51 pacemaker convertible hydraulic lines routing and floor pans

2nevets
2nevets Member
in HUDSON
Looking for advice-I am going to replace all the hyd lines but the routing has me baffled- I have two lines coming from the pump that duck behind  the drivers side quarter and 2 lines from the cylinders that do the same-They appear to run up the rocker? do they just make a connection there and route back to the cylinders? also any good companies that repop rear floor pans? right where the rear top cylinder brackets bolt to the floor need to be patched-not rust but stress cracks
Any insight would be very much appreciated-
Steve

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  • Lance
    Lance Member
    Steve get a  48-54 body manual from Faxon.   That should help you a great deal.    The hard lines run down the driver side outer perimeter frame and come up into the rear area just past the driver door about 15 inches behind the "B" pillar. SAt that point they will go into the top pump and circle over to the rear passenger  1/4  window cylinder.  As far sas floor pans are concerned get a copy of the WTN. The Spelic brothers are now selling repop floor pans for the front . As for the rear pans, find a parts car. The floor pans are all the same on stepdown -sedans coups, converts. It's just where the seats  were located. Generally rear floor pans are never in the sad shape most of the front ones are.  Good news here is that they can be obtained fairly easily. 
  • 2nevets
    2nevets Member
    edited January 2017
    Thanks much-so there is no need to duck down the rocker area? thats only a connection area?
  • ski4life65
    ski4life65 Expert Adviser
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    This should get you to a copy of the book you need.
  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Senior Contributor
    2nevets said:
    Looking for advice-I am going to replace all the hyd lines but the routing has me baffled- I have two lines coming from the pump that duck behind  the drivers side quarter and 2 lines from the cylinders that do the same-They appear to run up the rocker? do they just make a connection there and route back to the cylinders? also any good companies that repop rear floor pans? right where the rear top cylinder brackets bolt to the floor need to be patched-not rust but stress cracks
    Any insight would be very much appreciated-
    Steve

    The top actuator valve is under the drivers side dashboard. So the lines to the two top actuator cylinders and the pump have to terminate up there, hence the lines under the rockers. Pacemakers don't have power windows, so it is a lot more simple than with Hornets and Commodores.
  • 2nevets
    2nevets Member
    Thanks for the heads up-so I need to remove the rocker-Hmm.
  • 2nevets
    2nevets Member
    I really dont want to remove the rocker unless I have too-If I cant remove the nuts from the brass tees I was thinking about cutting the ends and using compression unions to make new ends-any opinions?
  • Ric West IN
    Ric West IN Senior Contributor
    Most likely place for failed hydraulic lines is in the rocker area, esp. near the cowl.
    This is due to dirt,mouse hotels etc that provide a moisture trap.  I understand why you don't want to remove the panel, but would be wise if you plan to keep this car.
  • 2nevets
    2nevets Member
    It is a keeper-one last question and I'll stop-since its a ragtop would it be safe to put it up on all 4 jack stands so I can work on the underneath more easily-I heard conflicting stories-solid as a rock with the exception of some tears in the rear floor under the top cylinder brackets- thanks for all the help Gents
  • Lance
    Lance Member
    Go ahead and put it up on stands. I did on mine -no problem. The perimeter frame is additionally reinforced on convertibles. Oh yes and you  WILL have to remove that driver side rocker. Use double flared lines. 
  • 2nevets
    2nevets Member
    edited February 2017
    It's a good thing I listened to your  advice-I removed the rocker as well as the front fender and holy holy holy!! I must have removed 2lbs of nesting material as well as a few skeletons and that was only the drivers side.Looks like I am going to remove the other as well. Question-
    I own an auto parts store and make Hydraulic lines-any thoughts on replacing the steel with all rubber? I can easily make these.
    thanks in advance
    Steve
  • lostmind
    lostmind Expert Adviser
    Steve , use auto trans fluid or hydraulic fluid. The factory used brake fluid , made a mess of the paint when it leaked. No reason a rubber hydraulic line wouldn't work , other then " not original" , which doesn't seem to matter much now , unless you want AACA judging.
  • Ol racer
    Ol racer Senior Contributor
    FYI
    Unless your wanting to stay original you can also modernize the whole Hyd Top System with a Kit using a 12V Pump with short hoses over to new L & R Cylinders then just run a single Positve (+) wire to a HD Toggle switch under left side of dash eliminating all those Lines & connections inside the rocker panel. There are several Companies making new conversion Kits, but one in mind is Hydro-Electric in Florida @ 800 343 4261.
  • 2nevets
    2nevets Member
    I tOl racer said:
    FYI
    Unless your wanting to stay original you can also modernize the whole Hyd Top System with a Kit using a 12V Pump with short hoses over to new L & R Cylinders then just run a single Positve (+) wire to a HD Toggle switch under left side of dash eliminating all those Lines & connections inside the rocker panel. There are several Companies making new conversion Kits, but one in mind is Hydro-Electric in Florida @ 800 343 4261.
    I thought about that and contacted Hydo about a month ago-since I am this far into it I will just bend some poly coated brake line and redo it as the factory did-I'll just get a rebuild kit and freshen up the pump.
  • 2nevets
    2nevets Member
    Ready for the parts to rebuild the original pump and doing the lines this weekend

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