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Brake conversion


richard

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Has anyone ever change over from the teves abs system to a non abs system on a 1990 reatta

If so would you have a list of parts and directions as to how you did conversion

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I did just that. Replacing the Teves system cost $960.00 dollars for the parts.I went to the junk yard and got a 1991 Chevy S-10 power brake booster and mas.cyl. with the proportioning valve attached. It takes a little ingenuity but it works better then the Teves. After you have removed the old unit you need to reuse the end of the push rod. The length of the push rod is measured on the old unit from where it is flush with the firewall to the end of the push rod, should be approx. 6 and 3/8's long The push rod on the S-10 unit is longer. Cut off the S-10 push rod so when you install the end of the old Teves push rod, it will measure the same. What I did was after I cut the S-10 posh rod I left it long enough to thread the end of it so when I screwed on the Teves end It would measure out to the right length, I then tack welded it so it wouldn't unscrew. (this measurement is important to short, bad brake pedal distance, to long can cause brakes to stay applied.      After your done with that, you need to go to the parts store and get a brass tee 3 one foot long metric brake lines, 2 full unions. Now here is where it gets a little tricky. You have to tie the two front brake lines together with the tee and run a line from the tee to the proportioning valve but the lines on the car won't fit the tee so you have to cut the lines and install the new lines by cutting them and using the full unions. The last line you have to deal with won't fit the proportioning valve. where that line screwed into the old unit has a removable fitting that fitting will screw into the proportioning valve but you have to make sure it is sealed good. If your successful then bleed the brakes check for leaks and if dry hook up the vacuum hose to the port on the engine. This port is pre-established you will find a rubber plug on the end of it next to the EGR valve...Hope this helped. It's not a fun time but it is worth it     GOOD LUCK

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I did just that. Replacing the Teves system cost $960.00 dollars for the parts.I went to the junk yard and got a 1991 Chevy S-10 power brake booster and mas.cyl. with the proportioning valve attached. It takes a little ingenuity but it works better then the Teves. After you have removed the old unit you need to reuse the end of the push rod. The length of the push rod is measured on the old unit from where it is flush with the firewall to the end of the push rod, should be approx. 6 and 3/8's long The push rod on the S-10 unit is longer. Cut off the S-10 push rod so when you install the end of the old Teves push rod, it will measure the same. What I did was after I cut the S-10 posh rod I left it long enough to thread the end of it so when I screwed on the Teves end It would measure out to the right length, I then tack welded it so it wouldn't unscrew. (this measurement is important to short, bad brake pedal distance, to long can cause brakes to stay applied.      After your done with that, you need to go to the parts store and get a brass tee 3 one foot long metric brake lines, 2 full unions. Now here is where it gets a little tricky. You have to tie the two front brake lines together with the tee and run a line from the tee to the proportioning valve but the lines on the car won't fit the tee so you have to cut the lines and install the new lines by cutting them and using the full unions. The last line you have to deal with won't fit the proportioning valve. where that line screwed into the old unit has a removable fitting that fitting will screw into the proportioning valve but you have to make sure it is sealed good. If your successful then bleed the brakes check for leaks and if dry hook up the vacuum hose to the port on the engine. This port is pre-established you will find a rubber plug on the end of it next to the EGR valve...Hope this helped. It's not a fun time but it is worth it     GOOD LUCK

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Thanks

That should help. Maybe someone else will have some suggestions

Thanks again

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Thanks. That's a good write-up. I think that is good option. Any photos of it? How did you deal with the yellow ABS warning light staying on?

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Mine never came on.....But if it had I would have removed the bulb.

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I did just that. Replacing the Teves system cost $960.00 dollars for the parts.I went to the junk yard and got a 1991 Chevy S-10 power brake booster and mas.cyl. with the proportioning valve attached. It takes a little ingenuity but it works better then the Teves. After you have removed the old unit you need to reuse the end of the push rod. The length of the push rod is measured on the old unit from where it is flush with the firewall to the end of the push rod, should be approx. 6 and 3/8's long The push rod on the S-10 unit is longer. Cut off the S-10 push rod so when you install the end of the old Teves push rod, it will measure the same. What I did was after I cut the S-10 posh rod I left it long enough to thread the end of it so when I screwed on the Teves end It would measure out to the right length, I then tack welded it so it wouldn't unscrew. (this measurement is important to short, bad brake pedal distance, to long can cause brakes to stay applied.      After your done with that, you need to go to the parts store and get a brass tee 3 one foot long metric brake lines, 2 full unions. Now here is where it gets a little tricky. You have to tie the two front brake lines together with the tee and run a line from the tee to the proportioning valve but the lines on the car won't fit the tee so you have to cut the lines and install the new lines by cutting them and using the full unions. The last line you have to deal with won't fit the proportioning valve. where that line screwed into the old unit has a removable fitting that fitting will screw into the proportioning valve but you have to make sure it is sealed good. If your successful then bleed the brakes check for leaks and if dry hook up the vacuum hose to the port on the engine. This port is pre-established you will find a rubber plug on the end of it next to the EGR valve...Hope this helped. It's not a fun time but it is worth it     GOOD LUCK

 

This is awesome!!!

