Replacing hydraulic brake pipes

[Steve_Lindford]

How do people deal with the tricky route the brake pipes take thro the T section. Im hoping to do this job with the body on - engine already out - so the rear of the car should be relatively easy. Single circuit with no servo on twin cam...

Steve

[BDA]

IIRC, the front brake tube goes into a hole in the middle of the front of the 'T' and comes out near the backbone on the other side. The tube run down the bottom of the backbone and I think up one of the 'legs' till it gets near the boosters or the PDWV.

[EuropaTC]

Hi Steve,

It's not as hard as you might think, especially if the engine is out. I replaced mine with both engine & body in place so it can be done. With the front cover plate removed you can thread a length of tubing into the T section and pick it up through the access holes in the top of the central spine. If the gearshift is out of the way then you have more room to wave your arm around to find it, but even so it's not that difficult. Then you just guide it through the rear holes into the engine bay, in fact if both the engine & gear linkage are out then I'd guess you can dispense with trying to find it from within the cabin.

The downside to this method was that I had to make flares in-situ. You can do the first one (m/cyl) of course but unless you're a demon with a measure then you'll have to make the rear flare once you've got the tubing in the engine bay.

Alternatively you could just run it externally from front to back, fixing it at intervals underneath the central spine. The Elan did that originally, or at least mine did and there's an argument that being able to see the pipe throughout it's length is better than having it hidden away and potentially rubbing on something inside.

Brian

[Steve_Lindford]

Thanks -

My guess is it would be prudent to replace the rubber grommets - but the one at the rear of the T would be impossible. Maybe a sleeve around the pipe - like a piece of plastic fuel line would work - but it looks as if there is a slight change of direction as it reaches the outside of the chassis which may mean that would be impossible.

I had a cheap flaring tool and only had a 50% success rate - SO what I would have liked to have done was have the flares done professionally to the correct length of tube and fit afterwards. Sounds like that is probably impossible. Maybe with a professional flaring tool I would have 100% success...

Gear linkage is out - and I am going to remove/replace coolant transfer pipes - so they would be out. Running externally would make it very exposed under the T - tho maybe a steel protective sleeve?? It currently runs externally down the spine - but at least is recessed...

Steve



Steve

[EuropaTC]

buy something like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332827759059?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=Cj0KCQjwiIOmBhDjARIsAP6YhSVk7uvlO9WjPX7jV1AiRsijhvnDjGzhdHv0gurBdQNoC_OnJk9wMYQaAhmQEALw_wcB

Loads on Ebay, the one I've had is over 40yrs old and still works 100%, every time. Very simple and yes, you can use it lying on your back under the car !

If you can't replace the grommets then I have used 6mm rubber fuel hose  (the thicker wall fuel injection variety) to stop any wear or abrasion.

Brian

[TurboFource]

Same type flaring tool I used. Never flared a brake line before and they are all fine.

[4129R]

I have run that pipe inside in the floor below the under-felt. I joined two pipes mid floor.

[Steve_Lindford]

Thanks for all that help - I will GET that tool - running the pipe under the carpet was another idea of mine - glad that someone else has had that idea too - it is reassuring.

That gives me all the info I need - not sure quite when I will get around to it - but I now know what to do! - Thanks - Steve

[4129R]

running the pipe under the carpet was another idea of mine - glad that someone else has had that idea too - it is reassuring.

No rust, and no damage from lumps in the road.

I joined 2 pipes mid footwell. I made up the pipes on a bench first. They were a lot easier to measure inside the car.

[Bryan Boyle]

buy something like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332827759059?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=Cj0KCQjwiIOmBhDjARIsAP6YhSVk7uvlO9WjPX7jV1AiRsijhvnDjGzhdHv0gurBdQNoC_OnJk9wMYQaAhmQEALw_wcB

Loads on Ebay, the one I've had is over 40yrs old and still works 100%, every time. Very simple and yes, you can use it lying on your back under the car !

If you can't replace the grommets then I have used 6mm rubber fuel hose  (the thicker wall fuel injection variety) to stop any wear or abrasion.

Brian

Bought the same tool (albeit a different name on the package) over on this side when I went to remove my boosters to make the jumpers...it works great for inverted flares, but haven't had total success using it to do the bubble (hence having to invest in a baggie of bubble to inverted adapters) side of things...maybe doing it wrong or haven't properly finished the cut end or . 

When I get a Round Tuit pulling the lump (haven't I been talking about that for over a year?  Guess I'm having too much fun driving the thing in spite of the weeping and grabby clutch...) and replacing coolant tubes among other tasks, I may re-arrange the plumbing to get rid of the front pipes having to go back and forth to simplify the whole shooting match...at that point, I may just replace all of the accessible 3/16 piping.  In that case...this tool is a must working in the car (I have a 3 way inverted flare T, a 4-way inverted flare T, so may, except for the end points of the hard line, just convert everything over to inverted flare and have a local euro shop bubble rerminate a few lengths of pipe to make up for the junction to flex end runs.

But, long way around, if you are going to do any brake pipe work, you want this tool in your drawer.