Front/Center Undercarriage Aluminum

<< Cockpit/Tunnel Aluminum (Rear)               Mount Body Shell (Initial) >>

Major System Category: Body (Undercarriage)
Task: Install center aluminum panels in cockpit
Parts:
Prerequisite Tasks: N/A
Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 1 hour
Date Started: August 28, 2012
Date Completed: August 28, 2012
I am at the point where, I am planning to drop the body on the chassis. This is a decision driven by budget and funds. The next major purchase is the ISIS power system. This is going to have to wait for another 60 days, before I have enough money put aside for that purchase. The nearly 60% price increase was not anticipated in my budget, and this has thrown a minor wrench in my budget and schedule.

The easiest way to mark this panel is front under the car. Drop the panel into place and start  tracing the  cross members.

I want to finish up the fuel tanks, AC and coolant lines as much as possible before moving into body work. On the subject of fuel tanks, the longer I stand under the car examining the Corvette tanks and the FFR modification, the more convinced I am that they will leak like sieve. So I am opting for the aluminum tanks that do not rely on RTV silicone to hold everything together. I had to get to this point in the build, before I understood the real problems with this approach.

These panels are the ones that rest on the cross member between the foot well and the rear floor pan. They need to be installed before the tunnel aluminum goes into place. As I have installed the rear half of the tunnel aluminum, and I have built the foot well boxes, it seems like it is time to get this done.

Cross members covered by this piece. Orientation: Passenger side cockpit.

The nagging issue for me is how thin this floor piece is.just 1/16" aluminum. This seems a little flimsy.

Lots of rivets! Orientation: Driver's side cockpit.

GTM Blower Motor

<< GTM AC Plenum Relocation                                      Passenger foot well >>

Major System Category: AC & Cooling System
Task: Install AC Blower Motor
Parts: Vintage air Blower Motor
Prerequisite Tasks:
Additional Costs:
Time Requirement: Forever
Date Started: August 10, 2012
Date Completed: August 24, 2012
I didn't work on this task for 2 solid weeks. It is part of the overall Vintage AC installation. The problems I ran into are as follows:

1. I had already completed the passenger side foot well. Bad idea, because I had to take apart most of the foot well to install the evaporator unit.
2. I installed Vraptor's AC Plenum relocation piece, before attaching the hard lines to the evaporator. Another bad idea. I ended up removing this as well. There is absolutely no way to install the hard lines when the evaporator is bolted into place.
3. I decided I wanted the common panel with the evaporator and passenger foot well to be removable. So I developed a rail system to bolt the panel into rather than rivet through the floor pan again. Good idea.
4. I discovered the connector wires from the AC Evaporator to the new location for the AC blower motor were too short. This is because the motor now resides in a more logically place. I spliced in 10 inches into the connectors, drilled a hole through the interior foot well panel and added a wire grommet.  Good idea.
5. I decided I wanted more strength to hold up the AC blower motor, so I reinforced the sheet metal with 1/8 inch aluminum bar. It is a tad tight down there. (i.e. not much room to work).  Good idea.
6. Somewhere along the way, I came across another build site that showed the same AC Blower relocation I was working on. He had a terrific idea to install a 2 inch conduit between the drivers and passenger sides for the ISIS system. I added it to my build. Terrific idea.

Interior foot well panel with 2 inch PVC conduit and wire grommet for  the AC  blower motor hook up. Orientation : Passenger side foot well looking at tunnel wall.

This  a top down view of the 2 inch PVC conduit. AT the top of the photo there are the bolts for the evaporator bracket and the hard lines. At the bottom, is one of the HVAC ducts. Orientation: top of picture toward front.

This photo did not turn out too well. This is the AC blower motor mount. I firmly believe it would have been  challenging to install it off the front of the evaporator unit. I seriously doubt many people would be able to locate the four screw holes. In addition, the blower motor needs to expand into the area above the battery. Orientation: passenger side foot well from cockpit.

The big payoff. The blower motor connected to the mount and the AC plenum relocation piece. This warranted a picture text to my incredibly supportive wife.  Orientation: passenger side foot well from cockpit.

All of this took time. The actual installation of the AC blower involves ten screws/bolts. It is a 15 to 20 minute job. If you do this per the original design, then you will have the ac blower, ac accumulator, battery, surge tank, a gaggle of hoses, brakes lines, clutch lines, engine harness and other wiring all competing for the same spot. Good luck.

