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Triumph TR3 - Bag Pipes, or Brake Pipes?

Ok...I'm converting the Girling brake system on my TR3A over to silicone. New rear cylinders (can't get past the pits), new hoses, new seals in the calipers, rebuilding the master and slave cylinders, refurbishing the reservoir. I'm planning to rinse out the pipes with alcohol followed with an air chaser, but I'm asking myself: Is now the time to replace the pipes as a safety precaution? I realize pipes can't be judged from the outside for internal rusting. And how feasible is it to run new pipes while the car is in one piece? (I do have the rear axle off the car.)

If new pipes are advisable, feasible and affordable, what tools are indispensable for bending them to my will? Any source of "how-to" information to get it done right? Do the usual vendors have the right stuff?

What price peace of mind, eh?

Merci,

Bill Stagg
1960 TR3A

Bill Stagg

If your front calipers are off and the pistons are out, push the pistons half way back in and mask the exposed parts of the pistons with duct tape. Have the calipers sandblasted and painted. Then remove the pistons, clean everything, put in the new seals and reassemble them.

When I took off all the old brake pipes in 1987 the car was apart. And I put the same ones back on again. I had painted them, but the rust came through again. So I took them off in 1992 when the car was fully assembled to replace them with new ones. I made sketches of where they went as well as details of the fittings at the ends. At an auto parts store, I went and chose the nicest shiny lengths of brake pipes I could find where the lengths were longer than I needed. Many had a spiral type of spring all around them for protection. I cut the useless end off one end and slid off the long "spring" and removed the fitting at the far end if it was the wrong size type and/or the wrong threads. All my old end fittings, I took to a plating shop where they put them in an abrasive tumbler to clean them - then they cad plated them.

I put on the far end fitting where the original flare or whatever was the correct one I needed, then slid this long spiral spring back on to make the bends. I did this by hand where the spriral spring makes it easy. Try it on an old piece first.

When it was finished, I slid off this "spriral bender" and put on the fitting for this end and with a proper flaring tool, fastened on this fitting.

Then, with the car still full assembled, I refitted the brake pipes and they are still there about 65,000 miles and 12 years later. They never had a leak and are still looking correctly "original".

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A

Don Elliott

Don,

Is it possible to bend and shape the pipe by putting it in place, then removing it to make adjustments, then putting it in place again to check fit, etc.? Or must it be bent and left in position as you go?

Has anyone had experience with the cupro-nickel units sold by Moss et al?

Don, I do believe you smelt your own copper...

Thanks for the help!

Bill
Bill Stagg

The Brits like copper brake lines for some reason. I don't know why. North Americans don't like copper. We prefer steel ones like the originals look like. I didn't bend them in or on the car. I laid out the old ones on a big bench and bent the new shiny cap plated steel ones on the bench next to the old ones. Then I put them in the car. I think the long one to the rear is still the original one from 46 years ago.

It's a bit hard to straighten out a bend you have already made to make a small correction. But those long spirals that come with some brake lines are a big help. I still have the extras that I got in 1989.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

This thread was discussed on 10/02/2004

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