Date:         Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:35:53 -0500
Reply-To:     Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Subject:      Non Vanagon related brake line question
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Folks:  I'm replacing the rear brake lines on a 96 Mercury
Mystique.  They've rusted out and left the girl with no
brakes.  Mercury doesn't5 offer those lines anymore, but I can bend
some new ones and I have already bought the proper unions and
adapters and generic Poly Armor lines(spozed to not rust).

My question is, Mercury took a "circuitous" route with these factory
lines and I don't see the logic behind it.  They certainly didn't
protect the lines from rust by doing that.  Is there any real reason
why I should have to put 8 bends in a 4 foot line when I can get the
line to where it's gong in a lot more direct fashion without exposing
the line to racks and other debris?  Both lines connect behind the
right rear part of the gas tank and spread out over the rear
suspension in a crazy fashion.

I guess my other question is why are  the factory lines mounted in
the little plastic holders?  Is this a safety thing?  Do they move
around when pressure is applied?  Could alternative mounting steps be
used that didn't involve the factory mounts?  The Haynes manual for
the Mystique has 2 paragraphs on removing brake lines, but
nothing  about how to get them out and what needs to be removed to
change them.  It appears that to do the job as the factory did, I
would have to pull the rear suspension or at least lower it enough to
get my hands in there to measure and bend the new lines.  I'd like to
feel good about whatever repair I do, since this is a volunteer job
for a friend.  Any advice would be a big help

thanks

DM&FS