This is a general reply to the list as I feel that the subject of brake pipes
is very important,in fact your life may depend upon it.
Brake pipes on triumphs were made of steel by the factory
This is because it was cheap and because the factory never expected people
like us to fall in love with their cars and keep them for the rest of their
natural born lives!
They generally last about 15 years in damp old England!
But should be inspected regularly,at MOT time! or just before!
Back in 1981 when I first joined the TSSC I noticed that some strange owners
liked to paint their brake pipes in different colours,perhaps to 'customise'
their triumphs,and perhaps to stop their pipes from getting any rustier!!!
However,as I'm sure you all know,DOT3 or DOT4 brake fluids are
hygroscopic,ie:they absorb water from the atmosphere. This has the effect of
reducing the efficiency of the fluid by as much as 20% per year. How many of
you have changed your brake fluid every year or two?
How many people do you know who never change their fluid,or even think about
doing so? OK,so you think,I'll fit some nice corrosion-proof copper brake
pipes with brass unions! Very laudable,but just a minute,how come they are
not legal in various scandanvian countries and parts of the USA,and how come
they are not fitted to cars as a matter of course,not even the ones where a
few extra pence don't matter too much? Well,there are several reasons,one is
that copper is not the best material in very cold climates,nor for that
matter in very hot climates.
It cracks up in the cold,and becomes soft in the hot.
Furthermore,they may well be easy to fit,because of how easily they bend,but
they are equally easy to bend into the wrong shape,then into another wrong
shape etc,before reaching probably the almost right shape,and with each
bending comes the ogre of metal fatigue.
Back in 1984,I replaced all the brake pipes on my Herald with a kit of copper
pipes of (almost)the right lengths.It has been on thee ever since,OK it has
not corroded,and it'll probably be OK if I don't move it around,but the next
time I restore that car,I'll replace them with the much preferable 'Kunifer'
brake tubing,bought by the roll from Unipart (Rover group spares division)
Kunifer is an alloy of Copper and Nickel,
So it has the anti-corroding benefits of copper and the strength of
nickel/steel.
Unipart # GVP3002
the bumpf says:Unipart Copper Nickel Brake Tubing conforms to BS2871 Part 2
CN102,and its dimensions,tensile strength,proof pressure,formability and
internal cleanliness conform to international brake tubing specifications
including SAEJ527,ASTM A254,SMMT C5B. Its corrosion resistance easily exceed
Swedish requirements. Applications:Copper Nickel Brake Tubing with
appropriate standard fittings can be used,up to the recommended working
pressures shown,for original equipment,modifications or replacements on all
types of brake and hydraulic and fuel lines.
Mechanical properties:stock size O.D. x Wall thickness = 3/16" x 0.028"
Theroretical Bursting Pressure LB/in2 15454 or Bar 1065
Recommended Maximum Working Pressure LB/in2 3120 or Bar 215
Then there are 4 paragraphs of Fabrication and installation instructions that
I'll not reproduce here.
I have used this piping on my new Vitesse project,and am very satisfied with
the quality,but will say that I had to use 2 entire rolls for the car,due to
my own bending inadequacies,once it has assumed a shape it keeps it!,unlike
copper.
While I'm talking about brakes,do any fellow listers have unpleasant
experiences or any other opinions about DOT5 Silicon Brake Fluid?
Drive (and stop!),safely,Leon
TSSC International
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