I'm broke down in Toronto.

[Davemcc]

Seriously. My 94 Lincoln is fubar'd here in downtown T.O. I need to find a reputable shop to tow my car to. All my brake fluid dumped onto the ground in the valet area of the Royal York Hotel. I don't know any shops up here and with this being a long weekend, I need someplace to tow it and get it out of the hotel parking lot until it can be repaired.

I'm glad this happened in a parking lot which is much safer than such an incident on the highway. If one needs to be stranded, it's better to be stranded in a room at the Royal York than the side of the 401.

Any suggestions from the T.O. guys.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Seriously. My 94 Lincoln is fubar'd here in downtown T.O. I need to find a reputable shop to tow my car to. All my brake fluid dumped onto the ground in the valet area of the Royal York Hotel. I don't know any shops up here and with this being a long weekend, I need someplace to tow it and get it out of the hotel parking lot until it can be repaired.

I'm glad this happened in a parking lot which is much safer than such an incident on the highway. If one needs to be stranded, it's better to be stranded in a room at the Royal York than the side of the 401.

Any suggestions from the T.O. guys.

Of course, I'm not in T.O., but if it's just a burst brake line I'd just take it to Speedy or someplace like that. Since you'll have to take it to somebody you don't know, I'd suggest that if they start talking about very significant repairs, that they show you precisely what the problem(s) is/are. It helps if you know something about cars.

Sorry, can't help further! Good luck though.

 

[Rickster71]

Sorry to hear of your car troubles Dave. It figures, getting stuck on a holiday weekend.

You won’t lose 100% of your breaking ability, master cylinders are set up that way.
If you find a place that isn’t too far away, you could also use your emergency brake too; if you want to limp to a service center, instead of being stuck waiting for a tow truck.
Be careful out there.

 

[Davemcc]

Of course, I'm not in T.O., but if it's just a burst brake line I'd just take it to Speedy or someplace like that. Since you'll have to take it to somebody you don't know, I'd suggest that if they start talking about very significant repairs, that they show you precisely what the problem(s) is/are. It helps if you know something about cars.

Sorry, can't help further! Good luck though.

I know the problem. The steel brake lines are old and rusty and finally gave out. They need to be completely replaced. It's an issue I've been looking to get fixed but my usual local shops don't want to tackle that project. I suspect it'll be several hundred bucks to have it done at a dealer up here.

 

[Davemcc]

Sorry to hear of your car troubles Dave. It figures, getting stuck on a holiday weekend.

You won’t lose 100% of your breaking ability, master cylinders are set up that way.
If you find a place that isn’t too far away, you could also use your emergency brake too; if you want to limp to a service center, instead of being stuck waiting for a tow truck.
Be careful out there.

You make a good point. It does have some braking ability left. Toronto doesn't seem to be a driver/car friendly environment to begin with. I'm not sure I want to chance the drive to a dealer.

 

[TLS Guy]

I know the problem. The steel brake lines are old and rusty and finally gave out. They need to be completely replaced. It's an issue I've been looking to get fixed but my usual local shops don't want to tackle that project. I suspect it'll be several hundred bucks to have it done at a dealer up here.

How far are you from home? If within a few hundred miles, I would have a brake shop cut out the broken part of the steel line, and put in a short flexible coupling.

That will get you home, and a permanent repair done then.

It seems strange. I have worked on a lot of old vehicles, and don't ever remember having to replace all the steel brake lines. I don't know if the lines were substandard or something. Usually those types of lines are made of a metal mix not prone to corrosion. The brake lines on my 48 Willys are fine.

I have replaced plenty of the rubber brake hoses though and that is an easy job. It may be a rubber hose that has given away now.

 

[GO-NAD!]

How far are you from home? If within a few hundred miles, I would have a brake shop cut out the broken part of the steel line, and put in a short flexible coupling.

That will get you home, and a permanent repair done then.

It seems strange. I have worked on a lot of old vehicles, and don't ever remember having to replace all the steel brake lines. I don't know if the lines were substandard or something. Usually those types of lines are made of a metal mix not prone to corrosion. The brake lines on my 48 Willys are fine.

I have replaced plenty of the rubber brake hoses though and that is an easy job. It may be a rubber hose that has given away now.

Strange? I've replaced 3 out of the 4 steel brake lines in my '01 Ranger. When the 4th goes, it'll be no big surprise to me...

 

[adwilk]

Must be a Canada thing...

 

[lsiberian]

Billy P lives around Toronto. I just don't know when he will get on again. It's still worth a PM.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Must be a Canada thing...

Yeah, salt & corrosion.

 

[Davemcc]

Well, I had her towed to a Ford dealer where the service dept. is open Saturday. I rented a car for a week so I can go home and come back next Saturday to get my car. Then I went shopping and bought myself a new Hamilton Viewmatic for my trouble. All in all, it was an expensive day but not as bad as it could have been.

I think the brake lines are rusted due to the previous owner's use of the car. This was his wife's winter only car and the rest of the year, it was stored inside his tool and die shop. Since it was only driven in winter, it's pretty low mileage and in pretty good shape on top and from below. The undercarriage is in good condition but the brake lines, being unpainted from the factory, seem to have suffered from age and corrosion worse than the painted parts. It's a situation I was aware of and was planning to fix anyway.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... The brake lines on my 48 Willys are fine.
....

So, after 50 years or perhaps sooner the makers decided not to have them last so long, eats into the dealer's profits

 

[Rickster71]

Dave, it's good to hear it all worked out.

Brake fluid absorbs moisture better than a sponge. It a possibility the lines are corroded from the inside.
Brake fluid is clear, so when you see it turning brown, that’s an indication of moisture and rust contamination.
I’ve been changing my brake fluid every two years, or when I see it discolor. Since I’m under there doing an oil change anyway it makes it easy.

 

[Alex2507]

Brake fluid absorbs moisture better than a sponge. It a possibility the lines are corroded from the inside.
Brake fluid is clear, so when you see it turning brown, that’s an indication of moisture and rust contamination.
I’ve been changing my brake fluid every two years, or when I see it discolor. Since I’m under there doing an oil change anyway it makes it easy.

My pawn shop had this really snazzy Mac vacuum pump ... hmmm.
Our car is two years old ... and we're gonna keep it forever, right?
I just want an excuse to buy that vacuum pump. It never occurred to me that it could rust from within.

Dave, that sounds really expensive ... I mean staying at the Royal York. Isn't that where Maggie Trudeau pulled the train on The Stones? They should have somehow commemorated that.

 

[billy p]

Billy P lives around Toronto. I just don't know when he will get on again. It's still worth a PM.

I certainly would have offerd to help but was out of town this weekend visiting my folks in the Collingwood area. I'm glad for Dave things worked out and he got home safely...

Regards, Bill

 

[Davemcc]

Thanks guys. I'm home safe now. I have to go back next week to return the rental and pick up my car...assuming it'll be fixed.