Copper Nickel Brake Line – Dave’s Garage

Progress is great. When a product appears on the market that increases the safety, service life, ease of maintenance, and the performance of our cars, it is a good thing. Perhaps you may have noticed there is a new type of brake line on the market.

A little history- Before WWII, many manufacturers used copper brake lines. Copper is both easy to form, and resists corrosion well. Unfortunately, copper is also prone to cracking. Shortly before the war, there was a transition to steel tubing for brake lines. Steel did not have the cracking problem of copper, but it did corrode. Steel brake lines would often fail after only a few years of use. The options to prolong the life of steel brake lines included many types of coatings to protect against corrosion.

Steel brake lines failing due to corrosion was not acceptable to safety obsessed Sweden. Both Saab and Volvo experimented with epoxy coatings, anodized steel and various other coatings to protect the brake lines. Volvo introduced a new type of brake line in 1976. This new brake line consisted of 89% Copper, 1% Iron, and 10% Nickel. This alloy proved to be durable with the corrosion resistance of copper and the crack resistance of steel.

Years ago when doing repair work I found steel brake lines would only last a few years before they would fail due to corrosion. I used anodized brake line exclusively for the last ten years or so. This anodized line lasts much longer than bare steel line.

Copper-Nickel tubing is much easier to form than steel, resists kinking and virtually will not corrode. I have found that a tubing bender is useful, but not necessary to bend Copper-Nickel tubing.

Cutting and bubble flaring Copper-Nickel tubing is actually quite easy. As with steel tubing, it is imperative to start with a nice, clean square cut. Nothing but a sharp tubing cutter will do.

Make sure there are no burrs on the end of the tube, and that you have a nice clean cut. Like steel, it may be necessary to dress the cut tube with a fine file before flaring. Unlike steel, I have found it is NOT necessary to chamfer the fresh cut end of the tube before using the flaring tool.

copper-nickel brake line
Because the Copper-Nickel is softer than steel, I found I have to be more gentle with a bubble flare tool. It takes far less effort to drive the mandrel in to the tube, and to pinch the final flare. I also found that it works better to use a tad more material for the flare than with steel. When installing and tightening the flare nuts, I found it takes less effort to tighten the fittings with no leaks. The Copper-Nickel tubing has more “squish” than steel.

I recently replaced all of the brake lines on my Chrysler minivan. With the ABS pump, proportioning valve, duel circuits and the many transitions to rubber hose and back to metal, there were many individual lines to form and many fittings to flare. The Copper-Nickel was far easier to work with than steel would have been. When I finished the job, there were no leaks.

Copper-Nickel brake line is stocked at most auto parts stores, and the price is comparable to anodized steel tubing. Do yourself a favor and try some the next time you have to replace a brake line. You won’t be disappointed!


Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477

Goodbye to one of my Heroes

We have recently said goodbye to one of my heroes in the “car world”, Tom Magliozzi. I can’t imagine you wouldn’t know who this is but if you don’t, he is the “Click” or the “Clack” (I don’t believe it was ever decided which was which) of the Tappet Brothers from NPR’s “Car Talk”. He and his brother Ray could turn any car, situation or person into something to laugh at, nothing and no one spared. Believe me sometimes Tom’s laugh, just listening to it and not even hearing what had been said would make me break into a huge laugh. It must be said that one of the chief things he laughed at was himself and of course, his brother. I don’t know but think that antique cars weren’t the passion for him as they are to several people I know but he seemed to love cars in general, different makes which there were a few he seemed to like better than others. Have to say that he did beat on a certain make of cars and on his ex and present wife. (I don’t know if he had an ex or not). There are very few things that you come away feeling good every time but “Car Talk” was certainly one of the things that did it for me. When VPR stops airing the reruns and quiets Tom’s laugh forever, will be a sad day for all of us who love to laugh. The lesson I take from him is laugh as often as possible and realize most things shouldn’t be taken so seriously and in the ‘scheme of things’ most things deserve a good old fashion belly laugh. RIP dear friend.

1967 Harley Electra Glide

Mark McDermiottMark McDermiott is pictured right at the 2014 VAE Car Show in Stowe on his 1967 Harley Electra Glide. He has had his Harley for 20 years and in that time has rebuilt and restored about every part on it.

