Rodbr Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 Busy replacing all the brake lines from slightly rusty "new" steel to Automec kit. The master cylinder ones require very tight bends and the new pipe bender just doesn't go small enough radius to allow the reservoir to sit neatly below the bonnet. Stuart advised that this could be a problem even on a lhd car but worse on a RHD. The issue is how to get the tight bends at the union on the bottom of the reservoir without kinking the pipe. Are the Brake Tubing Forming Pliers supplied by Frost the answer for a one off use? Any tips advice or solutions greatly received. Rod Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Smith Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 Hi Rod, When I fitted up TuRk back in 2003 I used Cupro Nickel (Kunifer) brake pipe and that material is a real pain to bend on a tight radius (much harder than copper). So here’s a cheap and easy solution that worked for me: Fill the pipe with very fine silver sand and tape up the ends (the sand stops the pipe crimping), then slowly bend it by working your thumbs into the inner bend and you’ll find it bends relatively easily, even on a tight radius. You could even bend it round another slightly larger pipe or other type of former. But obliviously make sure you flush all the sand out afterwards........ Hope this helps and good luck. Cheers Andrew Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pfenlon Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 Hi Rod, When I fitted up TuRk back in 2003 I used Cupro Nickel (Kunifer) brake pipe and that material is a real pain to bend on a tight radius (much harder than copper). So here's a cheap and easy solution that worked for me: Fill the pipe with very fine silver sand and tape up the ends (the sand stops the pipe crimping), then slowly bend it by working your thumbs into the inner bend and you'll find it bends relatively easily, even on a tight radius. You could even bend it round another slightly larger pipe or other type of former. But obliviously make sure you flush all the sand out afterwards........ Hope this helps and good luck. Cheers Andrew Well very cunning indeed, I now understand your success with the opposite type, but I bent mine around a socket, Cupro stuff too, and it didnt kink. I will have to keep my eye on you more closely. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) Sand inside does the trick; I remember when I was a young kid, I had a little job on Saturday; my dad ran a workshop for the off shore industry/ shipyard industry: welding, bending pipes, building boilers and condensors etc. On Saturdays I had clean the workshop with a broom and duster, shovel the sand together in boxes so that the people in the workshop had enough sand during the work week when they... bended pipes! I think Andrew is right reviving this trick! Menno Small trip down memory lane... EDIT: that's also how I learned to drive at the age of 11-12: with a company's Ford Escort on tarmac next to the workshop Edited January 22, 2011 by Menno van Rij Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jean Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Is there no possibility to use a braided flexible brake hose for this part of the line of cause only for non-purists Quote Link to post Share on other sites
angelfj Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Sand inside does the trick; I remember when I was a young kid, I had a little job on Saturday; my dad ran a workshop for the off shore industry/ shipyard industry: welding, bending pipes, building boilers and condensors etc. On Saturdays I had clean the workshop with a broom and duster, shovel the sand together in boxes so that the people in the workshop had enough sand during the work week when they... bended pipes! I think Andrew is right reviving this trick! Menno Small trip down memory lane... EDIT: that's also how I learned to drive at the age of 11-12: with a company's Ford Escort on tarmac next to the workshop Menno: Great photo! What are those things? Can you date this photo? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
foster461 Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Busy replacing all the brake lines from slightly rusty "new" steel to Automec kit. The master cylinder ones require very tight bends and the new pipe bender just doesn't go small enough radius to allow the reservoir to sit neatly below the bonnet. Stuart advised that this could be a problem even on a lhd car but worse on a RHD. The issue is how to get the tight bends at the union on the bottom of the reservoir without kinking the pipe. Are the Brake Tubing Forming Pliers supplied by Frost the answer for a one off use? Any tips advice or solutions greatly received. Rod TRF sells these two pipes pre-bent with connectors for around $16 each I think. I have one of those pliers style pipe bending tools but I have not yet mastered how to use it to make tight bends that look good. Stan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 An old inner speedo or rev counter cable job done use a socket and vice Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrianC Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 An old inner speedo or rev counter cable job done use a socket and vice Brilliant - why is it that some of the best tricks are so obvious you can't understand why you never thought of them yourself? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Menno van Rij Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 Not wanting to 'steal' the OP's thread; Frank: I'll send you a PM! Menno Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mychael Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 Is there no possibility to use a braided flexible brake hose for this part of the line of cause only for non-purists I was wondering that myself, likewise for the fuel line. Braided line must be as stong as it's used to take the pressure to the calipers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 If the bend is that tight, I would think it undesirable to use a braided flexible, which would be permanently constrained into such a tight curve - flexibles should have large curves, as large as possible. Using an old speedo or tacho cable within a small diameter pipe is like using a pipe spring on a plumber's 15mm or 22 mm copper pipe - permits it to be bent under the pressure of one's foot without kinking. It's possible to produce quite elegant S-bends using just a pipe spring. The photos could be of the inside of boilers i.e. the combustion chambers of coal- or oil-fired steam-raising plant. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rodbr Posted January 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 This is what I was referring to and there is a video on the Frost website. http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=9392&frostProductName=Brake%20Tubing%20Forming%20Pliers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 This is what I was referring to and there is a video on the Frost website. http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=9392&frostProductName=Brake%20Tubing%20Forming%20Pliers Imho you will not make the return close enough and still clear the bonnet with that Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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