Guest Posted September 11, 2002 Share Posted September 11, 2002 Hello, does anyone know of a manual that covers a 1973 Buick Centurion convertible with a 455? I just bought it and I need to redo the brake lines. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 You need a 1973 Buick factory Chassis Service Manual, though I doubt it will go indepth on replacing brake lines. It WILL go indepth on all other repair aspects of that car and is a book well worth owning, along with the Fisher Body Manual. You can find both at swap meets or e-bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted September 12, 2002 Share Posted September 12, 2002 Forgot to mention- try www.inlinetube.com for your new brake lines. Just installed a set on a 64 Oldsmobile. Good fit and quality, and I didn't have to bend and double-flare. I'm not sure if they have them for 70s GM B-body but the website will tell you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 14, 2002 Share Posted September 14, 2002 Rocketraider's recommendations are good, on both counts. In the prior times, you'd have to cut the existing line, double flare the ends and put in a splice piece for the main lines, but now with those things in repro from reliable vendors (and also available in stainless steel, in many cases) why bother? It might seem like a deeper project to change the lines, front to rear, but the piece of mind in having a whole new set of lines is worth the price and time. It would be best to have the car reliably supported on a lift to perform that operation.If, by chance, you are talking about the flexible lines at the front wheels and/or rear axle, those replacements would be covered (in principle, at least) in the GM service manual. Be sure to also replace the copper washers where they mount to the individual front brakes at the wheels too.In both cases, you'll need to have the system fully purged of air bubbles. At the factory, on the production line, they pull a vacuum on the system before putting the fluid in. In the field, you could do the normal "pressure bleed" procedure and then use a vacuum pump to get the last bit of air out of the system (with an adapter at the master cylinder reservoir to allow that to happen) before driving the car. Then, recheck the system a few times in the following days to make sure that the brake fluid level has stabilized.Enjoy!NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brh Posted September 15, 2002 Share Posted September 15, 2002 Since you are going to replace lines you may want to consider rebuilding the calipers and rear brakes. I have found that a lot of crud sits in the brake cylinders, this includes your master. Take it from someone who has lost the brakes its a great idea to replace the lines. It was one scary ride, and I have the single cyl so I lost all four!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 16, 2002 Share Posted September 16, 2002 Thanks for the info. I have a manual on the way. This is the first car I am rebuilding. I bought it a couple of months ago for $750. I thought it was a good deal considering it has a brand new convertible top and a strong running 455. I have already pulled all of the interior out. I cut out the rusty areas of the floor pans and replaced with new sheet metal. I am in the process of stripping the body down to bare metal. My new exhaust headers should be arriving today. It's probably going to end up more of a custom rod when I'm done with it. I'm just having fun and learning as I go. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brh Posted September 17, 2002 Share Posted September 17, 2002 I had a 72 Centurion what a car!! Watch for cancer on that year I seem to remember the body being a bit of a problem. But I'll tell you if you want to have fun that is a great car to own. Mine ran great and it looked good when I finished. I'm real sorry I sold her but I needed the money for college. Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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