Customs brake line advice

He already gave the guy 3 or 4 tries at fixing it, and he just keeps making it worse. He's already tried to cobble together mismatched fittings with JB weld and teflon paste, what next, baling wire and duct tape?

Your RUN AWAY from a shop like that and never go back.

Unless you want a RAT ROD ha ha ha ha ha

 

Thanks guys for seeing through the bullshit! I never wanted this here. All I truly wanted was advice. I did do a YELP because people in my area should know about the risk. I'm not looking for anything at this point. I just like Mr. Hibbs stated just want to enjoy my car. I haven't driven it but like 15 miles since the work two years ago. I called him and was told just to give it time and hopefully those issues would work themselves out I had another issue with my shifter that Steve did fix. (That was also work from his shop) This has gone on for over a year. Not here to drag this through the mud. Thanks again to those above for sticking up for the small guy! Thanks Danny, I know I'm not perfect but you and I have done business together and its always panned out!

 

Two years. Think about that fellas, TWO YEARS this has gone on!

 

I even did a nice HAMB review because I was stoked with his work. Then stuff started to go wrong. I was told just to give it time (with the shifter) and that it might loosen up. I called and spoke twice with Steve. I said I got put off he said he just forgot. Its been one year in the making since those two calls.

 

Oh!! Why didn't you say you own Christine!! (she fixes her self) Pete

 

It doesn't matter what service business you are in and how good you are at your job, there are going to be problems and corrections needed on some jobs. Its how you fix them, how quickly you respond ,and do what is necessary that makes you and your work the very best ! This work done on your car is UNEXCUSIBLE, especially on brake work. Just because this guy and shop (Limey Steve ) are big time magazine heroes ,this is terrible workmanship, idiotic lame excuses and has been going on over 2 years , I wouldn't want him to ever work on my car again either. Good luck getting your car fixed.

 

Yeah wwon't be calling him back. I wish him the best. I honesty do!

 

I've had a similar issue on my Hiboy which I bought about half mocked up from the original purchaser who bought it as a body on a rolling chassis from a well known company who had subbed out the frame and chassis build to another nationally known shop.
I have had a light, very light, seepage from many of the joints in the hydraulic system, which is stainless steel lines with AN fittings. Never enough to be unsafe, just a seepage that wreaks havoc with the chassis paint and requires a little fluid added every 3 months or so.
Talking to others in the area with hands on experience with building hot rods from scratch, and A & P mechs who work with AN fittings has revealed that, as said above, that 3/16" stainless is almost impossible to double flare for 45* double flares, and that AN 37* is a single flare, and that's how mine are done.
Also have learned that as stated above, the conical soft washers are often the best solution. To go with this, there is an FAA approved "hydraulic sealant", Permatex # 54540 to use on AN fittings. It really isn't so much a sealant as it is an antiseize type stuff that allows you to tighten both flare fittings and tapered pipe thread fittings tighter without galling and stripping. This helps the conical washers conform and seal,, and helps out also on the stretched pipe thread problem also. I intend to make this a Winter project on my roadster.

 

A little fluid is one thing. On 7/22/15 when I got home from his shop it was leaking and making a small puddle from the rear. As of today I haven't even pushed the pedal and I have drops coming off the axle. That's just not wet.

 

Walmart-$4.99 Love it when someone who's done something totally WRONG says "Bring it back, we'll fix it!" Uh.....don't think so!--- Like hearing a Doctor say "Whoops!"

 

Worn Shoes, dont't misunderstand my post. Not belittling your problem at all, as yours is a LEAK, mine is just enough seepage to ne annoying. Don't blame you for wanting that fixed.
Just comments on the difficulty of getting a completely dry joint with stainless steel lines. If the conical soft washer seals and the #54540 doesn't fix mine, I'm gonna jerk out all that purty, shiny stainless and AN fittings and replace with the green copper/nickel lines and brass fittings.

 

Dirtyoldman I got what you were saying I just wanted to make sure it was clear from this side as well.

 

This was taken no more then 5 min ago. I haven't pressed the pedal in days. It is following the rear axle and making a couple of drips a day onto the floor. I hope I get my T today for I can start working this over.

