Replacing Rear Brake Lines

Flybynight · 07-27-2009, 05:30 PM

I have just had my 2000 318i SE Touring fail it's annual inspection on a whole bunch of things but one of them is the rear brake lines which are corroding. The garage quoted me around £400-500 (about US$600-$750) to do the work which sounds excessive to me and it's money I really don't have at the moment. I checked out Ebay for the parts and tools that I think I would need (brake line flaring tool, pipe bender, pipe cutter etc.) and it's looking more and more appealing to do the work myself.

Can anyone tell me if this job is likely to be out of my league? I would say that I am a keen amateur mechanic with a good understanding of most things mechanical and I do routine maintenance like oil changes etc without breaking a sweat. I have a good selection of quality tools to hand and I don't mind getting my hands dirty.

Would I need to remove the fuel tank, prop shaft and exhaust or can I work around them? Will I be able to do the work with the car just on stands or does it need to be hoisted? I was looking at using copper lines but I have since read a few bad things about copper. Kunifer seems to be the preferred brake line material - any comments? Is it possible to clamp the brake lines anywhere to prevent draining the system or will I need to do a full drain, re-fill and bleed? If so is that a big job? Is the clutch on the same hydraulic system? Will that need bleeding too?

Answers to any of the above will be really gratefully received. I have googled around a bit and only managed to find a walkthrough on replacing the flexible sections with braided SS hoses so if anyone has a link to a DIY walkthrough on replacing the rigid lines I would be eternally in your debt

Thanks, Paul.

Lbert · 07-29-2009, 11:47 PM

I would get another quote or two from other garages before tackling the job.

The clutch is on a separate line with its own master cylinder. Although the brake line might be rusted, it does not mean the clutch is the same.

Flybynight · 07-30-2009, 04:35 PM

Thanks for that Lbert. I have called another place today (an independent BMW specialist) and they wouldn't even quote me! They said it could be an hour or a day to replace the brake lines. I said that they couldn't be much of a specialist if they didn't know how long it would take to replace the lines on an E46! Seems like a pretty standard procedure to me. Not the easiest job but I can't see where the huge variation in labour comes into play. I just need the whole rear lines replaced, the procedure for which should not really be a mystery for a BMW Specialist - heck I can't be the first person with corroded brake lines on an E46 can I?

n2Bimmer · 07-30-2009, 05:17 PM

You shoud DIY, its very easy, Undo it and put the new ones on.

xavi330i · 08-28-2009, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n2Bimmer

You shoud DIY, its very easy, Undo it and put the new ones on.

Don't forget to bleed them too.

Flybynight · 08-28-2009, 09:23 AM

Thanks for the info guys. I have now done the job (and a few more besides!) and while it wasn't difficult it was awkward.

I waited until the fuel tank was almost empty then removed the exhaust and heat shield, dropped the tank so that it sat on the prop shaft. This gave me enough play in the tank to be able to wedge it on the left side of the car so that there was a gap almost big enough to get my hand up over the tank.

The lines were corroded right where they join to the hoses so for the right side it was easy as it is in two sections which join just behind the fuel tank so I had that one out in a few minutes. The left side was one complete length from the hose to the brake distributor thingy under the bonnet. I decided to remove it in two pieces and cut it just in front of the fuel tank. It then came out quite easily and almost in tact.

I took all three pieces to my local auto spares shop and they made the lines up for me while I waited.

When I got back home I straightened out the new lines (the long one was coiled up) and set about putting all the bends into the lines using the originals as a template. That was pretty easy. The harder part was to get the long one installed without deforming it too much. It was obvious that I would have to bend it around a little to twist it here and there to get it up over the tank but it wasn't too hard to do.

I tidied up the lines so they were nice and straight then clipped them into their retaining clips and connected up each end. I bought a pressurised brake bleeding kit which made the brake bleeding process a breeze - I highly recommend it!

With that done (and with me feeling proud as punch that I had done some real work on my BMW instead of just the usual filter changes etc.) I moved on to fix some other issues that had caused it to fail it's annual inspection:

1. Front Wishbones and Bushes
2. Steering Rack Gaiter
3. RTA Bushes
4. RTA Ball Joint (Where it joins with the upper control arm)
5. 2 New Rear Coil Springs
6. Handbrake Not Working on Right Side
7. Headlight Alignment
8. License Plate Bulb Replaced
9. Screen Washer Jet Nozzle out of alignment!!!!

When it actually passed it's inspection I was amazed but I was even more surprised that I had managed to do all the work myself. Thanks to this site and my trusty Haynes manual I set out to do the work and the outcome was great - I didn't rush anything, I just thought it all through logically. In total the garage had quoted about £1250 and I did the whole lot for about £480 including buying a few tools that I didn't already have.

Thanks again for all the help.
Paul.

