Making replacement brake pipes in cupro nickel in pictures.

[J44EAG]

I`ve just had to make my first ever replacement brake pipe.

I`m definitely no expert in this field but for what it is worth here are pictures of a trial section I made before making up a new pipe. Those flares were rather more successful. Practice clearly pays dividends in getting a good result. I also watched a couple of Youtube videos before commencing to learn the basics of the technique. Hints and tips are useful within such videos.

Please feel free to comment on this thread. I`m new at this game and others will no doubt be able to offer more experienced advice on the subject and images on how a well formed pipe flare can and should be formed!

Tools and parts.
A Silverline pipe making tool kit obtained on ebay for around £11.50.
A 25foot coil of 3/16" ductile, malleable, seamless cupro nickel (Kunifer). About £14.50 from ebay.
A Stanley blade for clearing out internal pipe burrs.
A small pipe cutter tool.
A smooth cut file for preparing pipe ends.

Here is the Silverline kit. Flaring bare, flaring tool and a number of forming mandrels for different sized pipes, for use when a double flare is to be made.

The kit can be used to make single or double flared pipe end as appropriate to the pipes you may need to replace. I found double flared pipes on my S-type.

Original fitted pipes were manufactured from steel pipe. Replacements by owners tend to be in cupro nickel which is said to be easier to work and bend. This image shows a single flare on the left and a double flare on the right. Note the marks on the pipe caused by me over tightening the flaring bar wing nuts. I`m certain this fault can be reduced by not tightening the flaring bar nuts so tightly. We live and learn.

Making a single flare pipe end.
Place the pipe in the appropriate flare bar hole. Tighten the nuts on the bar having set the height of the pipe to that of the appropriate sized mandrel found in the kit. Remove the mandrel and fit the flaring tool on the bar inserting the conical forming mandrel into the centre of the pipe.

Keeping the tool well aligned, screw down the flaring toll until it stops moving. Do NOT over tighten.

Dismantle the tool and bar and that should leave you with a well formed single flare.

Forming a single flare is rather easier than a double flare which is rather more complicated.

Making a double flare pipe end.
Place the pipe in the appropriate flare bar hole. Tighten the nuts on the bar having set the height of the pipe to that of the appropriate sized mandrel found in the kit. Place that mandrel with the pin into the centre bore of the pipe.

Then fit the flare tool to the bar and screw down the conical mandrel into the centre detent in the pipe mandrel.

Carefully carry on screwing down the conical mandrel and watch as the pipe hight reduces as the pipe is swaged into the flare bar counter sunk area. Do not over tighten the flare tool. Stop when resistance is felt. Back off the tool and remove from the bar together with the pipe mandrel.

At this stage the double flare has been only half formed and is know as a "bubble".

The final stage is to refit the flare tool to the bar and screw down the conical mandrel again to finish the forming process.

A double flare forms a rather thicker and more prominent end to a flared pipe than a single flare.
A single flared pipe here.

And for comparison a rather badly formed double flared. Note this is only my first practice piece.

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I`m pleased to say my new brake pipe has been fitted and is leak free.

Mike

[jeff1954]

Would it not have been cheaper to take the old pipe to a good car spares shop and get them to make one up for you. Or don't they do that these days, I must admit it's a good few years since I had one made up.

Jeff

[J44EAG]

In the end, it was quicker easier and less hassle just to buy in the needed parts and retain total control of the job.

The tool was £11.50 and the pipe just under £15. Brake fluid delivered at £5.50. Job done in about two and a half hours. Took our time, didn`t have to leave the yard and then wait around outside the motor shop whilst the part was made or rely on anyone else. In any case the pipe was wriggled and fitted to the car as an over length part and then the ends bent, cut and flared once on the car.

I have around five meters of pipe left over and the tool available for any other pipe that needs replacing in the future.

Brake pipes? Nothing to it. Piece of cake!

Mike