This Harley’s engine has a “Shovelhead” top and “Pan” bottom. The “Shovelhead” term comes from the engine’s rocker box covers looking like an inverted shovel and was introduced in 1965. The rocker boxes before ‘65, starting in 1948, looked like pans… hence the term “Panhead”. In 1967 Harley had kept the lower engine design of the older Panhead engine which used a generator until 1970. They then changed to the alternator bottom.

The rocker boxes to Harley enthusiast identifies the engine. Before the “Panhead” was the “Knucklehead” started in 1936 and yes the rocker covers resembled the knuckles of a person’s fist. The “Flathead” preceded the “Knucklehead”.

Mark lives in Enosburg, Vermont and is part of the McDermott family of “McDermott’s Trucking”. He and his brother Pete are the third generation operators of the company. How many of us for years have seen the McDermott’s milk tankers hauling the product from farms and to the areas largest milk market in the Boston area? Mark is in charge of the company’s three garages that keep their 80 trucks and 100 trailers on the road.

Even though Mark is a mechanic by trade he decided to farm out some of the work in restoring his Electra Glide. John Johnson of Enosburg did the paint job at his shop. The engine and transmission was rebuilt by Drew Fairbanks of Johnson. G&G Buffing of Montreal did all the chrome.

This Harley has a 45-degree, air-cooled, V-twin engine with a 1208 cc displacement. There is no direct connection by Harley Davidson but about the time they presented the “Electra Glide” model to the public in 1965 was also the time they first introduced the electric starter. Is there a connection?

Along with all the “special” Harley terms that non-Harley folks often can’t quite keep up with is the term “Softail”. We have all heard the name and love the sight and the sound of the Harley Davidson but what the heck is a Softail? It seems in the ‘older days’ and during the chopper ‘60s and ‘70s the Harley had a fairly hard suspension… some called them ‘Hardtails’. By hiding the rear suspension under the transmission in the Heritage style and adopting the “Springer” front suspension, Harley was able to offer a softer ride…thus the Softail.

Trailer Tires – Dave’s Garage

Trailer tires have a tough life. Drivers are unlikely to feel any notable differences in road noise or road feel with trailer tires. Trailer tires are often subjected to harsh curb hits and road bumps. Tandem axle tires also experience harsh scrubbing due to making tight turns in parking lots and on corners.

trailer tiresTrailer tires are quite different from traditional passenger car and truck tires. Trailer tires are not designed for either tractive effort or steering adhesion. The tread design is not optimized for ride comfort or noise reduction. Most importantly, the side walls are designed to reduce trailer sway and provide optimum control.

The two biggest enemies to trailer tires are abrasion and heat. As trailer tires heat up, their structure begins to disintegrate and weaken. The load capacity gradually decreases as the heat and stress caused by higher speed increases.

As with any tire, trailer tires have a “shelf life.” Time weakens a trailer tire too. Three to five years is the projected life of a trailer tire. Obviously, the type of use and number of duty cycles influences the service life of the tire. Weight carried and speeds driven are the biggest factors influencing tire life. In approximately three years, roughly one-third of the tire’s strength is gone.

The mileage life of a trailer tire is generally 5,000 to 12,000 miles. Which tires should you use? Trailer tires should match each other, and the load rating should ex-ceed the combined weight of the trailer and load by about 20 percent.

What is a tire with a rating of “ST”?
“ST” tires feature materials and construction to meet the higher load requirements and demands of trailering. The polyester cords are bigger than they would be for a comparable “P” or “LT” tire.

The steel cords have a larger diameter and greater tensile strength to meet the additional load requirements. “ST” tire rubber compounds contain more chemicals to resist weather and ozone cracking.
Always inflate trailer tires to the maximum inflation indicated on the sidewall. Check inflation when the tires are cool.

If the tires are hot to the touch from operation, add three psi to the max inflation.

Under inflation is the number one cause of trailer tire failure. An under inflated tire will flex needlessly, and run much hotter than a fully inflated tire.

