I am looking at copper brake pipe on EBay which is listed as 3/16 OD. One lot comes with metric ends. I once did all the brake pipes on a mini, but that was years ago. Can I use the metric ends with the imperial sized pipe? Is brake pipe one of those strange things that is still only measured in imperial?
The metric ends are 10mm. Does anyoneknow if this would be the correct size for a Fiat Brava?
If you think about it, you flare the ends and all the union does is press on the flared bit so as long as the flare is big enough, it'd be OK.
Yes.
OE tube is sometimes metric but aftermarket rarely is.
There are only the common metric and imperial sizes in use AFAIK. I've yet to find a car that takes anything other than those.
3/16" is 0.187" 5mm is 0.200" Its nothing . Some fiat fittings use a coarser thread than standard 10mm fittings , why not just go to a local motor Factor , its what they do all day and you wont pay postage , a fortune on heavy copper pipe . Al (RL Driver is having a rest
Al
The message from "gazzafield" contains these words:
Copper is not ideal as it work-hardens, so any bits that are flexing slightly wtih vibration are at risk of cracking.
Cupro-nickel is a lot better.
IIRC fittings are either 10mm X 1mm or 3/8" UNF. Pipe and fittings are readily available at factors, and if you're really stuck, you can re-use the ends after cutting them off the old pipe, although sometimes the ends of them are flared out and difficult to screw into the cylinder or whatever. Check before flaring the pipe.
Steve
Ooh yeah, that copper is really heavy stuff :-|
Any copper-type pipe sold as brake pipe and conforming to the proper british standards should be just fine. The word "copper" is used simply to state that they're not made from steel.
you want Kunifer pipe
It also age hardens, which can compound the cracking problem.
Certainly better than Bundy. :-)
Mike.
Kunifer pipe? Wassat then?
It's a trade name. Think Cu Ni. It's copper and nickel. The last part would possibly suggest a ferrous content, but there's not enough to pick it up with a magnet. I tried.
Steve
The message from "shazzbat" contains these words:
Even if there were you probably couldn't 'cos alloys don't always work like that. The nickel in cupronickel is magnetic as well - but you still can't pick it up with a magnet.
It's something to do with the molecular structure. There's a temperature range during the heat treatment of toolsteel, (austenitic?) when it becomes non magnetic. Quench it at that point, and you finish up with a lump of toolsteel that you can't hold on a magnetic chuck. A useless piece of information, for anyone who is interested. :-) Mike.
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