Installation - Center Fuel Line

If your Type 3 has a soft or mushy brake pedal and you are losing brake fluid but can't find the source of the loss, or your Type 3 doesn't seem to stop as quickly as it once did, you are probably in the early stages of center brake line failure. In the later stages you may experience a loss of braking all together. In later model Type 3's (67 and later) a brake warning light on the dashboard may illuminate, warning that you have experienced a loss of hydraulic integrity.

Pull back the carpet on the drivers side. Is there brake fluid anywhere on the floor pan? Carefully inspect the area around the accelerator pedal. This is usually where you will find it.

Also, jack up the vehicle and inspect the floor pan. Do you see any "wet spots" on the pan? Are any especially close to the small drain holes in the pan? If so, you will need to replace your center brake line.

The original equipment center brake line is made from a copper/zinc alloy and is very soft and therefore is subject to corrosion. For this job, a stainless steel replacement was used.

This installation was performed on a 1970 VW Squareback. Please note that while the general procedure should be the same across all Type 3 vehicles, there may be some slight differences with the different models. (Early, Late, Fastback, Notchback, Squareback)

This installation was performed by two people. Find a friend who knows how to follow directions and get them to help. They need not be an auto mechanic, all they will need to do is to look for brake lines popping through holes, and to push and pull on the line when you tell them to!

In the vehicle, remove the drivers seat by pressing down on the "tab" next to the seat rail and transmission tunnel while sliding the seat forward. It would be best to have your helper hold the seat adjustment knob up while you sit in the back seat holding the tab down and pushing on the seat bottom with both feet applying equal pressure. A long screwdriver will be needed. The seat will slide off the tracks. Make sure that you let the seat come off and clear the rails completely as you may bend the seat rails if you are not careful! If you do bend them, a rubber mallet and a straight edge will get them back in shape.

Step 2.

Jack up and support the car. Make sure you use jackstands that were made for this purpose. A lift would be even better. Remember, safety first!

Step 3.

Note: Brake fluid is a highly toxic and dangerous to painted surfaces. Be very careful not to get any fluid on your car's painted areas nor in your eyes. If you do spill any, use water to flush the area immediately. Wear safety glasses when doing this job as there will be falling dirt and grit from the floor pan.

Remove the protective metal pan that covers the master cylinder. Next, drain the brake system. Remove the cap from the brake fluid reservoir then remove the lower end of the rubber brake hose that leads from the metal brake line that comes down from the brake fluid reservoir located in the trunk. Then disconnect the nut that connects the center brake line to the master cylinder,

bend this line down so that it drains. Wait until the draining process done before proceeding. Replace the rubber brake hose at this time if the old one is brittle or cracked.

Step 4.

Remove the rubber grommets that hold the center brake line in place at the point where it enters the floor pan, and under the rear seat where it exits under the rear seat back and where it exits the vehicles interior under the rear of the car. If your local parts supplier doesn't have these, a good electronic parts supply house probably will. The two that are in the rear of the car are about the size of a quarter, the one in the front of the car is slightly smaller.

Step 5.

Remove the rear drivers side tire. Disconnect the center brake line from the junction where it splits off between the brake lines that go to the left and right wheel cylinders. The clearances in here are very tight! It may make the job easier if you also remove the left and right brake lines from the junction.

Step 6.

Pull the carpet back on the drivers side, both front and rear. If you have any brake fluid on the floor, this would be the time to clean it up. You can use a rag that has been soaked in water. Swab it around and then rinse in a bucket of clean water. Repeat as needed until all the brake fluid is gone and pay special attention to the ledge on the transmission tunnel that the old brake line is sitting on. If you have compressed air available, you can use it to dry the area out after you have washed it down. If your carpet is soaked in brake fluid, you will most likely have to replace it as it will recontaminate the floor pan when this job is completed.

Step 7.

Look at the path the center brake line takes through the interior. This is the same path you will want your replacement line to take. The replacement brake lines don't give you any extra length, so follow the path of the original as closely as possible.

Step 8.

Carefully bend back the clips that hold the center brake line in place. You don't want to break any of these off. Don't forget the two under the back seat bottom!

Step 9.

