Right brake line routing on taildraggers

[alpinelakespilot2000]

I can't find anything in the drawings or in the archives about how the right brake line should be routed across the firewall to the right gear leg.

After making a 90-degree bend at the firewall exit, I just went straight to the leg and am planning to support it with adel clamps wherever it crosses a engine mount tube. This sound about right? (I also made sure it would not interfere with the engine control cables.)

BTW, for all those thinking about following the recent thread on braided line instead of aluminum...

I had been dreading those brake lines for months, but it literally took me maybe 35 minutes total to bend both the right and left gear leg lines. If you can bend the fuel valve lines, these will be a piece of cake. Much easier than they look!

[Mel]

I went from the pilot's left master cylinder to the left gear, and from the co-pilot's right master cylinder to the right gear.
The reservoir goes to the pilot's right and the co-pilot's left master cylinder. This routing uses the minimum amount of tubing.
Been working great for 15 years.

[alpinelakespilot2000]

Thanks Mel. Sounds like that would be pretty direct. I'm just following Van's plans with both exiting the firewall on the pilot side. The right side of my firewall is pretty cluttered up with battery and electrical accessories so it would be tough to go out the passenger side.

Here's my routing thus far. Suggestions anyone?



Notice just above the brake line. That's how I spent that federal govt. stimulus package. I sent it (+ a LOT more) to Canada!

[N941WR]

Ditto what Steve said.

Here is another shot of how they run out of the firewall:

[N916K]

I found that if I routed it up one tube the bend to the gear leg was a bit better. Ditch that rigid aluminum line and get a ss flex line. So much easier to run and you never have to worry about it cracking. Yes a few bucks more, but well worth it I think. If you build it yourself you can cover it in polyethylene tubing so you don't even have to worry about it rubbing on the gear leg.

just another way to spend another 75 bucks on your plane.

[ThisOne]

Originally Posted by N941WR

Ditto what Steve said.

Here is another shot of how they run out of the firewall:

When you came out of the firewall....why did you opt for straight fittings (as seen in pic)?
I would think that you would put less strain on the line/fitting/connection (at adel clamp going to to the right) if you had used a 45 or 90.

Regards,
Brett

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by ThisOne

When you came out of the firewall....why did you opt for straight fittings (as seen in pic)?

Beause that's what the plans called for and that's what I had, no other reason. You can always use a different fitting, if you like.

The only reason the Adel clamp is there is to keep it from rubbing on the engine mount. I could have gone up over the mount but this routing gets the line out of the way of throttle and mixture cables.

BTW, you don't want to put that brake line to low on the mount as it crosses over the exhaust stacks.

[Experimental Chaos]

Originally Posted by Mel

I went from the pilot's left master cylinder to the left gear, and from the co-pilot's right master cylinder to the right gear.
The reservoir goes to the pilot's right and the co-pilot's left master cylinder. This routing uses the minimum amount of tubing.
Been working great for 15 years.

This sounds like an eloquent solution for routing brake lines and a way of keeping the firewall clean, does it pose any bleeding problems? Do the brakes feel the same? Would a leak in the relatively un-used right passenger brake be an issue? Oh wait I see you?ve used if without problems for 15 years?Hmmm I think I?ll copy that idea, Thanks for the information

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by Experimental Chaos

This sounds like an eloquent solution for routing brake lines and a way of keeping the firewall clean, does it pose any bleeding problems? Do the brakes feel the same? Would a leak in the relatively un-used right passenger brake be an issue? Oh wait I see you?ve used if without problems for 15 years?Hmmm I think I?ll copy that idea, Thanks for the information

Mike,

Mel's solution will work but not if you use a parking brake, as I did. In this case, both lines come out in the same place. That doesn't mean you can't move them but the -7 & -9 plans have a firewall stiffener where the lines come through. Thus, if you follow the plans you have to route them across the bottom of the firewall.