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Focus Mk1 1600 Zetec


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Hi, I'm looking for advice or a tutorial on the replacment of the steel rear brake lines my Mk1 1.6 Zetec failed the MOT.

In the tutorial I've seen, he seeks to replace the complete line from master cylinder to the rearmost rubber hose using copper pipe with self-crimped ends at connections, whereas I went to a scrappy and aquired decent copies of the two brake pipes that go from just in front of the petrol tank to the bracket located near the rear axle, from where a rubber hose takes over the connection from steel pipe to the rear drum (rear drum brakes).

My big problem is getting at the foremost connections to these pipes as they are forward of the P Tank and one of them is under (above) a silver cylinder (which I believe is the Fuel Filter?) which means you would need to drop the end of the P Tank a touch while the F Filter looks awkwardly removable. What I dread is breaking or straining a tube or wire or something from the fuel system while I'm lowering the fore end of the tank, which leads me to ask is it OK to drop the front end and so how far can one lower it?

2nd question regards the fuel filter(?) Does that need priming or extra precautions once I reassemble? Or should the engine just start once it's turned over a few times?

3rd question regards brake fluid and bleeding the brakes: how much fluid does one need to fill the system and so how much should one buy to make sure there's enough to bleed them?

4th is about the clutch: when the stone chip hit the pipe, it caused a leak which depleted all the fluid in the brakes master cylinder. When the brakes are bled, does one also need to bleed the clutch system?

While I'm not mechanically inclined, I can follow tutorials or step-by-step guides.

Thanks for advice & help

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Fuel filter doesn't need priming, it will fill up itself when you turn ignition on.

A litre of fluid will be plenty to bleed the system. You'll be surprised at how little it actually takes. 

A stone chip bursting the clutch Pipework shouldn't drain the fluid from the brakes - the clutch is fed from higher up in the resevoir to make sure that a failure in the clutch system doesn't affect the brakes. 

I can't really answer about lowering the tank as I've never had to do it and it's not in front of me to look at lol. 

 

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I've just had my rear brake pipes,flexible hoses and bleed nipples replaced on my mk1.I had a look at what was needed to be done and decided to use my local garage to sort the brake lines out,took them 4 hours labour,cost £200.I fitted and upgraded the flexi hoses with hex braided stainless steel brake hoses,bleed nipples and bled the system.p>

Sent from my iPad using Ford OC

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Thanks chaps. I should have clarified this, the rear pipes where corroded through and yes most likely fluid pressure has burst the pipe. Actually, the areas of the lines most susceptible to road debris looked and had the texture of something that had spent 20yrs on the seabed!!!

As it stands now the brake Master Cylinder is empty, Surely if I simply fill the MC and bleed the brakes won't air get trapped in the clutch pipe? Incidentally, what is the clutch fluid for?

 

 

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Just to update it: I did this work this afternoon, took me about 5hrs with a few coffee breaks. I'll add my experiences here in case it helps someone.

The Petrol Tank side was the hard one. What I did for the [quarter-full] petrol tank was support the weight with a bottle jack and loosen the 13mm bolt (the socket needs to be on an approx. 8" extension as it's right up there... the fuel filter also needs the same size extension but this needs a 8mm socket). So with the bolt loose I tried to lower the tank but it didn't want to drop ... so I left it loose but supported. 

I then put a wide chisel in the gap and levered the petrol tank over a touch, this enabled the old brake line to slip out. The clip may need to be broken off.

There's videos on youtube showing replacment of the fuel filter which helped. I couldn't get at all the clips so I simply un-bolted the filter and left ot loose.

The two nuts that join this section of the brake line together are sited directly above one end of the fuel filter. Mine had about 4 or 5 pipes or assorted tubes obstructing access. If you can remove the fuel filter good, I tried to remove mine but one of the clips foiled me so I moved it aside.

The petrol side brake line went back in very easily, it was the initial pushing of the two nuts together and turning one so as to catch the thread that was the hardest, most finicky thing I may have ever done in my life. I had to make 'tools' to aide me as the assorted pipework & depth prevented finger access. I fashioned a length of wire with a 'U' at one end and it was placed over the pipe with the bigger nut, the idea was to keep downwards tension on it while I pushed the smaller nut into the bigger, while simultaneously turning the latter to try to start the thread. It took me ages, took a lot of resolve and tested my will to live. In weak moments nearly gave up.

Un-doing and re-tightening this nut was one of those jobs where access was so limited that using an open-ended spanner, you had to keep reversing the spanner head so as to turn the nut a few degrees each time ... it was akin to cranking a WW2 ambulance up a hill with the starting handle! If there is a mechanics version of the VC I should get it for today for 'duties above & beyond .... '

Other than the home-made 'tools', two things helped me greatly: an inspection lamp as my head torch always seemed to throw shadows over the work) and the second was my wiring a spanner onto the bigger nut to keep it still so I could concentrate on turning the smaller.

I can't tell you how satisfied (probably relief!!!) it felt on completeing the 'imposible'.

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