Keys to Avoiding Trouble from Carlisle tire

  • The ideal storage for trailer tires is in a cool, dark garage at maximum inflation.
  • Use tire covers to protect the tires from direct sunlight.
  • Place thin boards or plywood sections between the tire and the
    pavement.
  • Clean the tires using mild soap and water ONLY.
  • Do not use tire-care products containing alcohol or petroleum distillates.
  • Inspect the tires for any cuts, snags, bulges or punctures.
  • Check the inflation before towing and again before the return trip.
  • Replace trailer tires every three to five years, whether they look like they’re worn out or not.

Trailer Tire Warranty

  • The Carlisle trailer tire warranty applies to the original purchaser for three years from the date of purchase or until the tread depth reaches 3/32″.
  • The OE (original equipment) warranty goes into effect at the time of the trailer purchase

Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477

 

1964 Studebaker Avanti R2

StanRay and Julies’s ‘64 Studebaker Avanti R2 has been sold to someone in the state of Washington.

The Greenias have had the Avanti for 20 years. This car has been such a big part of our club gatherings over the years, the blue beauty will be missed.

Ray said he has had a hard time finding folks qualified to work on it and he is getting to the point he would rather not be climbing around the car any longer doing maintenance himself… so he decided to sell.

Ray found it in a Hemmings ad in 1994 located in Queens, NY and brought it home to Burlington.

Ray said the Avanti ran fine when he got it but the front end was misaligned and the tires were in bad shape. He replaced the front and rear springs and shocks, the dual exhaust system along with new tires and alignment. Since then he and Julie have had 18,000 miles of trouble free touring. He did repaint it himself a year after the purchase.

Stowe Show Musings

Once again, I marvel at the work of the dedicated people who put together our Car Show at Stowe. I am pretty sure they are already at work for next year, in fact. Despite the rain and wind on Thursday, the next three days were pleasant and sunny, a little muddy, but great by Sunday! The kitchen team this year certainly presented many, many delicious meals. Then there was the setting up for vendors, car parking, registration booth, where Gael Boardman and Serge Benoit made announcements throughout the Show. There was the car corral, crafts tent, and the information booth.

The souvenir tent was an excellent vantage point to get a valuable perspective on the show. Thanks to Tom Alag of Shelter Logic for giving us a large white tent to work from. It gave us room for displaying things for sale and room for people who needed a place to sit out of the sun. They also had one of their tents set up nearby to be raffled off to a VAE member. Non-members could qualify by signing up on the spot, which they did. We gained a substantial number of members as a result. The winner was a lady who signed up about ten minutes before the drawing. Then there was the fashion show competition (Thanks, Julie, for covering that for me). The “everywhere needed twosome”, Duane Leach and Bob Chase, who were always (mostly) smiling and al-ways helpful. If I wore a hat, it would be off to them! Also, to Chris Barbieri for his many interviews promoting the Show. Thanks to Nancy Olney for staying at the booth so that I could be with Wendell in the parade. Also to Isabelle and Clark Wright, Theresa Rayta and Anita Bean.

Our constant interaction with the public provided us with interesting comments and suggestions. Many were valuable and a few were just “off the wall.” Some didn’t care for the car on the back of the sweatshirts, unless of course it happened to be their favorite car. So since we can’t please everyone, maybe just the VAE logo or show date should be on the back! Others would like a pocket on the tee shirts, tank tops, sleeveless tees, hats, VAE decals, pencils with VAE or Stowe Show on them. Several people would like to have the option of a three-day pass, rental carts for handicapped people and, as part of the judging awards, a “teen choice award”. Another suggestion was to have a tent for Bingo if someone would like to sponsor it.

The field is now empty and shows little evidence that it just hosted the best car show in the northeast. After a little bit of a breather, I look forward to being a part of it again.

What Can I Say…

I am sure by now you are all tired of me sharing stories about our household’s automotive trials and tribulations. Which leaves me in a dilemma, “What should I write about for this issue of Wheel Tracks?” I dig deep for inspiration, but this ballroom dancing lady is struggling. Let’s see… I have been to one car show all summer; the catalyst for this was a visit from my father.