Cockpit/Tunnel Aluminum (rear)

<< Coolant Line Routing            Front/Center Undercarriage Aluminum >>
                                                 Rear Quarter Floor (R, L) >>
                                                 GTM AC Compressor Shield >>

Major System Category: Chassis
Task: Install rear tunnel aluminum
Parts: Tunnel Aluminum - Rear (4 pieces)
Prerequisite Tasks: Run all lines inside tunnel (less an issue if you have a lift)
Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 90 minutes
Date Started: August 24, 2012
Date Completed: August 24, 2012
I started the preliminary fit for the Corvette fuel tanks. These mount behind the seats and ahead of the fuel tank finish panels. I figured out how things fit together and wondered a bit about the lines coming off the bottom of the tanks. About this point I noticed the tunnel panels would be impossible to install after the tanks are mounted.

Driver's side rear tunnel aluminum. I performed a light test looking for leaks in the seams. I found  a couple of places were  air can get through. I used my seam sealer and a spreader to close up gaps along the bottom of the pamels where there is no overlap.

I pulled the fuel tanks out of the car. I need a few things before these tanks are prepped for install. I am a bit reluctant to close up the tunnel, since there are so many things running though there. I also have come tot he conclusion that the AC hoses are too short to comfortably reach the compressor. I read on another blog (I apologize I don't have the link) that another builder ran into the same problem. He found a place that could extend the hose length.

Passenger side rear tunnel panels riveted into place.. I can still access the tunnel from above and below the tunnel.

I decided to sound proof all panels on the cockpit tunnel. I am doing this even though the firewall intersects the tunnel panels. My reasoning is that this is a common panel that could easily transmit heat and sound into the cockpit.I probably will run the heat shield the entire length as well.

Driver's side installed. When the fuel tanks are mounted, all the rivet lines are hidden by the  fuel tank.

Sound Proofing - Floor

<< Footwell Passenger Side                                                              Next Link >>

Major System Category: Sound/Heat Proofing
Task: Apply sound proofing materials
Parts:
Prerequisite Tasks: Need to be finished with an area
Additional Costs: $100
Time Requirement: On going
Date Started: August 15, 2011
Date Completed:
Sound proofing is not in the manual. It adds time and money to the build. It can be difficult getting into some of the nooks and crannies of the car. This is an optional task.

This is the 50 foot roll. It is easily cut with an utility knife. The white backing is a wax paper for the adhesive.

For cockpit sound proofing, I decided to go with B-Quiet Ultimate. Dynamat is the industry standard. For sound proofing, the Dynamat product is Dynamat Extreme. B-Quiet Ultimate basically has the same sound dampening properties. It is lighter weight than Dynamat Extreme, and it costs half as much as Dynamat Extreme. With everything else about equal, cost was the deciding factor.

I use a ruler, T-Square and utility knife to cut the pieces.

I purchased a 50 ft roll. The website provides the following description:

B-Quiet Ultimate is a viscoelastic deadener with a supercharged butyl based adhesive. With an aluminum constraining layer and an unique composition with suspended mineral particles it has been proven to be extremely efficient at the conversion of vibration to thermal energy. B-Quiet Ultimate is extremely flexible which is very important as it allows it to properly adhere to a contoured panel.

There are many funny shapes and weird contours inside the GTM cockpit. I find B-Quiet Ultimate easy to cut and mold as necessary. I am working on the front and rear floor panels that are part of the chassis. I need to read more about the middle sheet metal panels before I sound proof this area. I also need to rebuild the passenger footwell post AC Evaporator install.

This is the rear floor on the driver's side. There is a slight over lap between the pieces to handle seams.

Consideration: I am adding this note in a number of places on this nlog. If you purchased AC, then install it first!

Seam Sealing

<< Foot Well Assembly                                                                      Next Link >>

Major System Category: Miscellaneous
Task: Seal seams
Parts: Eastwood Seam Sealer and spreader
Prerequisite Tasks:
Additional Costs: $28 for Eastwood product
Time Requirement: Minimal
Date Started: August 15, 2012
Date Completed:
When I work around the chassis, one of the things I notice are little cracks of light. This has nothing to do with the aluminum panels, riveting or anything that is attached to the car. This is specific to the chassis. If I can see light, then wind and water can move through those cracks as well. One of my neighbors suggested black silicone. A good suggestion, black silicone is already used as a sealer when riveting panels to the chassis or each other. I decided I wanted something to augment the silicone.

Behind the seat and next tot he interior tunnel wall on the passenger side. 

Same area on the driver's side.

