Replacing rear brake pipes

[Rich Tea]

Hello All,

The nice MOT man happened to advise that it might be a good idea to replace my rear brake lines before we next meet. I had a look and I agree that its worth doing them. It's a job I'm planning to undertake during the off season and have been looking in to it.

The metal pipes look like they need replacing back to the T piece and I may as well do the flexables as well. I also thought it wouldn't be too much extra effort to replace the rear slave cylinders (as I assume it may be an issue loosening off the bleed nipples).

I've found a source for the T piece and the flexables but not for the brake pipes. I guess therefore, you have to make them up yourself.

I've never made up pipes myself and assume it could get expensive to buy a coil of pipe, the fittings, flairing tool etc. A friend of mine suggested using braided flexables all the way from the T-piece and maybe to eliminate the T-Piece itself with a double banjo bolt. This, he told me was how his kit car was plumbed in (back in the day).

I've not looked at the costs yet but I guess would be easier to fit and take less time (less joints etc.). It could also be cheaper if you factor in not having to buy any tools.

I'm interested to hear the views of the forum ...

Has anyone followed a similar route?
Can you buy the made up metal pipes from anywhere?
How cheap/easy would it be to make your own?

Cheers

Rich

[CovKid]

Before I even took receipt of my Caravelle, I ordered a set of copper alloy pipes and the day after I got it, stripped every pipe and replaced them. I absolutely HATE doing brake pipes so decided to get the entire job out of the way from the off with something less likely to corrode. Think the set (via ebay) was about £50 but never regretted it.

Just my two penneth.

[Aidan]

your friendly local motorfactors will make up new pipes in copper, the lengths are in etka so you can get them made and then bend them to shape, the ones on the trailing arms cost a couple of quid each, probably £10 for the four for the rear; buy best quality cylinders the cheap ones last 13 months if you are lucky; lots of plusgas and patience; motor factors won't have the special clips that brace each joint against the chassis at the ends of the flexis so either obtain from usual suspects or be prepared to reuse wherever possible, but they can be a bugger sometimes to undo the joints, be prepared for the t piece securing bolt to shear and the front to back pipe to break too, where it wraps round the chassis it's usually well corroded; change the brake fluid all round so be prepared for seized bleed nipples on the calipers, plus gas patience heat maybe

[kevtherev]

For reference ..
It cost me £80 to replace the pipes to the tee including the flexi pipes and labour.
At my local garage

[Rich Tea]

Thanks for your thoughts chaps.

£80 sounds quite reasonable inc labour, but I'm a bit of sucker for trying to do things myself, just a little afraid of the cost of buying tools, big long coils of pipe etc. but even that that route looks quite resonable.

The problem I see with using the braided hose (all the way from the T-piece) could be the price of the fittings, although you don't need many, they're not cheap!

Thanks for the tip on the cylinders Aidan, your experience with the cheap cylinders reminds me of my Ford Escort days, I was always changing the rear cylinders once I'd realised the seal repair kits weren't fixing the problem.

I'll check the front to back pipe next time I'm under the van, I guess I'm expecting the joints to be siezed up, but my biggest concern will be bleeding the front calipers.

I'm not going to start the job for a little while, as I said I'm just planning at the moment, so if anyone has tried the one piece braided hose route I'd be interested to hear your experience.

Cheers

Rich