That old saying that women end up marrying men just like their fathers is all too true in my case. My father is a self-confessed high performance street car enthusiast (junkie), and the mastermind behind a line of race electrical products (Auto-Rod Controls). He grew up during American Graffiti, and remembers a time when a half a dozen full blown street races occurred nightly. I do not believe this happens much anymore, except for maybe LA (according to the motion picture industry).

I interviewed my father and had him list his most memorable cars: a 1958 something or another, 1940 Ford Coupe, 1962 Ford 406, 1969 Ford 428 Super Cobra Jet, 1970 429 Torino Cobra he trad-ed in for a 1970 Honda motorcycle and last but not least, a 1970 Ford Pinto he stripped down into a race car lovingly known as PERNICIOUS.

I have vivid memories of this car. I was frequently called into the garage to maneuver my small hands into tight places to hold bolts and wrenches in place. I will never forget the occasional starting of the engine; mind numbingly loud, our whole house shook, as did the neighborhood.

The rebuild took 4 years in total. Eventually, he and his race car made it to the speedway in Epping, NH. He raced the quarter mile; best time – 9.65 seconds; maximum speed – 138 miles per hour. I never got to see him race but I wish I had. That would be an image worth holding on to.

Brake Down – Dave’s Garage

Five or six years ago the Jaguar XKE started to run rough, cough, belch black smoke, and backfire. This problem got worse quickly and the car ran so poorly it could barely move. Life got in the way, and the Jag was parked.

jaguar xke brake cylinderThis summer I decided it was time to figure out what was wrong with the car and fix it. I found a sunken carburetor float in the rear carburetor, a torn diaphragm in the front carburetor, a bad fuel pump and a dead battery. Once I got these issues sorted out, I began to tune the car and get it running again. It soon became apparent that there was an issue with the brakes. Both front and rear brakes were dragging, and the pedal did not feel right. I know that the brake fluid has not been changed in at least 15 years. When I removed the caps to inspect the brake fluid, I found a nasty surprise. We all know that brake fluid absorbs moisture. Due to some spring flooding this year, the building the car was stored in, had several inches of standing water on the floor of the garage.

The brake fluid actually had standing water pooled on top, and the fluid was starting to congeal. The aluminum caps for the fluid also have low level switches in them. The aluminum had rotted away, and the caps fell apart in my hands. I used a turkey baster to remove the fluid, then flushed fresh new fluid through the system and out the bleeder screws. It is amazing how corrosive contaminated brake fluid is. Look at these pictures. This damage could have been avoided if the fluid had been changed every two or three years.

An extra Tip……… I was recently shopping at Tractor Supply, and I bought a new battery cable for my tractor. When I installed the new cable, I noticed the diameter of the cable was much thicker than the one it was replacing. I realized that the cable I bought was suitable for a six volt battery. A six volt battery cable needs to be thicker, because it carries more amperage at a lower voltage. Six volt battery cables are hard to find at an auto parts store, but Tractor Supply has a large selection in stock.

Please email all inquiries to: Dave
or snail mail
32 Turkey Hill Road
Richmond VT 05477

Downsizing

StanWhat do we do when we decide it is time to downsize our collection? How do we even get started? We might decide we want to move where the snow doesn’t fly or that we simply want less to deal with. What ever the reason, the collection that seemed to have accumulated very easily and some might say ‘over-night’ can be a very daunting task when you are looking to scale down.

AND then there are those ‘items’ you would NEVER part with….it can get complicated!

Stanley Lasell (pictured) of Williamstowm, Vermont wants to down-size. He started by asking some VAE members for help in deciding what parts of his collection should simply go to the crusher and some advice of value of what is left. Asking VAE members what should go to the crusher, it turns out, is a very simple answer….”Nothing”. We are just not built that way.

Stan did get a visit by three of us with price books in hand and we hope we have helped him a little.

This month’s WT will feature Stans collection and maybe force us to think about our collection in a different way.

Wheel Tracks might just open other discussions with help on the subject.

The blue car on the front page is a 1946 Nash Super 600. Stan said he sold it years ago but then it came back… The car is complete and the VAE team came up with a price of $1500.00 that Stan said he would accept. Some one out there, most likely, has been looking for this car for years and now you know who to call. BTW, Stan’s phone number is 802-433-5874.