A couple of weeks ago, I sent away for a can of the Eastwood Seam Sealer. It is supposed to insulate and waterproof areas. The can says it is brushable, but I found it easier to use a spreader (e.g. like those used for fiberglass). A little bit can go a long ways. Use this product in a well ventilated area, and wear some gloves. It is a gray goop that is spread over the area.

Passenger side foot well inside the inner panel that seals off the evaporator unit.  This is currently dismantled due  to AC work. The driver's side is sealed up, so I plan to apply this from under the chassis as well.

The areas on the chassis I most concerned with are the frame areas in the footwells and behind the seats on the floors. This is where the powder coated floor panel meets chassis cross members. This is not a task that contributes to horsepower or handling. It is  not dramatic like getting wheels on the suspension. It is a task no one sees, and if done right, no one notices. The last thing I want is to be rolling down the road and hear a whistle sound through some gap..

Driver's side foot well. There are a number of rivet seams here and it is forward facing (i.e. a greater chance for wind and water to penetrate the cockpit area)

Same area on the passenger side. This is the outer footwell. One of the few pieces that is still assembled due to the AC work.

 The seam sealer spreads easily and takes about 60 minutes to dry.It can be sanded. Although, this  area will be covered by sound proofing material as well. To me it is more important get things sealed up. Once the sound proof layer and carpet is applied, it is doubtful anyone will nothing minimal differences in the sub surface due to the sealer.

GTM AC Duct routing

<< GTM AC Evaporator                                                      Next Link >>

Major System Category: AC & Cooling System
Task: Run the ducts
Parts: Duct tubing
Prerequisite Tasks:

• Locate the finished dash.

Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 60 minutes
Date Started: August 12, 2012
Date Completed: August 12, 2012
This is probably the simplest AC task. It is certainly something that should be done before closing up the evaporator unit. (I did this before descending into the evaporator hard line issue, which ate up the rest of the day!)

Driver's side dash temporarily mounted with clamps. This is so I could measure how far I needed to run the  ducts from the evaporator unit.

Passenger side dash. It is starting to look and feel like a car. Unfortunately, these went back into storage as soon as I had it measured. Dead center in the photo is the back end of the evaporator unit. Those are the heater ducts coming out the back end.

These are all the ducts for the defroster and the AC. The two reached towards the top of the photo are the defroster ducts. The rest of them run to the center and ends of the cockpit. Orientation: Passenger side cockpit looking towards the front of the car.

The fun part is getting the finished dash pieces and fitting them together. This is the easiest way to measure the length of hose needed for each vent. The manual identifies the AC, defroster and heater vents. The evaporator unit has eight vents. I recommend using a small screw driver to ensure the flexible duct sides over the vent opening and over the tabs. I further recommend using zip ties to secure the duct tubing. This goes fairly easily.

Coolant Line Routing

<< Radiator Install                       GTM A/C Evaporator Kit  >>
<< Clutch Line Routing                Cockpit/Tunnel Aluminum (rear) >>

Major System Category: AC & Cooling System
Task: Run the hard coolant pipes through the tunnel
Parts:

• Hard coolant pipes
• Corrugated flex pipe
• Spectre 7810 pipe adapter
• Corvette lower radiator hose (to adapt for upper radiator hose)

Prerequisite Tasks: Mount the radiator
Additional Costs: Insulated pipe wrap ($50)
Time Requirement: 60 - 90 minutes
Date Started: August 1, 2012
Date Completed: August 1, 2012
My strategy for the build is to do as much as I can prior to engine install. This is also part of my budget and cash flow strategy. I am 12 to 14 months out from my engine purchase, this means I am going to a number of tasks that terminate with the engine, but will remain incomplete until the engine and accessories are installed. The coolant lines are an example.

This is one of the hard coolant lines wrapped in insulator tape. I zip tied the ends and attached the appropriate connect sleeves. 

Consideration: The hard coolant lines are the main supply and return for engine coolant. This is going to run  through the tunnel. Consider insulating the pipes. I used a wrap that is rated to 1500 degrees. This is probably overkill, but heat is a problem with these cars.

Both wrapped hard coolant lines resting inside the tunnel. Orientation: the engine bay looking forward.

I wrapped the hard coolant lines and zip tied the ends. These pipes take up a fair amount of room in the tunnel. There are a number of other lines that run through the tunnel, including emergency brake cable, soft coolant lines, wiring, cable shift (or control lines for the paddle shift). I have not permanently tied anything down. I want to see how everything lays before installing the insulated clamps.

