Brake lines - Know what you're getting!!!

[svcetiquette]

So I'm finally back in the same hemisphere as my 930 and am eagerly putting her back together. Aside from performance upgrades, I had swapping out the stiff (yep Ronnie, there's your opening) brake lines as a priority. I installed some braided stainless lines (noticing the fittings were Imperial wrench sizes) After bleeding, I could get a hard pedal, but it would ever-so-slowly leak down. The small puddle under the left front was the giveaway; however, despite further tightening the leak persisted. Acquiescing that the fitting wasn't the problem, I started to loosen the fitting. I then noticed that if I let the hose-side fitting move, the hose didn't budge. As I continued loosening the steel line fitting, the hose slid right off, and to my dismay spewed new brake fluid everywhere. Although I'm still not pleased with having to clean flung drops of brake fluid, this is much better than having the brake line fail while on the road. I discussed this with a well-known P-car expert who helped enlighten me to the vast differences in quality of the various offerings in brake lines. Learn from my mistake, know what you are getting before you buy!

[Ronnie's.930]

Speaking of "stiff", I'm a little less so now, as those are the exact brand of brake hose I have on my car (other than I have the ones with the clear, plastic covering) - bought from Pelican sometime last spring!

[GeorgeK]

My racing mechanic campaigns an ex-factory 935 in local races. 900HP. Bake lines? std 930 rubber.
935s raced at Le Mans, with std lines.
That braided crap is just that. Crap. Get factory rubber lines.

[proffighter]

Originally Posted by Guest3416

My racing mechanic campaigns an ex-factory 935 in local races. 900HP. Bake lines? std 930 rubber.
935s raced at Le Mans, with std lines.
That braided crap is just that. Crap. Get factory rubber lines.

Maybe because in the 70's there where no teflon/steel braided lines available

Good quality ones are bulletproof and last a car life

[IMR-Merlin]

Originally Posted by proffighter

Maybe because in the 70's there where no teflon/steel braided lines available

Good quality ones are bulletproof and last a car life

And I bet they were running sub par DOT3 fluid too.

[GeorgeK]

Yup, there was no better flex lines at the time.
Didn't bother them at the end of Mulsanne at 200+mph it seems.
I guess the saftey and performance of the original rubber lines should be good enoug for today's driving. And there's the added benefit of seeing the line if it gets damged. It is not hidden behind a steel mesh.
And I have never seen a factory line fail like pictured above

[infraredcalvin]

SS braided in this car... At the races now... Sometimes it depends on sanctioning body rules...

[JacobS911]

Welp...I better check mine because I installed the same ones on my car this spring. Hoping this is a one off defect, and lucky it was caught in the driveway and not while driving. Thanks for posting!