Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: kerrywittig on Friday,June 10, 2016, 09:58:28 AM
-
deleted
-
Try these references from the KB:
http://lotus-europa.com/manuals/misc/brakes/S2_Order2.html
http://lotus-europa.com/manuals/misc/brakes/S2_Order.html
-
Do not use stainless tubing, use special cooper-alloy tubing (NOT COPPER !!) designed for brake systems. Banks and Ray both sell complete kits with the lines and fittings all included.
-
I use copper pipe and re-use the original fittings where possible. Easy to bend, and easy to make the two different types of ends with a special flaring tool.
-
+1 for Kunifer (CuNi) tubing. From what I recall, pure copper isn't legal for use in the US and Canada. The kunifer tubing flares and bends very easily and wont rust. I've used it in all of the cars I've built in the past 15 years.
-
Pure copper fatigues and cracks over time.
-
Whatever the copper tube it is that I am using, is specially designed and sold for use as car brake lines, so I put my faith in them.
-
Kunifer / Cupro-Nickel tube gets my vote. Steel tube is generally a lot harder to form bends on. If you want to make it pretty you could look at braided lines all the way through, but personally I wouldn't bother on a road car - if that's what yours is.
-
If you plan on making your own flares, I also recommend using Kunifer brake lines. I had a difficult time making acceptable flares with Kunifer using the typical flare forming tool/dies. Maybe all it takes is skill and experience to make flares. I had neither so I gave up and bought the Eastwood brake flare tool. Best investment I made, perfect flares first and every time.
-
This works every time, but has to be used in a vice.
http://sykes-pickavant.com/products/braking-tools/pipe-flaring-tools/554
-
This works every time, but has to be used in a vice.
http://sykes-pickavant.com/products/braking-tools/pipe-flaring-tools/554
Eastwood makes the same bender for those in the US. It is what I used after trying a cheapy. Well worth the money.
-
Brake line is normally sold in rolls of 25' over here, and I find that's plenty to do the job on a tandem circuit with no servo (boosters) or pressure warning switch.
If you have a tandem circuit and are installing 2 boosters as per Lotus OEM then you'll need considerably more because you'll have three lines along the central spine plus all the clutter around the boosters and pressure difference warning switch. As brake line is so cheap, if you have this system then I'd be tempted to buy two rolls (50') which will allow for several mistakes ! ;)
As the others have said, you can buy both pure copper and a copper alloy called "Cunifer" (or "Kunifer" ). Pure copper is very easy to work and can be annealed to soften it if you make mistakes on the bends. However it is prone to work hardening which can lead to fatigue failures, which is why the Kunifer is usually prefered. I've used both but pure copper must be securely fastened to the frame at closer intervals with no unsupported lengths that could vibrate in use. It's that vibration which leads to work hardening/fatigue.
Brian
-
My brake lines were 3/16". Using a bubble flare or a double flare depends on whether you're using a male or female fitting. If this is your first time running brake lines and making flares, read up on subject on these websites.
http://www.dimebank.com/BrakePlumbing.html
http://s151.photobucket.com/user/thexter/media/flaretypes.jpg.html
http://fedhillusa.com/?page=techhelpdir
I believe the photobucket site is courtesy of JBCollier
-
Nice clear illustration but not mine.