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New brake pipes - made from what?

14 Apr 2012, 9:09pm
The brake lines on my scimi are either knackered or missing so I need new ones.

The flexi bits are easy to source but what about the rest of the pipe work. I assumed it was just small copper pipe but Google has linked to videos talking about mild steel vs stainless steel.

What would you guys recommend given I will be starting with nothing more than the brake master cylinder, the brake unit and have to work out the rest and routing myself?
14 Apr 2012, 9:15pm
Go to the Car Builder Solutions web site and have a good nosey. Copper/nickel alloy is what I think you're after, along with their decent flaring tool.

The brakes was one of the areas that I was dreading doing on the Spyder, but with the proper tube and the good flaring tool ( don't get a cheap one, they're false economy!) its actually fun to do :)
15 Apr 2012, 9:58am
Agree with all that Davecymru says. The copper Nickel (often called Cunifer) tube is the stuff to go for and certainly the cheapo flaring tools are not much cop. Also, use a small plumbers type tube cutter to get the cuts dead square, then the flares will be spot on and won't leak. The unions come in metric and imperial threads so you have to make sure that they match the existing threads (sorry if I'm teaching my granny to suck eggs).
Very satisfying making bits from scratch and making the car even moer your own.

Len.
15 Apr 2012, 5:27pm
Looking at the flaring tools and bending tools. Bending tools seem to be around £20 which is okay but the flaring tools are £150+ .am I looking at the right things?

Draper 49447 Expert Brake Pipe Flaring Tool Kit £170 online
Laser Tools 4850 Brake Pipe Flaring Tool Kit £145 online
Sealey PFT07 Brake Flaring Tool - Turret Type £239.94
15 Apr 2012, 6:35pm
This is the one to have; Item number: 280860671647 Ebay. Ending SOON hope you see this. Sykes ones are great.

Len.
15 Apr 2012, 6:47pm
This 'll do the job too; Item number: 170824743952 and a bit more time to bid.

Yuo'll only need dies for 3/16" and 1/4" size tube. Most of the dear sets come with 4 or 5 other sizes you may never use. I use a sykes pickavant at work which came from an auto jumble and wanting mending, otherwise they are a dear old investment for half a dozen jobs a year.

Hope you get lucky if you bid.:happy:

Len.
15 Apr 2012, 6:52pm
Both a bit of a drive but thanks for the heads up. Will bid and see.
16 Apr 2012, 8:33am
As far as flaring tools are concerned, avoid at all costs the cheapo Silverline ones such as this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000LFXPQ0/ref=asc_df_B000LFXPQ07460191

I bought one, thinking that they all look the same so they must all work the same, and it was more frustration that it's worth!

You don't need to spend £00's to get a really good one. As others have said, fleabay is a good source of _good_ 2nd hand ones but i ended getting one of these from CBS and did every pipe on the Spyder with it! It's a suberb bit of kit.
http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/product/Brake_Pipe_Flaring_Kit_FLARE