Is it possible to replace the brake lines and then take the car to a brake shop to flush and replace the brake fluid? Or, if replacing the brake lines will I need to bleed the system before driving?

you will need to bleed before driving...
no brakes until you bleed.
it's simple to do though. just fill the reservoir, and open the bleeders... keep the reservoir full...

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Only with a wrecker/tow truck, car dolly, car trailer.



.

__________________
ASE Master Mechanic
asemastermechanic@juno.com

Prototype R&D/testing:
Thermal & Aerodynamic System Engineering (TASE) Senior vehicle instrumentation technician.
Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH).
Dynamometer.
Heat exchanger durability.
HV-A/C Climate Control.
Vehicle build.
Fleet Durability
Technical Quality Auditor.
Automotive Technical Writer

1985 300SD
1983 300D
1984 190D
2003 Volvo V70
2002 Honda Civic

https://www.boldegoist.com/

YES, you MUST bleed the brakes.
This is an easy DIY.

How to bleed brakes.
http://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+bleed+brakes&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&rlz=

I've decided to perform the bleeding myself. I was trying to get out of doing more work, but it looks as though I might as well get to it. I'm kinda getting tired of messing around with cars........

What ever you do, when bleeding, make sure at first, you keep the resevoir full to almost overflowing, there are 2 chambers in there, one for the front brakes and one for the back brakes, alot of people dont recognise this at first. My resevoir was soo dirty you could not tell it.

__________________

Knock it out yourself and you will never be afraid of brake stuff again...spend the $60 or so it would cost to get it done on a Motive Pressure Bleeder and it will make quick work of it!

__________________
1987 300TDT - 195,000 (Original #14 head)
1993 190E 2.3 - 105,000
1981 300D - 250,000

I'm going to get the Motive unit, it's just one of those days where I'd rather be doing something other than messing around with the car. Maybe I'll have a better attitude tomorrow. Too much grease under the finger nails, too much hand cleaner cleaning off dirt and grease, too many back pains from lying on my back staring at the underside of the chassis.....

Gloves will keep your hands clean, and keep the nasty chemicals from absorbing into you skin as well. Though they won't help with the pains from crawling around on the floor.

__________________

Nitril gloves will help in the future . . . but not the back . . .

__________________
82 240D Manual 277K and still rolling!
02 Volvo S60 AWD For Sale

You'll have to bleed the brakes once you put the new hoses on, and once you've started bleeding you've already started flushing the system. You just have to keep bleeding the brakes until fresh fluid comes out of the bleeder. It's really a pretty easy DIY job. Though you will need a helper to pump the brakes for you and fill the res while you're bleeding, or you'll be doing a lot of crawling under the car and back out again which gets old really quick. A lot of folks are nervous working on brakes, but they really aren't that difficult. Just make sure they is no squishiness in the pedal before you drive.

__________________

The motive unit rocks. I love mine.

If you are flushing out a system that hasn't been serviced in a while you can open the bleeder wide, pump up the motive, then jam the pedal. If you release the pedal slowly the motive will keep air from being sucked in, and the increased fluid flow helps to purge out the system.

-J

__________________
1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

I think most of us share your pain on that account.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

He did not say specifically so but I believe he wanted to take it to a Brake Shop and have the system flushed with Denatured Alcohol.

I do not know what flusning process a shop uses; haveing never done that or seen it done. But, I have seen the gallon Cans of Denatured Alcohol at the Local Napa.

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel