tips on how to get my brake hose unions to seal?
Discussion
having a bit of grief with the new goodridge brake hoses - the new unions have a different taper and don't want to seal properly to the copper brake pipes.
I thouht about annealing the ends of the copper pipes to soften them before bolting up, but has anyone any other less drastic tips?
I'm at my wits end with this! Help!
Schmo
I thouht about annealing the ends of the copper pipes to soften them before bolting up, but has anyone any other less drastic tips?
I'm at my wits end with this! Help!
Schmo
looks like I'm off to buy a pipe flaring kit then but no way I'll be able to get in there at the rears to do it in place, there's just not the room 
oh well, at least the garage is up to a heady 10 degrees C so it's a bit nicer to work in there compared to last week which was bloody freezing!
oh well, at least the garage is up to a heady 10 degrees C so it's a bit nicer to work in there compared to last week which was bloody freezing!
schmokin1 said:
looks like I'm off to buy a pipe flaring kit then but no way I'll be able to get in there at the rears to do it in place, there's just not the room
oh well, at least the garage is up to a heady 10 degrees C so it's a bit nicer to work in there compared to last week which was bloody freezing!
Some OE pipes won't re-flare(if there is such a word) they are too hard.oh well, at least the garage is up to a heady 10 degrees C so it's a bit nicer to work in there compared to last week which was bloody freezing!
The after market copper pipe however is easy to do in the unlikely event you have the space to get in there to do it.
Ribol said:
schmokin1 said:
looks like I'm off to buy a pipe flaring kit then but no way I'll be able to get in there at the rears to do it in place, there's just not the room
oh well, at least the garage is up to a heady 10 degrees C so it's a bit nicer to work in there compared to last week which was bloody freezing!
Some OE pipes won't re-flare(if there is such a word) they are too hard.oh well, at least the garage is up to a heady 10 degrees C so it's a bit nicer to work in there compared to last week which was bloody freezing!
The after market copper pipe however is easy to do in the unlikely event you have the space to get in there to do it.
schmokin1 said:
Ribol said:
schmokin1 said:
looks like I'm off to buy a pipe flaring kit then but no way I'll be able to get in there at the rears to do it in place, there's just not the room
oh well, at least the garage is up to a heady 10 degrees C so it's a bit nicer to work in there compared to last week which was bloody freezing!
Some OE pipes won't re-flare(if there is such a word) they are too hard.oh well, at least the garage is up to a heady 10 degrees C so it's a bit nicer to work in there compared to last week which was bloody freezing!
The after market copper pipe however is easy to do in the unlikely event you have the space to get in there to do it.
We sometimes put strands of copper wire in with the pipe to stop it slipping if we HAD to get it done and that didn't always work.
Much easier to call it a day and make a new one up with aftermarket copper, you can re-use the pipe ends if stuck.
HRG said:
You've probably bought the wrong fitment pipes I'm afraid. Either that or someone else has bodged the ends before you got the car.
no, the new hoses are genuine goodridge and the ones i took off are the originals - I had such a fight to get them off that there is no way they HADN'T been on there for 14 years! Looking at the goodridge fittings the profile of the taper in the inboard union is slightly diferent to the originals, although the thread and overall size is identical. I guess it would come under manufacturing tolerance......I'm a bit pissed off cos I normally try to match parts to an OE bit to save cash rather than go for the gold plated easy to source bit, but couldn't match the hoses so spanked the 50 notes on the braideds to save time. Now though I'm going to have to spank another 25 to 30 on top for copper pipe and a flare tool, plus just got back from the factor without the tool - he sold the one he has had on the shelf for years (dust outline round it!) last week. So I'm still no further forward and I've been on these damn pipes for 3 days now
Ribol said:
schmokin1 said:
Ribol said:
schmokin1 said:
looks like I'm off to buy a pipe flaring kit then but no way I'll be able to get in there at the rears to do it in place, there's just not the room
oh well, at least the garage is up to a heady 10 degrees C so it's a bit nicer to work in there compared to last week which was bloody freezing!
Some OE pipes won't re-flare(if there is such a word) they are too hard.oh well, at least the garage is up to a heady 10 degrees C so it's a bit nicer to work in there compared to last week which was bloody freezing!
The after market copper pipe however is easy to do in the unlikely event you have the space to get in there to do it.