07-27-2009, 05:30 PM	#1
Flybynight Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Gloucestershire, UK Posts: 4 My Ride: 318i SE Touring '00 View My Garage	Replacing Rear Brake Lines I have just had my 2000 318i SE Touring fail it's annual inspection on a whole bunch of things but one of them is the rear brake lines which are corroding. The garage quoted me around £400-500 (about US$600-$750) to do the work which sounds excessive to me and it's money I really don't have at the moment. I checked out Ebay for the parts and tools that I think I would need (brake line flaring tool, pipe bender, pipe cutter etc.) and it's looking more and more appealing to do the work myself. Can anyone tell me if this job is likely to be out of my league? I would say that I am a keen amateur mechanic with a good understanding of most things mechanical and I do routine maintenance like oil changes etc without breaking a sweat. I have a good selection of quality tools to hand and I don't mind getting my hands dirty. Would I need to remove the fuel tank, prop shaft and exhaust or can I work around them? Will I be able to do the work with the car just on stands or does it need to be hoisted? I was looking at using copper lines but I have since read a few bad things about copper. Kunifer seems to be the preferred brake line material - any comments? Is it possible to clamp the brake lines anywhere to prevent draining the system or will I need to do a full drain, re-fill and bleed? If so is that a big job? Is the clutch on the same hydraulic system? Will that need bleeding too? Answers to any of the above will be really gratefully received. I have googled around a bit and only managed to find a walkthrough on replacing the flexible sections with braided SS hoses so if anyone has a link to a DIY walkthrough on replacing the rigid lines I would be eternally in your debt Thanks, Paul.

07-30-2009, 05:17 PM	#4
n2Bimmer Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: calii Posts: 9,633 My Ride: Loves Corners View My Garage	You shoud DIY, its very easy, Undo it and put the new ones on. __________________

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Switch to Linear Mode Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

07-29-2009, 11:47 PM	#2
Lbert Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 220 My Ride: 325i View My Garage	I would get another quote or two from other garages before tackling the job. The clutch is on a separate line with its own master cylinder. Although the brake line might be rusted, it does not mean the clutch is the same.

07-30-2009, 04:35 PM	#3
Flybynight Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Gloucestershire, UK Posts: 4 My Ride: 318i SE Touring '00 View My Garage	Thanks for that Lbert. I have called another place today (an independent BMW specialist) and they wouldn't even quote me! They said it could be an hour or a day to replace the brake lines. I said that they couldn't be much of a specialist if they didn't know how long it would take to replace the lines on an E46! Seems like a pretty standard procedure to me. Not the easiest job but I can't see where the huge variation in labour comes into play. I just need the whole rear lines replaced, the procedure for which should not really be a mystery for a BMW Specialist - heck I can't be the first person with corroded brake lines on an E46 can I?

08-28-2009, 09:23 AM	#6
Flybynight Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Gloucestershire, UK Posts: 4 My Ride: 318i SE Touring '00 View My Garage	Thanks for the info guys. I have now done the job (and a few more besides!) and while it wasn't difficult it was awkward. I waited until the fuel tank was almost empty then removed the exhaust and heat shield, dropped the tank so that it sat on the prop shaft. This gave me enough play in the tank to be able to wedge it on the left side of the car so that there was a gap almost big enough to get my hand up over the tank. The lines were corroded right where they join to the hoses so for the right side it was easy as it is in two sections which join just behind the fuel tank so I had that one out in a few minutes. The left side was one complete length from the hose to the brake distributor thingy under the bonnet. I decided to remove it in two pieces and cut it just in front of the fuel tank. It then came out quite easily and almost in tact. I took all three pieces to my local auto spares shop and they made the lines up for me while I waited. When I got back home I straightened out the new lines (the long one was coiled up) and set about putting all the bends into the lines using the originals as a template. That was pretty easy. The harder part was to get the long one installed without deforming it too much. It was obvious that I would have to bend it around a little to twist it here and there to get it up over the tank but it wasn't too hard to do. I tidied up the lines so they were nice and straight then clipped them into their retaining clips and connected up each end. I bought a pressurised brake bleeding kit which made the brake bleeding process a breeze - I highly recommend it! With that done (and with me feeling proud as punch that I had done some real work on my BMW instead of just the usual filter changes etc.) I moved on to fix some other issues that had caused it to fail it's annual inspection: 1. Front Wishbones and Bushes 2. Steering Rack Gaiter 3. RTA Bushes 4. RTA Ball Joint (Where it joins with the upper control arm) 5. 2 New Rear Coil Springs 6. Handbrake Not Working on Right Side 7. Headlight Alignment 8. License Plate Bulb Replaced 9. Screen Washer Jet Nozzle out of alignment!!!! When it actually passed it's inspection I was amazed but I was even more surprised that I had managed to do all the work myself. Thanks to this site and my trusty Haynes manual I set out to do the work and the outcome was great - I didn't rush anything, I just thought it all through logically. In total the garage had quoted about £1250 and I did the whole lot for about £480 including buying a few tools that I didn't already have. Thanks again for all the help. Paul.