The 1/2 and 1/4 inch lines connecting into the radiator. This area will get more  crowded as  the AC lines get run.

After the coolant lines are in place, I installed the Spectre 7810 hose adapters on both ends of both pipes. If you don't have a lift, then I suggest installing these prior to placing them in the tunnel.

Lower radiator hose clamped to the radiator and uncut at this point.

The manual specifies the lengths for the front end corrugated flex tubing. I basically, gave myself an extra inch on the front end. There is some wiggle room here. The length requirements on the rear are shorter. I ran the flex tubing through the half moon shapes in the radiator aluminum. 

Coolant line run from the upper radiator to the hard line below.

Consideration: Ensure everything remains below the line of side on the inner wheel wells. The bulb seal for the hood goes on top of the wheel wells.

The item I am missing is the Corvette donor lower radiator hose needed to make an elbow from the driver's side upper radiator connection. A quick couple of clicks on my mouse, and found what I needed at Corvette Salvage. This part showed up a couple of days later. I went ahead and used a Spectre 7810 hose adapter to connect both ends.

AC “Blower Relocate” Plenum

<< GTM AC Evaporator Kit                            GTM Blower Motor  >>

Major System Category: AC & Cooling System
Task: Optional Upgrade for blower motor relocation
Parts:  AC Plenum supplied by Vraptor Speedworks
Prerequisite Tasks: Dismantle the passenger foor well
Additional Costs: Plenum Box ($45)
Time Requirement: 6 - 8 hours
Date Started: August 4, 2012
Date Completed: August 6, 2012
The AC Plenum box is used to relocate the blower motor. The standard location for the blower motor is in the front equipment bay between the radiator aluminum and the beginning of the tunnel. These are the items already living in this section of the car:

1. Battery
2. Steering column
3. Master Cylinders
4. Passenger side front brake line
5. AC Condenser
6. AC Compressor
7. Surge Tank (Moved to rear)
8. AC Blower Motor (Moved to Passenger foot well)
9. Coolant lines (soft and hard)

It seems a tad crowded to me. There are electrical lines to run for the lights, fan motors, radar detectors, signals and probably things I have forgotten about.

This is the triangular piece that fits intot he front wall of the foot well. This needs to be cut so  an opening exists for the  air to flow through to the blower motor. The blower motor will connect tot he this piece.

The new home for the blower motor is the passenger foot well. The basic design connects the blower motor to the evaporator via a rigid plastic sleeve. This pushes the blower motor into this crowded space. The AC plenum relocates the sleeve with a two piece aluminum box, creating two right angles for the air to flow through.

AC Plenum view from the top. I still need to trim the top bracket holding the evaporator unit. The hard coolant lines are visible. This is taken from the top of the car. The top of photo is towards the front of the car.

The front footwell needs to be modified to handle the the AC plenum and the accommodate an opening for the blower motor air flow. These pieces still need to be riveted back into place. However, I would leave the panel between the evaporator and the blower motor off until everything is hooked up and tested. This is going to be a while, because duct work needs to be run into the dash panel.

This is a second shot of the plenum from the other direction. The clamp on the  upper left of the photo holds the plenum tab that needs to be riveted to the chassis cross member.

I made the plenum as air tight as possible. I used plenty of black silicone to fill in an holes/cracks. I also plan to use Eastwood's contour filler as an additional body sealer before I put down the sound proofing.

Clutch Line Routing

<< Brake Line Routing                                                            Coolant Lines >>

Major System Category: Transmission
Task: Route clutch line to rear
Parts: Coated clutch line (same as brake line)
Prerequisite Tasks: Install master cylinders
Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 30 minutes
Date Started: July 30, 2012
Date Completed: July 30, 2012
The clutch line is pretty much the same task as routing the rear brake lines. There were no real issues here. I ran the clutch line all the way to the end of the car. This is one of those tasks that has to wait for the engine/transaxle purchase.

I spray painted the brake line red in a couple of spots. This is my method of keeping things straight. I plan to tag every line running though the tunnel.

GTM A/C Evaporator Kit

<< Coolant lines                                  Install InVIRONMENT - Circuit 1/3  >>

Major System Category: AC & Cooling System
Task: Mount the evaporator unit
Parts: Vintage Air Evaporator unit. (It is the big thing with a bunch of ducts coming off it)
Prerequisite Tasks:

• Dismantle the passenger foot well
• Disconnect the passenger side front brake line

Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 60 minutes to bolt this into place. Longer if dismantling is required.
Date Started: August 4, 2012
Date Completed: August 4, 2012
Consideration: This needs to be done before the passenger foot well is installed, and probably, before the front passenger brake is run. However, it is good to have the hard and soft coolant lines run in order judge clearance.

