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I received the AliExpress ISO/DIN flare tool and it seems to work pretty good. Shipping was quick since I ordered it last week. Between this and the Titan tool I think the Titan flare looks a little bit more like the photos of the Mercedes brake line flares, but thats me knit picking.
AliExpress flare on Left, Titan flare on the right:
Now im thinking the original AGS M10x1 nuts I bought are labeled wrong, I think they are some type of inverted flare nut, not bubble flare nuts.
I found a local company, Belmetric, that looks like they carry the correct M10x1 Bubble flare stainless steel nuts. They also have plugs which look handy for capping the line while working. Shipping prices are reasonable. Unfortunately they dont seem to carry stainless hexagon spacers.
Now im just waiting for a new ATE brake hose to get here. Might as well replace it.
I received the AliExpress ISO/DIN flare tool and it seems to work pretty good. Shipping was quick since I ordered it last week. Between this and the Titan tool I think the Titan flare looks a little bit more like the photos of the Mercedes brake line flares, but thats me knit picking.
AliExpress flare on Left, Titan flare on the right:
I don't think you're nitpicking at all. The two flares are clearly at different angles, and look to have different sized sealing surfaces, which means one of them isn't going to seal correctly. I don't know which is correct, but if the Titan one looks more like the M-B flares, then that is the one I would be using.
Half way done, I think. Having trouble getting the old brake line fitting off the flex line. I hit it with some liquid wrench yesterday and today and its still stripping. Tried a flare wrench and not good, so i cut the brake line to fit a socket on and nope. Now i have to dig out the vise grips, hopefully those work.
Surprisingly i have no brake fluid dripping, none. I hooked up my pressure bleeder, no pressure. I filled the fluid reservoir full, filled the pressure bleeder line full, then hooked it up. No idea if this is helping, but was able to cut, flare and cap the line with no fluid loss.
The little Craftsman tube cutter i used is great, cut it no problem. The first flare i had made I totally forgot to put the nut on, so had to cut and do it again. This original brake line sucks, it rusts wherever the coating comes off.
Vise grips worked. Looking at the old line I just removed it does look a little wet at the location where it clips in under the car. Maybe me moving it around loosened up the rust.
I ordered some crows foot flare wrench's and they dont work, they are too short so the ratchet gets in the way. I only got them to use my torque wrench on. I have regular flare wrenchs ill just use instead.
Bending the lines was much more involved than I thought it would be. First time I just bent the line by hand taping it to the old line, went to install it and it was way off. Had to bend it all over again. I learned alot, was very frustrating. I may even order more brake line and do it again, take my time and get it perfect.
It does fit, clips where it should and stays where it belongs.
That Titan flare tool is really good, made perfect flares every time. I would not buy that chinese tool, even though I did but I just wanted to see how it performed. I bled the brake line and everything looks good, no leaks. I was only able to torque the new flex line to the caliper, couldnt get the torque wrench to fit anywhere else. But I cranked down on the fittings. The old fitting going to the flex line looked pretty crushed.
I left the brake line a little long when I installed it. i fished it through the drivers side to the passenger side. It was a pain getting it through.
After fitting the brake line the ends didnt meet up how I wanted so I had to cut and flare it again.
After cutting and flare the end again. Its dark out now so photos arent the best.
I think I lucked out replacing the brake line. I was looking at the old line and its wet at two areas, looks like where they clipped in under the car. Pretty sure its brake fluid seeping out.
I noticed brake fluid seeping out from around the bleeder so i tightened it a little more and it started seeping more. Very odd. I loosened it and torqued it down again 7nm/62 in-lbs). Guess i'll buy new bleeders. Looks like they are $23, also different part #'s from the front bleeders. I may just look for some used brake calipers in good condition and replace them. My calipers look pretty beat.
I was also looking around at used rear calipers and noticed there are 2 different part #'s for each side. My specific calipers are listed as no longer available.
I wonder what the difference is, if they are interchangeable. On FCP it shows the other model as fitting my car.
Took off the wheel just to inspect everything and see exactly which calipers are on there. Brake lines look good, havent fallen off thankfully.
I noticed a tiny amount of brake fluid around the bleeder. Cleaned and dried the area and it started seeping again. When I replaced the brake line I had put some strips of painters tape on the brake fluid reservoir so I can keep the fluid at the same level when I was finished, i kept the tape on just so I can see if the fluid level goes down, so far it looks the same.
I was curious how much brake line I used so I unrolled what I had left and measured it. It was a 12' roll and now I have a little over 6' left. The roll came with fittings already installed that I didnt use so I cut those off, probably 1" each side, then I trimmed another 1" during install.
I am going to order another roll of brake line also. I do plan on replacing the forward section of brake line at some point, probably after winter. I dont see a real need to now. But i am going to remake the rear section since I saved the old section. Im not really happy with how the end near the caliper came out.
I came across an interesting video on how to straighten the brake line from a roll:
I came across some interesting info in the repair manual on replacing the hard lines. Should have looked for this before doing the work, but it just confirm what I did was right.
Shows the exact fittings I used, same with the type of flares.
It mentions that an additional two connecting points are permissible per brake line. Im not sure what that means, are they talking about splices into the line?
Then it says to thoroughly wax the brake line after mounting. I did not use the Mercedes cavity wax but i did go ahead and cover all the lines with Fluid Film and Surface Shield. I went under the car and sprayed everything down to hopefully protect against rust and corrosion through the winter. I really wanted to protect the fittings at the flex lines in case i ever have to replace them they wont be so hard to remove or else ill have to cut them and redo the hard lines.
I picked up a brake fluid tester for $1.95. I purchased it on ebay Thursday and it was delivered today which is Sunday, odd I even got mail today. I tried it out on a container of brake fluid ive had for over 2yrs now and its showing no moisture. i just found it interesting since ive had this fluid in a pressure bleeder twice now when bleeding brakes and poured it back in the container when I was done.
I made another rear section going to the passenger side since im not really happy with the first one I made. The last bend near the flex line looks a little kinked to me and bugs me. Im learning theres really no way to get nice tight 90 degree bends like the original lines, also the new line doesnt have to exactly match the original line just as long as the places where it attaches to the car are the same places.
Heres the line i have on the car now, the bend doesnt look right and it should be up more where i have the red line, the original line was above the top of the spring mount.
New section I made. Red squares are where the brake line clips to the car.
I deleted that 90 degree bend in the photo above since it really is not needed, its not going around anything on the car.
I got another roll of brake line to connect this section to and replace the part that runs underneath the car to the front drivers wheel well.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
If you want to test that the brake fluid tester is accurate, add some water to some brake fluid and test it. Not sure if using only water is a good test, but using a small amount of brake fluid and water in a small cup should work. That's what I did when I had my doubts and it showed the tester to be working properly.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