Please post a few pictures of this S-10 brake conversion on your Reatta.

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That's about the best I can do don't have much luck with computers and their instructions.

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After your done with that, you need to go to the parts store and get a brass tee 3 one foot long metric brake lines, 2 full unions. Now here is where it gets a little tricky. You have to tie the two front brake lines together with the tee and run a line from the tee to the proportioning valve but the lines on the car won't fit the tee so you have to cut the lines and install the new lines by cutting them and using the full unions.

 

You did a good job explaining what you did. Good photos too. Did you have to use a flare tool on any of the ends of the steel lines where they connected to the unions or are the lines already flared correctly?

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No flair tool, that was the reason I cut the lines I don't like using a flair tool if I don't have to. I failed to mention two things in my explanation (1) do not cut the line on the car going to the rear brakes use the fitting and block from the old unit. (2) When you get the S-10 unit you will see that it comes with 2 proportioning valves. One is held to the bracket by two bolts, the other is hard bracketed and is held by the retaining bolts of the master cyl. This proportioning valve is the one you use, discard the one held to the bracket by the bolts. Use the new fittings with the new lines.

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How are the lines connecting to the fittings? Not with compression fittings are they?

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The full unions are a compression fitting I used them to join the old line to the new line and the new fitting is already on the new line and the new line at the fitting has been flared from the factory. You have to cut off one end of the new line to make this work. I believe that your confusing a coupler with a full union, a coupler uses a fitting to screw into it but a full union only needs the pipe.

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The full unions are a compression fitting I used them to join the old line to the new line and the new fitting is already on the new line and the new line at the fitting has been flared from the factory. You have to cut off one end of the new line to make this work. I believe that your confusing a coupler with a full union, a coupler uses a fitting to screw into it but a full union only needs the pipe.

 

I don't want to knock the work you did but I would find another way to make the connections using flair fittings. A double flare or a bubble flair should be used. That is just my personal opinion from years of experience. I've read that compression fittings on automobile brake lines are illegal in many states.

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The lines have a double flare on the metric brake lines and if the flaring tool is off centered the line will more then likely crack at the neural, these fittings are subjected to up to 1200 lbs of pressure when a power brake system is applied. In my 50 years of automotive experience I've seen it happen all to often to other mechanics, and when I am the responsible person that is doing the repair work I do what ever it takes not to get a comeback. (Not good for the reputation) Other Mechanics do it, but I don't, unless I have been given no other choice.

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I don't want to knock the work you did but I would find another way to make the connections using flair fittings. A double flare or a bubble flair should be used. That is just my personal opinion from years of experience. I've read that compression fittings on automobile brake lines are illegal in many states.

 

    Ron It's all in the preference, I've seen a lot of comebacks on my fellow mechanics because of hairline cracks produced from a flaring tool (don't get me wrong I own a set and have used them) but I prefer to take my chances with a union. I have never had a comeback for that in the 16 years I owned my own shop, granted it was not that often I had to make that type of repair (most of the time I replaced the whole line) But the ones I've done stayed repaired. About the legality of it, I don't know, but the only place you'll find the 3/16 full union in a part store is in the brake section.

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I would be interested to see a pic of the full union.

 

Not strictly on the brake conversion subject, but related to brake line repair. I too have had little luck with the double flares with any toolbox style kit. The only success I have had is with a friends hi-dollar hydraulic unit, so it can be done. By contrast, the bubble flare as used on the Reatta is a snap. When repairing and replacing the rear lines on my rusty '89, I found I could cut out the rusted section and make the bubble flare under the car to allow connecting to the new lines.

 

As far as I know, since the rear brakes use modulated brake fluid pressure direct from the boost circuit, the potential rear brake pressure could be up to 2600 psi.

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I would be interested to see a pic of the full union.

 

Not strictly on the brake conversion subject, but related to brake line repair. I too have had little luck with the double flares with any toolbox style kit. The only success I have had is with a friends hi-dollar hydraulic unit, so it can be done. By contrast, the bubble flare as used on the Reatta is a snap. When repairing and replacing the rear lines on my rusty '89, I found I could cut out the rusted section and make the bubble flare under the car to allow connecting to the new lines.

 

As far as I know, since the rear brakes use modulated brake fluid pressure direct from the boost circuit, the potential rear brake pressure could be up to 2600 psi.

 

     Yes ABS pressure on Teves systems can create very high pressures because it is motor driven and not vacuum driven. Therefore extra caution would be the norm.  As for a full union It has a center, a screw cap on both ends and a neral inside each cap. When tightened it uniformly crushes the neral around the pipe creating a seal once this is done the only way to remove the neral is by cutting the pipe. Some people claim that the caps can come lose and cause a leak, I've never have had that happen but locktight on the threads would keep that from happening.

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  • 4 years later...

Hello, are these the unions in question?

 

4LIFETIMELINES Brass compression union, 3/16, 10/bag https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07C8KRTD7/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_glt_fabc_P7RRMFXG5TXVPT9QPKCW

 

I am getting ready to try this and don't want the wrong parts.

 

The alternative would be a coupler and flaring the ends right?

 

As I struggle through this, I'll try to get pics.

 

Maybe it will save a reatta from going to the scrap yard.

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