Brake Pipes Part 2

[Tinster]

With Paul's kind help, I was able to obtain two
pre-bent master cylinder brake fluid pipes.
The 4 pipe end fittings are identical but one
hole in the master cylinder I have is smaller.
So it will not be possible to install the pipes
or the proper master cylinder.

My question: Do the pipes have to be rigid?
or can they be flexible?

There is a local speed shop that makes custom
stainless steel braided hydraulic hoses.

Now that I have my hands on real TR6 brake pipes
and master cylinder- would braided stainless hoses
be a safe replacement for the steel pipes to the
master cylinder? As always-Thanks!!

 

[Twosheds]

Dale are you sure the shop will make up brake hoses? Some won't due to liability issues. DOT approval and whatnot.

 

[DrEntropy]

Liability is a big concern for hydraulics shops. They're off the hook if ya tell 'em it's for "English farm equipment". Best to get the lines and fittings that fit the application tho.

 

[Andrew Mace]

What was the source of the pre-bent pipes? Perhaps the error was on that end. There should be two different sizes of fittings, which means your master cylinder is correct and (perhaps) the vendor was in error? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/shocked.gif

 

[Harry_Ward]

Boy this is a good one. If they can make up a stainless flex hose with the correct fitting maybe they can do this. Bring the two prebents Paul set you up with and the original pipes especially the one with the small fitting with you. See if they can cut and install the small threaded end and reflare the pipe Paul gave you. Look at it carefully before they perform the flaring process to make sure they give you the proper flare. Wrong type flare and it will leak. Length of the prebents will be critical and if you do not have enough free length to play with I'm not sure what you can do other than get the correct matching parts. I'm also wondering if the bubble flared ends are going to be compatible with your existing set up? I also cannot think of any reason why the stainless flex pipe wouldn't work if secured properly and is of the proper pressure rating. Then again if you are going the flex pipe route you would have been better off with just getting the solid pipe you bend yourself usually available at your local parts store <span style="color: #FF6666">if</span> you can get the correct flared ends.

 

[YankeeTR]

Dale,

You want hard lines at the master cylinder...flex lines will give you a "soft" pedal.

Find a GOOD parts store that has a good selection of Weatherhead brass fittings...they can find an adaptor to match your master with your lines...

 

[DrEntropy]

Only ways I know to get bubble-flare ends are to either order the specific pre-bent lines or flare 'em yourself from straight pieces of Bundy pipe. Unless you're practiced at bending/flaring it's better to get the pre-made part. The tool(s) required would put the job into $$, not to mention the frustration while flattening the learning curve.

 

[Harry_Ward]

I agree flaring not an easy task, Adapter though a great idea. I use them all the time and just didn't think about it!

 

[Tinster]

Now Dale is totally confused.

I have a correct master brake cylinder.
I have one correct steel brake pipe and
1 wrong pipe.

The exist master cylinder is a Jap POS the
PO installed with fittings and pipes that
have no resemblance to the correct components
I have. They are worthless as parts.

I have been trying to source these two pre-bent
pipes for almost a year now.

Plus the damned car has been AWOL two weeks now.

Here is my present set up. Open to suggestions.
Send the correct master and one pre-bent pipe to
the States somewhere and have them make a correct
second pipe?

 

[PeterK]

Now Dale is totally confused.

I have been trying to source these two pre-bent
pipes for almost a year now.

Dale,

Pullease read this, I suggested TRF to you weeks ago, you must have missed it.

Click on this link https://www.zeni.net/trf/TR6-250GC/index.php?menu=B&page=109

see parts 309729, 309730. order them. drive (and stop).

Almost EVERY part for the TR6 is (readily)available new from one of big-three vendors: Moss, The Roadster Factory, and Victoria British. Many small companies provide the harder to find bits.

Good luck.

 

[Bugeye58]

Dale, if the car is gone, why even bother worrying about it?
I don't think the boat is going to need a brake master cylinder, so use it as a weight.
Jeff

 

[Guest]

Dale, I am really confused. Is the car stolen or not? Did you get drunk one night and push it somewhere and forgot where you stopped pushing? Why are you still buying parts and you don't know if your car has pulled a Natalie Holloway (bless her soul)?

 

[Tinster]

Bill:

You wrote,
" Did you get drunk one night..."

I don't drink. The car will turn up.
I still have a pile of parts I am trying
to cobble together.

Thanks for your kind thoughts, though.

Peter- I called TRF, they no longer bend pipes.

D

 

[Brosky]

Yes, Kato, I too am beginning to wonder about this so called "mysterious disappearance of Cryptie". I think that Inspector Clousseau should pay a visit to Dale and have a few speaks with him about this alleged 6 mile drive that ended in a pool of oil and cloud of smoke.

Yes, yes my little friend, something is definitely fishy here, besides Dale wanting to buy a new boat.

 

[PeterK]

These two pipes are the easiest to bend, uh, a caveman could do it. And I think these Specific pipes come prebent anyway, the two I bought were prebent. Call back and ask for Dave or anyone in Level 2 sales.

 

[TR674]

Dale
I'm surprise you haven't taken up drinking......or other harder substances after your restoration hardships.
Anyway, what do you need breaks for, the car doesn't go??!!
Regards
Craig

 

[YankeeTR]

Bending and flaring brake lines is pretty much auto repair 101. I started doing them when I was 14 years old working in a service station.

You can buy a decent flaring tool for about $40.00...it will have a cutter with it. Buy a $2.00 piece of tubing to practice on and you should be able to do a good flare in about 30 minutes. If you have the wrong fitting on the brake line you can simply cut it off and replace it with the correct one.

And all this talk about "bubble" flares has me confused...I've never seen one. I've redone all the lines on a TR3A and did them all with a 45 degree flare and never had a leak. My TR friend in Kentucky does frame-off restos and he uses 45 degree flares. I'll ask my brother about 'em...he's been working on British cars for 50 years...

The only reference I can find to "bubble" flares is related to new cars that use 'em...some do, most don't.

Maybe I'm just a DA....

 

[PeterK]

Two type of flares are use in the TRs: One is called an inverted flare. It's a standard 42degree "double flare" that looks like a cone at the end of the line. If you look closely where the line attaches, you can clearly see the other gender of the flare where it mates. It is a two step flaring process that is made by creating a single flare that is doubled over on top of itself for strength. AN fittings are also this type of flare but instead of 42degrees, they are 37degree flares so to use AN line on inverted flare, a copper crush fitting produces a wider seal between the two. AN fittings are not used on TRs from the factory but commonly use in racing setups.

The other is the commonly called "bubble flare" and is an ISO flare and used in imported cars, usually metric, and only found on later TR6s and later TRs. It is produced by a different flaring tool that starts with a single flare (like the inverted flare), that is compressed to make a bubble like end. It mates to a fitting that looks like a compression fitting, no inverted flare in the inside of the mate.

I'm sure that if you google iso flare and inverted flare, you can find pictures and a much better description.

Hope this helps everyone, clear as mud!

 

[martx-5]

There's a picture of a bubble flare in this article about making flares.

 

[PeterK]

also great reference at https://www.dimebank.com/BrakePlumbing.html