We sometimes put strands of copper wire in with the pipe to stop it slipping if we HAD to get it done and that didn't always work.
Much easier to call it a day and make a new one up with aftermarket copper, you can re-use the pipe ends if stuck.
I sure feel like the
on this job.....HRG said:
I had all manner of fun and games as there's only a few degrees difference between JIC and metric.
Sounds far more plausible an explanation, I wouldn't fart around buggering up the brake lines before trying another set of flex hoses that you are certain about. Manufacturing tolerances, wrong bins ... anything could be the cause (contrary to popular belief caveat emptor even applies to e-bay stuff!) 
schmokin1 said:
BTW that daddy and ribol, do the cheap flaring tools work on do I need to go gucci on it, or take the old copper pipes off and go to the shop. I was hoping to have a go at doing it on the car as it looks a ballache to get the pipes off, esp the rears
Cheap flaring tools do work ok with regular 3/16" soft copper brake pipe. However, some original brake pipes are very much harder and just about work with "Gucci" pipe flaring tools.If you can do it without taking them off, great. But you may end up taking the pipe off and going to a motor factors/friendly garage(not someone like TD
) and asking them to copy it.Failing that, buy a 25' roll of std 3/16" copper and a cheap flaring tool and DIY.
If it were a clutch pipe there are bodges that sometimes work but we are talking brakes.
Bloody cheek Ribol 
exactly as you have described happens often to me too,but i think the TVR as copper/nickel pipes and they generally re-flare no problem,re-flaring the steel ones are usually a pain in the neck as you have mentioned already,oh yeh,by the way Ribol 
exactly as you have described happens often to me too,but i think the TVR as copper/nickel pipes and they generally re-flare no problem,re-flaring the steel ones are usually a pain in the neck as you have mentioned already,oh yeh,by the way Ribol Edited by That Daddy on Friday 19th December 16:34
ok after another struggle with my arm up the back end of the car (to think I wanted to be a vet once....) i got off the small S section of cunifer pipe to the rear offside and took it down the local brake/hydraulic specialist, with the old inboard hose union and the new goodridge.
Verdict is the goodridge is the correct fitting but the flares on the cunifers have been deformed by the OE unions which were poorer quality (bore is offset to centre and there is a flattened bit on the end of the taper), so they won't mate to the new unions.
So I am going to get the rear cunifers off to re-flare them and try to do the fronts in place as they will be a b
d to get off as they wind so far round the engine bay. If they won't reflare then I'll get a roll of 3/16 cunifer and go for it myself.
Cheers for advice guys
Schmo
) i got off the small S section of cunifer pipe to the rear offside and took it down the local brake/hydraulic specialist, with the old inboard hose union and the new goodridge.Verdict is the goodridge is the correct fitting but the flares on the cunifers have been deformed by the OE unions which were poorer quality (bore is offset to centre and there is a flattened bit on the end of the taper), so they won't mate to the new unions.
So I am going to get the rear cunifers off to re-flare them and try to do the fronts in place as they will be a b
d to get off as they wind so far round the engine bay. If they won't reflare then I'll get a roll of 3/16 cunifer and go for it myself.Cheers for advice guys
Schmo
schmokin1 said:
......try to do the fronts in place as they will be a bd to get off as they wind so far round the engine bay. If they won't reflare then I'll get a roll of 3/16 cunifer and go for it myself.
You probably already know this but just in case, you need to get a 100% square clean cut on the end of the pipe for you to stand a fair chance of getting a decent flare. A pipe/tube cutter is essential to do a good job, forget hacksaws etc.d to get off as they wind so far round the engine bay. If they won't reflare then I'll get a roll of 3/16 cunifer and go for it myself.Ribol said:
You probably already know this but just in case, you need to get a 100% square clean cut on the end of the pipe for you to stand a fair chance of getting a decent flare. A pipe/tube cutter is essential to do a good job, forget hacksaws etc.
Definately - also if you use a hacksaw where have all the copper filings gone?Get a small adjustable pipe cutter that you can gradually tighten up a bit at a time - don't be greedy and try to wind it in a lot in one go or it makes the end of the pipe taper in as it crushes it.
Wickes do one ---> http://www.wickes.co.uk/Plumbing-Tools/Mini-Tube-C...
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