 

Anyone can make a mistake. I went to work in a muffler shop one time, the owner knew me, and knows I don't turn out shoddy work. He said he didn't care if I was slow, he knew he wouldn't be plagued with comebacks from my work. The last guy he hired, was just a whiz. Nobody turned out faster work. Then the jobs started coming back. Everything the guy did was slipshod, half assed, hack work. The boss was sick of dealing with angry customers, and the place was getting a bad name. So he canned that guy and hired me.

I worked in that shop for 6 months doing 3 or 4 exhaust systems a day plus other work. In all that time, I had exactly ONE customer come back - to return a pair of pliers I accidentally left under the hood of his car.

Then the boss fired me. Said I was too slow.

There is a big difference between making the occasional mistake, and doing crappy work.

 

I feel like this is what happens when people use the fancy shit and it doesn't work. What ever happened to cutting a section of cunifer or even regular steel brake lines, and just flaring them and running them? Or even the ultra budget way of just going to the local parts stores, finding a pre-cut, pre-flared length of hose and just using the proper T fitting? Plumbing brakes isn't caveman simple but it also isn't rocket science. As long as the fittings work together they shouldn't leak. Hell, 19 year old college freshman me plumbed parts of my brake lines with copper plumbing fittings from Home Depot and tens of thousands of miles and 11 years later, they still don't leak. How this is still screwed up defies logic.

 

Reminds me of a funny sign I once saw.......
"No unhappy customer ever returned"
It seemed funny at the time but there is nothing funny about shoddy brake work.

 

Just out of curiosity.............how many hours at $95 per?

 

I had other work done so I can't recall the brake job price. I know that I was charged almost $2000 extra and no one called me. Steve knocked like $300-$400. I'll have to check my paper work I paid all together close to $7000

 

NO FUCKING WAY
I'd ask for my money back.....end of discussion!

 

That was also for a trans swap at his shop. All done at the same time by Kerry his worker. Steve was in Hawaii and I never got a call on the price increase. Live and learn, but this has been a long lesson haha

 

Im looking forward to good and happy news!

This is down right depressing!

He did a bad repair and instead of fixing it he lashed out at you.

Accident do happen, I can accept that, if it gets fixed!
But aggressive behavior is un acceptable!

Looking foreword to good and happy news!

 

You deserve a full refund on the brake portion. I'm guessing one guy for a day and a half plus materials. By my calculations at $95 per hour is about $1600.

 

Holy shit, I'm a personal injury attorney and I thought my fees were high. I'm in the wrong business.

 

Well there ya go Joel, go crash it and 57Joe can help ya!

 

I swear I could walk and now im in a wheelchair judge hahaha

 

He lashed out because I wanted this to be priority. Just wanted him to keep his word on the days and time. Telling me that I need to accomdate him was kinda funny. I jumped all the days he told me to. I promise I'll update with good news

 

Sad situation. Poor workmanship and a seemingly bad attitude as well. The costs seem excessive, especially the extra charge with no prior approval. I would not go back either and would vigorously pursue a refund for at least the substandard brake work if not more. I would go to a reputable shop and have them go over everything that was done by this shop and take pictures of the poor workmanship prior to repair/replacement--safety is paramount. This type of repair is unacceptable -no matter who the shop is.

 

There's always this to consider; you didn't go off with your family unaware of the problem and find out about it the hard way.-----" Silver Lining Theory." Keep the faith, Brother!

 

Things can always be worse. I thank everyone for their input. I was upset when it happened a couple weeks back but what can you do? I'm not asking for anything including money, not my style. Its in his court if he wants to step up with some funds. I don't want him touching it no more or wasting my time.

 

DAYUUMMM. Sorry for you bad luck and all.
I've, like most of the guys here, done this work with the gtreatest confidence and results.
If it was visible and showie I'd want all the fancy doo dads. Under the car, straight and stock, $40.00 at NAPA and done. Ya got class the paitience of Job.
I've been told to be patient on a bleeding master cylinder and asked if the paying customers understood that.