Topic: 66 Kelsey Hayes-Front Brake Lines-Calipers - plumber teflon thread tape???

[Morsel]

Didn't know if this should go here or under the suspension section.

When attaching your brake lines to the front caliper, do you use any white teflon pipe thread tape do you? Seems like with how hot the calipers get it really wouldn't be a good idea. Also, what about the caliper crossover lines?

"Someone" was telling me I should use it, but it seemed off to me.

Thanks

Jason

[rrenz]

Brake lines should not need any kind of Teflon tape. The fluid could possibly break down the Teflon which would get into the line causing a pretty obvious concern. I have heard of people using pipe thread sealant though I’m not sure how much of a difference it would make. I personally wouldn’t use either due to the design of the fittings.

[mgmradio]

Don't use any type of sealer . Brake line fittings are flair fittings. The end of the tube is crushed against a cone in the caliper. If there is a leak between these two sealer or tape will do nothing as the fluid will most likely leak between the fitting and the tube.

[Morsel]

Yep, exact reasons I thought it shouldn’t be used. Thanks for the responses.

Jason

[OldGuy]

Guys, as mentioned, teflon tape is not required for use in "sealing" any of the line fittings that have an inverted flare. The use of teflon tape is beneficial on the threads of the BLEEDER screws if one is going to use a hand-held vacuum pump to draw fluid down from the master cylinder during bleeding operations. Using the vacuum pump will speed up the pain-staking bleeding of the calipers by removing trapped air that very difficult to remove otherwise. You actually can "flow" fluid past the bleeder that sweeps air out in the process.

You need to be careful when applying the teflon tape on the bleeder screw threads, however. Make sure that NO tape goes beyond the threads toward the radial drilled bleeder hole and/or the bleeder tapered seat. Tape near the hole can block the flow through the bleeder screw and tape on the bleeder seat can cause a leak. Usually, two to three wraps of tape around the threads is adequate to provide enough of a seal to allow successful vacuum bleeding at the caliper.

I hopes this info. is useful.

Frank

[Morsel]

Guys, as mentioned, teflon tape is not required for use in "sealing" any of the line fittings that have an inverted flare. The use of teflon tape is beneficial on the threads of the BLEEDER screws if one is going to use a hand-held vacuum pump to draw fluid down from the master cylinder during bleeding operations. Using the vacuum pump will speed up the pain-staking bleeding of the calipers by removing trapped air that very difficult to remove otherwise. You actually can "flow" fluid past the bleeder that sweeps air out in the process.

You need to be careful when applying the teflon tape on the bleeder screw threads, however. Make sure that NO tape goes beyond the threads toward the radial drilled bleeder hole and/or the bleeder tapered seat. Tape near the hole can block the flow through the bleeder screw and tape on the bleeder seat can cause a leak. Usually, two to three wraps of tape around the threads is adequate to provide enough of a seal to allow successful vacuum bleeding at the caliper.

I hopes this info. is useful.

Frank

Thanks for the the info, I am going to vacuum bleed them...

Jason