Brake Booster hose - I've fallen at the last hurdle...

With the bulk of my car spread over the garage floor, the task of threading a new brake booster pipe and coolant hose through the sill was a 5 minute anti-climax.

The problem now is getting the brake booster hose onto the brake booster itself. How on earth is this possible? There simply isn't enough space to get my hand over the brake fluid reservoir to push it on. I'm guessing more bits need to come out to do this or do you need little tiny hands like the new President? I really don't want to take more things off the car.
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Add a lubricant like soap and use a long pair of needle nose piers. And hold your tongue in the right position.

 

Really?
I did think of this but dismissed it because the more you clamp down on the hose with the pliers the smaller the bore will become and the harder it will get to push it onto the booster.
But I suppose being a vacuum hose it will not behave in the same way as a normal coolant hose and it will resist the clamping action.

Thanks very much, coming from you I have 100% confidence that this is the way to go.

 

Put the nose of the pliers about 1 or more inches away from the fitting. Also try not to bite your tongue.

 

Why not remove the banjo fitting?
Get a hose clamp on there too or you'll get a nice backfire when you brake.

 

looks like you are using the superformance hose correct? brutally overkill of a hose.

 

Slip a hose clamp on first. Get the hose out where you can grab it, and force it onto a conical section to flare it slightly. Lubricate with silicone. Clamp up the hose clamp about 3" back so it grips the hose. Tie a loop of cord around the hose behind the hose clamp, and run this out in line, so you can apply traction, while guiding the hose with your free hand from behind.

 

On items such hoses etc. I don't care about originality because they can be swapped out easily enough should, one day, it become important. But this hose isn't a quick swap so I paid the extra money to get something that is close to the original and can sit there for many a year or owner.

The old hose (like my brake hoses) was stamped with 11/79 - i.e. almost 38 years old. Other than looking tatty, it appeared to be structurally sound (like my brake hoses).


In other news, thanks for the additional tips on getting this hose onto the booster. It's reassuring to know that I am in good company.

 

Andy I used the same hose what I meant by overkill is the way it's designed it's so damn stiff,and has the steel braid wrapped with the nylonish cloth, that once it is over the nipple,it seems to me it will be difficult to compress with the clamp just past the larger portion of the nipple. I hope it seals when clamped. I installed the same hose last year but still haven't driven the car. I understand about the 40 yr old hoses. I replaced all of mine this year. What bugs me is how we order stuff that says its for the car , but really it's only the size of a hose or weather stripping or whatever,that is correct. Not the look or the construction. Yes that hose will outlast the original by another 40 yrs. but let's give Ferrari credit for the hoses they used. They lasted this long and are just getting close to faluire. And yes I understand about the while your In There and maintenance. And I agree that certain things should be original looking and other things not.

 

Agreed. I suspect Superformance have had a run of this produced specifically for them - and over spec'd the hose to avoid any comeback. The old hose was quite supple by comparison - it was made by Cavis and they supplied many of the hoses and leads that I've removed over the last few years. Rifledriver has praised the quality of these original hoses.

As you say, an average Jubilee Clip may struggle to deform the hose enough to clamp it down. I'll found out later today!

 

I suspect they went a bit over the top, fearing, that it could collapse under vacuum.
On other other cars I have seen vacuum hoses with unusual thick walls, which are also hard to install onto their fittings.
But better having some trouble while installing, than a collapsing vacuum hose.

Best Regards
Martin

 

Uhhh...loosen the booster nuts and give yourself some wiggle room

 

Let us know how it goes

 

There are ultra long long nose pliers that have loops in the end of the noses for different hose sizes. Grasp the hose in the plier loop and shove it on after lubricating it.

 

Heat the end of the hose up with a hot air gun.

That type of hose does not look like vacuum hose though, looks more like standard steel reinforced nylon braided hose. Probably do the job but will be more rigid than proper vac hose.

 

Warm the hose up some lub and a strong push it's doable a little grease on the steel tubing also will help but put the clamp on the hose first. If you need to get the booster out it's a pig of a job as you need to work upside down in the footwell inside. Well you do on a gt4.

 

Just did this with absostone a couple months ago on both our cars. Easy:

1) clear out the inside of the hose end of any debris, if you trimmed that end to size. Even the smallest rubber shavings can make it bind.

2) put a healthy dab of grease on your finger and wipe it around the inside of the hose, and on the booster nipple.

After dabbing in the grease, clean off your hands and grip with your dear life to shove it on.

Respectfully, I disagree with loosening any surrounding nuts or bolts; can be done without, and clearance isn't the greatest for tightening things back. Also, you still have to jam the hose onto the nipple, and don't want anything else giving
way or rattling around while you tug.

 

Removing the banjo fitting is one bolt and allows a much better angle of "attack." It also allows the fitting to be twisted while inserting. A rap or two with a rubber mallet helps too.
Just my experience.

 

I made some progress this morning.

I applied a liberal coating of medium grease to both the banjo fitting and the inside of the hose. I then used a heat gun to warm the hose. Using a nylon rope stopped by a Jubilee Clip about 2" from the end of the hose - I was able to pull the hose onto the banjo fitting.

But not very far! I guess it went about 1/2" - 3/4" onto the fitting.
However, I think that is enough - because I thought about having another go with more grease and more heat but I now can't pull the hose off! So to my mind that's secure enough. I fitted the Jubilee Clip and tightened it down and as far as I'm concerned its 'job done'. Atop of this, it is a vacuum hose, so nothing is trying to pull it off - so it should be OK.

As for the construction of the hose, I do think it is as andyww describes it (standard steel reinforced nylon braided hose).

Thanks to everyone for the help, in hindsight I would have used a different hose had I known what I do now.

 

Lets take it for a spin! hopefully that translates in British!

 

I'm a good while off getting this car back on the road but fitting this hose feels like the furthest point on the outward journey. Much of the work left is preparing stuff to be put back on the car - i.e. the fun bit!

 

youre not the only one that's a good while off. My car is all over the neighborhood