Your brake line should now be loose and you can remove it from the car. Have your helper go under the front of the car, while you go under the rear of the car. You will straighten out the end of the line and push while your helper pulls gently on the line. It will begin to move. When the rear

connection goes into the hole in the pan, get inside the car and continue the pull/push operation, straightening the line are you go. Your helper up front will have to pull down slightly on the line so that it clears the front axle beam. You can get the line to go pass the accelerator pedal by carefully pulling straight out while you maneuver the connection through the last hole.

Step 10.

Compare the length of the new brake line to the old one. Are they the same? This is important as there is no extra length to work with!

Also, if there is rust and corrosion along the path that the old brake line made through the vehicle, now would be the time to sand the area down and repaint with primer. Most likely the leaking brake fluid has cleaned the paint off of the floor pan thereby increasing the likelihood of rust and corrosion. For this job a marine enamel primer finish coat was used.

Step 11.

If you have satisfied all the suggestions above, you can start installing the new brake line.

Note: Make sure you handle the new brake line carefully! If you get rough with it, you will crimp it and you will have to by a new one! Be especially careful as this job nears completion! Use a brake line bending tool to make your curves and bends in the line!

The new line will be installed from the front of the vehicle, working your way towards the rear. You can now get in the vehicle so that you have a clear view of the hole next to the accelerator pedal. Shine a light in this hole while your helper starts to feed the new line in. It will take some maneuvering, but you can get this connector through this hole.

Step 12.

While your helper continues to slowly feed the line into the vehicle, gently pull the line along the transmission tunnel. Before feeding the line out the rear hole of the floorpan, put on the rubber grommet and then feed the line through the hole under the back seat and then feed it out the hole under the rear seat back. Now have your helper get in the vehicle while you go under the rear and shine your flashlight in the hole where the new line will appear. This is a weird angle so you may have to bend the line upwards slightly to make it through both holes in the floorpan. Be patient!

A note about the rubber grommets: If you can't slip the grommet over the connections on the brake line, you will have to cut the grommet and slip them in the holes after the line is installed. You must have these grommets in place otherwise the new line will chaff against the floorpan and will wear a hole in your new line. By now you have probably noticed that this is a job that you won't want to be repeating anytime soon! If the hole in the middle of the grommet is larger than the brake line, you can use some silicon sealant to close this hole up and make it water tight.

Step 13.

Slip the rear grommet over the new brake line and connect the new center brake line to the junction block. Be careful not to strip the threads of the brake line or the junction! Make sure you tighten the connections so they won't leak. At this time, connect the left and right brake lines if you removed them previously. When you are done you can put the rear wheel back on the vehicle.

Step 14.

Go to the front of the vehicle and install the rubber grommet and then using a brake line bending tool bend the brake line at a 90 degree curve so that it will match up with the hole in the master cylinder. Be careful when doing this! Take is slow and easy! Connnect the brake line to the master cylinder and tighten the connection. Be careful not to strip the threads!

Step 15.

In the interior of the vehicle, go along the new brake line and bend back the tabs that secure it to the floorpan. Be careful not to break these off! Under the rear seat, gently bend the line so that it is as close to the original's path as possible.

Step 16.

Put the carpeting back in the interior, and reinstall the seat back on the seat tracks carefully aligning the seat rails up with the seat bottom and sliding the seat backwards until it is in the desired position. Be careful not to bend the seat tracks. This would be a good time to either replace or repair the plastic seat track covers and lubricate them slightly with white lithium grease.

Step 17.

If you have any brake hoses that need replacing, now would be the time to do this. Otherwise, you can begin to fill the master cylinder with the brake fluid of your choice, either DOT 3 or DOT 5, silicone. Please be aware that DOT 3 and DOT 5 brake fluids are NOT compatible. If you would like to switch over to the DOT 5 (silicone) brake fluid please see the FAQ by Jim Adney.

Step 18.

Once you have filled the brake system with brake fluid, you can bleed the brake system. As you bleed the lines, you will most likely have to add more brake fluid. Be careful not to let the reservoir empty otherwise you will have to bleed the system again! Bleed the system in this order:

Right Front Wheel

Left Front Wheel

Rear Right Wheel

Left Rear Wheel.

If you are unfamiliar with the brake bleeding process, it is outlined in the "Official Service Manual," by Robert Bentley.

Step 19.

Replace the protective cover over the master cylinder and you can road test the vehicle. Adjust the brakes as needed.

The job is now complete!