Fabricating rigid brake lines

franksm

Anyone done it ? Any gotchas or shouldve-done-it-differents ?

I need ro replace a bit on the front of my W124 coupe - looks fairly straightforward, I'll mock it up with wire and then copy it in copper with the correct fittings. I assume 3/16 is what I need.

Is copper OK or should I look at nickel pipe ?

I aim to head in the direction of Ebay or Frosr for some generic flaring tools, pipe-bender and pipe-cutter + a box of various unions and joints.

BeardyGit

Frank, you're welcome to borrow my cutter and flaring tools if you want. I don't have a bender for brake pipe as I've usually found it just as easy to bend by hand, slowly and carefully, and I've never had trouble with the results. I work in Cherrywood, just off the M50 if you're passing by, or if you still bump into Mitch M, I can drop it off with him if you're likely to be out in Laois visiting any time soon? Hang on to the kit for a month or so if that'll get you sorted. Let me know.

Gil

MercMad

Copper should be fine and bends easily without kinking which is harder with the nickel.

franksm

Sorry lads, ain't been n Boards since I posted that !

Gil, that's very kind of you ! I have coper pipe + bits on the to me via ebay, so I'll gladly borrow the tools you have. Will PM you.

Funny thing about the NCT - they failed the car originally due to a tiny leak from a flexible pipe where it joins the caliper (my fault, I had the calipers hanging from the bodywork using cable-ties while doing the bushes, so it must have stressed the pipes). I replaced the pipes with new, braided versions and brought it for the NCT retest.

Passed with flying colours. One week later, brake failure: the rigid pipe goes through the wheel well via a rubber gromit. Muck on the gromit had corroded the rigid pipe and a pinprick hole was all that was needed to lose hydraulic pressure.

mantaraver

Don't forget to put the fittings on the line before you flare the ends of the pipe.

Been there, done that...doh !!:rolleyes:

Fishtits

Not sure about the "copper" pipe, I use Cuprinol, an alloy, comes in 5M rolls, as for flaring I use a tool that can be either vice mounted or hand held (very useful for working "as you go" on a car, will get the name and report back, it was cheap & cheerful 20 years ago...

Bending, Sykes Pickavent do a pliers type former which is very good, I also have a sophisticated, multi diameter, nylon wheel do everything former... which I've never used...