Rusted Brake pipes

[123-jn]

I notice there is another thread about a ruptured brake pipe. I recently changed my front flexi hoses and discovered that they were quite nasty and starting to split in places. I bought a complete set and so this week I decided to change the rears. Thank goodness I did!!! First of all its a pig of a job, I started with the drivers side and fitted the new flexi. The outer steel pipes to the wheel cylinder were just fine but all of a sudden I had fluid dripping from the area where the 3 way joiner was above the cooling pipes. I had hardly moved this pipe when doing the flexi but it had sprung a leak. I attempted to get the unions undone at the joiner to no avail so ended up cutting the pipes off!!! What I found was plastic covered brake pipes which had trapped water in under the plastic at the fitting ends and rotted out the last half inch before the fittings. I made up copper pipes with 10 mm fittings from each side flexi and used a new 3 way joiner. Unfortunately the hose running front to back also had this terminal rot near the connector. I had to cut the pipe 6 inches back from the connection and put a new connector on before flaring it in situ with a sykes pickavant flaring tool. I then used a double female joiner and made up a copper section to make up the gap!!
WARNING- IF you havent looked at your brake hoses and they are still originals like mine were, you should think about replacing them as mine were so close to rupturing it was unreal!! But that joiner is a pig to get at especially on an auto like mine.
My pipes had been thoughtfully waxoyled by a protective owner, underneath this the rot had set in. Copper tube is cheap on ebay as are the 10mm ends required. A flaring tool is available for around £10 which will do copper but if you want to do a steel joint like me you will need a better tool. £30 on ebay.

[pandp38]

Great bit of info, as I'll be looking to replace brake pipes later in year..thanks