Bending bridge pipes

[longbridgehealey]

Any hints on bending the bridge pipe by hand? Just got a new one, and of course it's straight

 

[HealeyRick]

Your local NAPA store or Harbor Freight will have inexpensive tubing benders. Or you might chuck an appropriate size socket into a vice and use that as a form around which to bend the tubing.

 

[longbridgehealey]

I like the socket idea, thanks!

 

[nevets]

I bought my bridge pipes prebent from here https://www.classictube.com/

 

[Randy Forbes]

If you don't support the side walls of the tube__which a socket surely will not__the tube will kink. Those bridge pipes have acute bends, and I don't think you're going to get there with anything less than a proper tube bender...

https://imperial-tools.com/content/368-fh-imp%E2%84%A2-triple-head-benders

 

[MikeP]

You make also want to consider some very fine grain sand as well. Cap one end, pour the sand in the tube, shaking to prevent voids, cap the other end when full, bend then pour the sand out perhaps blowing through them when done. The sand should prevent kinks in the tube during bending.

 

[Keoke]

I bought my bridge pipes prebent from here https://www.classictube.com/

Yeah !! In view of these comments I think thats the way to go--Keoke:welcoming:

 

[HealeyRick]

You'll get no argument from me that a tube bender isn't the best way to go, but it is possible to do socket bending. Here's an example: https://www.mgexp.com/archive/Theory_meets_reality_bending_front_brake_pipes/1073892 As the tube benders are pretty cheap, that would be my choice and is what I use.

 

[RAC68]

Guys, after 50 years I thought I knew every part of the Healey…at least their names. What is the bridge pipe?

Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

[Randy Forbes]

You make also want to consider some very fine grain sand as well. Cap one end, pour the sand in the tube, shaking to prevent voids, cap the other end when full, bend then pour the sand out perhaps blowing through them when done. The sand should prevent kinks in the tube during bending.

Oh please don't do that; not with any brake or fuel lines anyway.

While that process may be fine for a stairway handrail or your kid's swingset, it is not worth the risk, and potential for disaster, that a single errant grain of sand can cause.

 

[Keoke]

Go take a look at the pictue presented by Nevetts earlier and you will see it

 

[Keoke]

[h=2]"question about brake master cylinder"

See the picture included in the above post.[/h]

 

[Keoke]

[h=2]question about brake master cylinder[/h]See the post here there is a picture

 

[57_BN4]

Copper-nickel/cunifer pipes bend easily around your thumb or a socket, I have done all mine that way and it is far neater than doing it with a bender. Takes a little practice on a scrap piece though. Steel pipe- no chance.

The problem with the cheapie benders is they only do fixed radii and you can't use them near pre-fitted ends

Andy.

 

[longbridgehealey]

OK, so bending aside, my old pipe had a bulb like ends, and the new one from Moss is just slightly flared. I can't get a good seal with it, is it me?

 

[57_BN4]

Single vs double flare. The bulb is created by an inverted flare tool pressed into the end of the pipe whereas the flare should be created by pressing the flare tool into the end of the bulb created by the first tool to make a 'double flare'. If they are just flared outwards, i.e. the pipe end is not doubled over then they are going to leak. Unfortunately the Healeys use a mix of both types and you have to look down into the hole where they fit to determine which type to use. There will be either a male or female taper down the hole to match the shape of the pipe end.

Only flares that look like these should be used and you have to match the type correctly to the fitting. Andy.

 

[nevets]

A bridge pipe, or cross-over pipe, connects the two cylinders on each front drum brake, so that when brakes are applied the brake fluid will pressurize both wheel cylinders at the same time, thereby moving the brake shoes outward against the drum surface with equal force...in theory, all things being equal, etc.