Stan’s first call was to the Wheel Tracks editor, Gary Fiske. He was trying to figure out how to down-size. I told him I have a lot of short comings when it comes to pricing old cars but I know two folks who could be of help. So, Gary Olney and Wendell Noble were invited to make the trip to Williamstown and Stan’s home. I had my note pad and camera…and I am sure we impressed the socks off Stan when we arrived. He is one of those “not-very-old Vermonters” who comes with down to earth common sense and the speech to go with it. “Bye and bye” was a favorite of his, I haven’t heard that said to me face to face since being with my grandfather in the 50s. Another regular comment was that Stan was going to “live forever….as long as he lives”. When he was describing the distance to his third car-yard….it was “ a loud holler from the barn”. Many of his treasures were “not for sale….but maybe”. We were up in Stan’s 2nd car-yard when Wendell asked him “What’s that over there”. Stan’s reply was “I was wondering that myself”.

Most of Stan’s treasures were in high grass and among tress but as we get into the Fall his collection will be much easier to see.

Here are a few of his vehicles he would like to sell. If we do not have room for all the pictures there will be a complete list for you to work with.

Ask for Help?

My mother raised four children in a single parent home and to my knowledge, never asked for help. She raised our food, canned and froze everything for the winter, baked bread (you can imagine 4 children when they were given the “treat” of Wonder Bread) of course now realize what a “treat” we were having every day with her homemade bread, tapped 4 maples and boiled the sap on the stove, she made stuffed toys, clothes and she could cut anything that needed to be cut with a big meat saw. I didn’t mention that she was a full time secretary in a department store at this time. We lived in a small town in southern Vermont and for 13 years of my life, we lived in a house on my grandparents’ farm. Being from a small town and living on the farm was a definite help to both my mother and us but again at the time we probably weren’t convinced of it. With saying all this, the outcome was 4 adults growing up and realizing that we had to take care of ourselves and we weren’t to run for help every time things got rough, though I think sometimes she went too far with the lesson. All my siblings and me are always ready to help but go to great lengths not to ask for help.

This brings me to this summer when Gary and I went on a 7000 mile trip to Montana to pick up 2 of our grandchildren and bring them to Vermont. On our 10 day trip from Montana, we went to Iowa (car auction with Vin Cassidy), visited every place President Lincoln lived except Washington, to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky and to the largest insane asylum in the world (late 19th century). Arriving home, we picked up our other 2 grandchildren in Waterbury and headed for camp. In all we entertained the children for about 2 weeks when their parents came for 10 days and then took them home. Have to admit mixed with sadness of seeing them go was a bit of glad-ness at seeing them go! Gary and I agree we have never been so tired in our lives (that we can remember). It wasn’t that hard raising our 2 boys! Guess I forget that we were about 40 years younger!

Now “the rest of the story” and the point of my rambling. Last month I received an email from Gary Fiske telling me that it was my turn to write for Wheel Tracks (thank you for reminding me, Gary, I would never remember on my own) also saying that if I wasn’t up to it that maybe Mary Noble would trade months. Though it went against the grain to ask, I did. Mary graciously agreed to write the arti-cle in my place and did a fine job of it! She helped me out, for which I will forever be grateful, while entertaining her grandchildren, gardening (on a scale that would put the Green Giant to shame) and raising pigs. Lesson: Always go to a busy person if you need help. I have to tell you it really didn’t hurt at all asking for help but please, don’t turn and run when you see me coming because I’m probably not looking for help.

Postscript: I wrote my article before the Stowe Car Show and want to tell you about a couple of things that happened there. The first was Sunday morning about 7 AM when I pulled into the entrance for “Antique Cars only” and two gentlemen came to my window to ask what I was up to. I explained that I needed to drop off our young friend, Ryan and meet up with Gary for a few words and I assured them I would come out this entrance to prove I wasn’t sneaking in. They looked a bit skeptical but helped me out by letting me in (I did go out that way and thanked them).

Next, I had another favor to ask (imagine needing ‘help’ twice in less than an hour!) well, Lloyd Harvey stepped up to the plate and helped me out. Thank you Lloyd (and Steve for looking at Lloyd ‘like help the woman’) I think I see a pattern forming so if you see me coming – maybe you should RUN!