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Replace brake pipe?

Wotcha,

Following on from the earlier thread about my '96 Citroen AX 1.5D, I've started replacing the flexi hoses that needed doing.

The front two, just to lull me into a false sense of security, were a doddle - quick blast of PlusGas on the joints just to be on the safe side, and they came apart like a dream. New ones went on easy.

The nearside rear hose, by contrast, is proving a complete sh*t. The join to the short fixed pipe that runs to the brake drum was a) virtually inaccessible and b) jammed solid. Having rounded the hex off good and proper, I've had to resort to removing the fixed pipe to get it out of there. Which of course I can't source a replacement for today, it being a Sunday. Good job I don't need the car for a few days.

The joint at the other end of the hose came apart more or less OK. However, about 1cm of the plastic coating nearest the join on the brake pipe cracked off in the process. The pipe itself looks OK to me, no obvious sign of any distortion, but I'm not sure whether I should replace the pipe to be on the safe side. This of course is the long stretch of pipe that runs to the cylinder.

Q: should I replace the pipe, or is it likely to be OK?

Cheers, Nick

snipped-for-privacy@DELETETHISBITiee.org

Reply to
Nick Dobb
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If you are happy that the pipe isnt twisted then it is OK to reuse it. cover the unpainted area in grease or repaint after fitting. steve the grease

Reply to
R L Driver

If I can't buy the pipe preformed, any tips on forming them successfully, i.e. so they bend gradually as desired, rather than kink?

It's obviously not my day - the non-functioning reversing lamp proved not to be just a blown bulb. There's an impedance of a couple of hundred ohms somewhere in the +12V feed to the lamp (the ground is fine). It's not anything obvious like a duff connector near the lamp, either, I've checked all that. The obvious suspicion is that the reversing lamp switch itself is not making a good contact - can anyone tell me where the switch is BTW? I looked but cannot find. (I bought the Haynes for the AX on eBay and it hasn't arrived yet).

Reply to
Nick Dobb

Places that make the pipes for you will be using either copper (easy to bend) or copper/nickel (not quite as easy but still better than steel!) pipe that you can bend between finger and thumb. As long as you don't try to make sharp bends quickly but 'work' them into shape with your thumb you should be OK. There are pipe benders available (AutoGem do one for about £20) if you want to play safe and don't mind the cost.

Reversing light switches are generally two-terminal jobs screwed into the gearbox on manuals or mounted by the selector on automatics.

Reply to
Chewie

Sorry to horn in on your fun but I just couldn't resist. Steel brake line is not difficult to form and to the best of my knowlege copper lines are forbiden for use in brake systems as well as fuel systems . The reason for this is that when copper lines fail they usualy split along their length causing a catastrophc failure. Just imagine that panic stop not working!!

Reply to
Pamela and Chris

I can't speak for legislation Stateside but what appears to be plain ol' copper brake tubing is available here in the UK; we've had it brought in to us to put right when customers buy it before realising they need the correct flare tool for the unions. We always use copper/nickel to make ours and I can vouch that it's a lot easier to form up a 13' Astra/Cavalier pipe with that than with steel.

Reply to
Chewie

Chewie mumbled:

That does seem to be the best material all round. Doesn't fail like plain copper, doesn't rust like steel, and is easy to form.

Reply to
Guy King

brake line is

lines are

The reason for

their length

not working!!

In the UK it's not illegal, but it's still not a good material for brake pipes. Copper pipes can fail because copper age hardens. Over time, it gets brittle, and can crack if not well supported. OTOH, Kunifer or cupro-nickel doesn't have that failing. Is as easy to form, and equally corrosion resistant. IMO Bundy, or steel tubing is not even worth considering for replacement pipes. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

Ta to all for the advice - I'll avoid copper.

Found the reversing switch no probs after the Haynes manual arrived in the post today. It was indeed the switch that was duff. Absolute pig to remove, had to snap the terminal block off the top in the end in order to get a socket on it.

Reply to
Nick Dobb

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