Vintage Air Evaporator unit. SOmehow I need to get this mounted in the GTM.

I didn't know about this handy little item until it came time to unpack the Vintage AC system. This is a big box, and I sat there staring at everything, wondering where and how it was going to fit inside the GTM. This is definitely a time to plug Vraptor Speedworks. One of the items I purchased last December was the AC Plenum relocation part. I knew it made sense at the time, but I really didn't have an appreciation for how much sense it made! This item relocates the blower motor to the passenger footwell and recycles inside air instead of outside. It also eliminates this HUGE cowl.

I removed the panels common to the tunnel, but this did not give me the clearance I needed to swing the evaporator unit in  and out. I removed triangular piece (this has to be modified for the plenum) and the three fold piece. With these removed I could easily swing the unit in and out. Orientation: passenger foot well.

I ended up drilling out the rivets on four panels connected to the passenger side footwell. I have to say (shameless plug here) that my panels were really solidly installed. It took work to get them off the car! Once the footwell is dismantled, it is an easy thing to swing the evaporator in and out of the tunnel. It sits above the hard coolant lines, and there needs to be some clearance.

This is the rear of the evaporator unit. The hard coolant lines are running under neath. I used the clamp to get an idea of where it should rest. Orientation: Passenger side front third of the tunnel.

This is the Factory Five replacement bracket. I bolted the bracket onto the evaporator unit (not seen) and  slid the  bracket upwards until it was flush with the tunnel cross member. orientation: Passenger side front third of tunnel. 

Front bracket on the evaporator unit.  It is too wide for the GTM chassis. I drilled new holes and installed rivnuts. The excess needs to be cut off.

The front bracket for the evaporator is wider than the cross member it rests on. The excess will need to be trimmed. I plan to do that later. The rear bracket is replaced with the Factory Five bracket. The trick I discovered here was to bolt the end of the bracket in place, and slide it up until outside of the becomes flush with the tunnel cross member. Once I had that position, I put a clamp under the bracket, and riveted the bracket in place.

Rear bracket riveted in place. Unit installed. The passenger side footwell remains dismantled.

I marked the front bracket for rivnuts. The slots for attachment do not work since they drop into open space on the other side of the chassis cross member. I drilled new holes and bolted the unit into place.

Consideration: before you even think about the AC Plenum or buttoning things up, go find the hard lines for the AC. Once everything is tight, there is ABSOLUTELY NO ROOM TO WORK ON THESE.

Hard lines off the Evaporator. You can see the accumulator bolted above the steering rack. I think this is easier to do from below, because you don't have to fight the cross member where the evaporator bracket is bolted.  In both cases there are two nuts that need to be tightened.  In this photo they are hidden by the cross member. Orientation: Taken from above. Left side is towards the front of car. Right side is towards cockpit.

Unfortunately, I learned the hard way about the coolant lines. I installed the AC plenum relocation and bolted down the evaporator unit. The cross member that the evaporator unit is attached to interferes with connecting the hard coolant lines. BTW: The instructions at this point are vague (that's putting it kindly). I ended up drilling out the rivets on the AC Plenum, unbolting the evaporator unit and standing under the car to get the hard lines installed. This is a major pain. I plan to leave everything loose until this beast is in place.

Issue: Remember to put the O rings in and grease them with refrigerant oil.

This the O ring for one of the hard lines (and my thumb).

Issue: If the evaporator ever needs maintenance or replacement, this is going to be a major job. I think the footwell needs to be as solid as possible. Therefore, it needs to be riveted back into place.

With the evaporator in place, I depart from the manual's instructions. This is when I install the AC Plenum Relocation pieece, and change the location of the motor.

Brake Line Routing (front)

<< Brake Line Routing (Rear)                                      Clutch Line Routing >>

Major System Category: Brakes & Suspension
Task: Mount front brake bracket and connect steel braided lines.
Parts: Brake Line components
Prerequisite Tasks:

1. Mount suspension and brakes
2. Master cylinders

Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 90 Minutes
Date Started: July 30, 2012
Date Completed: July 30, 1012
I think the brake line routing for the front brakes is harder to complete. One thing I did was I went and dug out the windshield washer reservoir. I read on a couple of build logs that it should be installed prior to running the front brakes. I didn't install it, but I taped it in place. The idea is that it takes up space. I was quite surprised at the size of the reservoir. I though it would be smaller.

