seen others try it and it has worked exactly zero times.

You are welcome to prove me wrong. You do live just down the road :)
 
120mm said:
Let's not confuse flaring a new brake line with flaring an old brake line in place. Primarily because there's usually no way to get the cutting and flaring tools in there and once you do, stretching the hard line to make it fit is a bad word.

I've tried it myself and seen others try it and it has worked exactly zero times.

You are welcome to prove me wrong. You do live just down the road :)
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I'm gonna buy one of those eccentric flare tools after using them a lot in factories. They genuinely do work well on old lines. I fixed many hydraulic issues on ancient equipment with the Ridgid one we had.
If your line is rusty enough that it still cracks with the eccentric tool, it probably needed replacement anyway?
If you're not in a huge hurry I can come give a hand. Either way, it's not hard or expensive to make all new everything, and the new line they sell at O'Reilly is a really nice and pliable material that bends really pretty without kinking, even when just using a broomstick to get the radius you want.
 
120mm said:
Let's not confuse flaring a new brake line with flaring an old brake line in place. Primarily because there's usually no way to get the cutting and flaring tools in there and once you do, stretching the hard line to make it fit is a bad word.

I've tried it myself and seen others try it and it has worked exactly zero times.

You are welcome to prove me wrong. You do live just down the road :)
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Can confirm.

Where replacing an entire line is not practical, i make a section of new NiCop, or purchase a preflared line at the local auto store for $10 and splice it with a swageloc. Jim @Downey introduced me to them 24 years ago when he built the prototype cantilever shackles and installed them on Ruftoys. They have been on the truck for 24 years without issue
 
65swb45 said:
I actually prefer a vice grip on the nut over a flare wrench to crack the line. I have never found a flare nut wrench that wouldn’t strip a nut if pushed hard enough. But what do I know; I’ve only been working on rusty FJ40s for fourty years.
:rolleyes:
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I realized reading this I often do as well! I wonder if the slight compressing of the flare nut in one direction “fractures” the corrosion slightly. I think I got my first (1962) FJ40 in 77’ so yea, pretty close to 40 years, and I certainly did not even have a 9mm flare nut wrench!!
 
120mm said:
Swagelok. What is this strange magick you speak of, wizard?

Cool
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Look them up on McMaster. Many types to choose from.😉
 
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