[DeTomaso] Brake Lines

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

> Since I plan to replace all the lines, I have a few questions
>   - what kind of lines should I use?
>   - what diameter lines should I use?
>   - what kind of fittings should I use? ...and therefore what flare 
> type/angle?
> 
Roydon, I have no idea of your capabilities, so bear with me here. Stock 
Pantera brake lines are metric OD, with Euro-style bubble-flairs on ends. 
Those diameter lines will not easily fit a U.S. inverted-flairing tool, and if 
you do manage to shim metric lines to fit a U.S tool, the flairs it produces 
will not fit into Euro fittings. You'll need adapters in most areas. In a 
few areas on the Pantera, SAE (U.S) thread sizes will screw leak-free directly 
into the metric OEM frame fittings. 
Brakes are (with the steering) one of the most vital control systems in any 
car, and neither is a place  to experiment or cut corners. Unless you've 
done this kind of adaption before and are comfortable with it, I suggest 
buying pre-made Euro lines from a Pantera vendor, or resigning yourself to 
changing almost everything to stainless AN aircraft fittings and U.S style/size 
lines. A third option is to call your favorite vendor and schedule them to 
change all the suspect lines at their shop. The vendors will also stock the 
needed adapters if you decide to DIY. The work is fussy but not particularly 
expensive, and as mentioned, the penalty for doing it wrong can be high- & 
painful.
Do not use single-U.S.-flairs on std brake lines; brake tubing is 
'Bundyweld'- sheet-steel wound around a mandrel and edge-brazed to make a tube, and a 
single flair will crack at the braze joint. Double flairs are mandatory. 
Also, do not use copper tubing; it work-hardens and cracks. Stainless line can 
be safely single-flaired without cracking, but its really stiff to bend and 
also work-hardens during flairing & bending, so mistakes are usually 
uncorrectable.
Line diameters should duplicate as close as possible the OEM line sizes if 
you decide to change over to AN fittings & lines, on the assumption that 
Ford & DeTomaso's chassis engineers knew what size the car needed in the 
various areas. 
That said, stock brake lines are usually immortal in terms of wearing out- 
the only problems normally stem from crash damage, from someone mucking 
around in there for any number of reasons, or from really bad corrosion. 
Surprisingly, the worst line corrosion I've seen was not under the car- it was on 
the joining line that runs between the two front brakes, behind the battery. 
That line's only "protection" from battery acid was a piece of shrink-tubing 
(often missing or torn). I suggest running that line (or its replacement) 
under the trunk floor rather than its stock routing. Good luck- J DeRyke