Ensure that all lines coming off the master cylinders do not protrude  above the sight line of the inner wheel wells. I think there is a little wiggle room here, but I made sure I had some space.

Consideration: Temporarily install wind shield washer reservoir to ensure the brake lines do not interfere.

After messing up one brake segment, I taped the flange bolt to the end of the brake line so it could  not slide around. I think I was very fortunate to have only messed up one brake segment.

The steering column and the battery are additional considerations when running the front brake lines. The 20 inch line segment is used for the front driver's side brake. I am so happy that I went ahead and modified the brackets. It made this entire process much easier to complete.

Driver's side brake line installed.

Consideration: Ensure all plumbed brake lines are below the line of sight for the inner wheel wells. The top of the inner wheel wells is where the bulb seal for the front hood is placed.

Passenger side brake line complete.

I do not claim that my brake line bends are works of art. It did managed to include service loops, and I do not have any kinks in the lines. I carefully tightened down on the nuts and bolts. I did not want a repeat of snapping off a soft metal piece as I did when I put together the Big Brake Upgrade.

Up and down on the ladder to the top of the lift. I have to  be careful not to smack my head on the garage ceiling. I only have 10 feet. I've gotten pretty good at climbing around on top of the lift. I'm sure there's some safety regulation that I am violating.

I found myself needing to be under and over the car as I worked the line into place. I finally set a step ladder next to the lift and climbed up and down until I had both lines run.

Brake Line Bracket (Rear)

<< Brake Line Bracket (Front)               Brake Line Routing (Front) >>

Major System Category: Brakes & Suspension
Task: Run brake line from the master cylinder to the rear brakes
Parts: Brake Line components
Prerequisite Tasks:

1. Mount suspension and brakes
2. Master cylinders

Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 90 Minutes
Date Started: July 28, 2012
Date Completed: July 28, 1012
No modifications required for the rear bracket. It goes it more or less the way the manual says. The gotcha is the Koni shocks get in the way of the drill. Even if you have a right hand drill the clearance is pretty tight. The bracket is secured by two rivets through the sheet metal and two rivets into the cross member. I ended up using a longer rivet for the attached in the bracket to the cross member.

Rear bracket before it was riveted into place.

The important issue to ensure the flexible brake line running from the caliper to the side panel does interfere with the rear suspension travel. If the bracket shifts a bit during the rivet process, it is a simple thing to ream out the opening so the brake line end fits though the hole. Attach the slips and you are done.

My installation used all new hardware. If you are using donor brakes and rotors, you may have some issues removing  the brake clips.

Brake Line Routing (Rear)

<< Brake Line Bracket (Rear)                  Brake Line Routing (Front) >>

Major System Category: Brakes & Suspension
Task: Mount front brake bracket and connect steel braided lines.
Parts: Brake Line components
Prerequisite Tasks:

1. Mount suspension and brakes
2. Master cylinders

Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 90 Minutes
Date Started: July 30, 2012
Date Completed: July 30, 1012

I figured I would mess up at least one segment of the brake line, and I did. I don't think this is a big deal. I plan to run down to NAPA tomorrow and purchase/order a replace piece. At this point, there are plenty of brake line segments to finish the brake line routing.

Brake line segment with union attached to end.

T connection for rear brakes.

Adapters that enable the transition between the hard line and soft line. They screw into the soft brake line at the brackets. There is one for each brake.

Consideration: Tape the ends of the brake line segments so the flare nuts don't travel too far from the ends. This is how I messed up one of the line segments, because I put a bend in the line, then discovered the flare nut was on the wrong side of the bend.

Rear passenger side brake line.

I think routing the rear brake lines are easier than the front. You have more room to work. If you have a lift, then you can easily run the segments along the driver's side of the tunnel. I did not use any fasteners to secure the brake line inside the tunnel as I still have to route the clutch lines. I infer from the photos in the manual that these lines run together.

Driver side rear brake line.

Consideration: I plan to tag the brake lines and clutch lines so I can differentiate them should/when problems arise during the Go Kart phase.

T connector under the car mid way through the tunnel.

With the brake line brackets in place, it is simple to get things just so. I put service loops into the lines where it made sense to do so. You have enough space to so on both rear lines. I installed the metric adapters on all the flexible lines before I started routing the brake lines.