Painting brake pipes

[Rob Cowell]

So having made (fabricated sounds much more competetent than it was) and welded on a new control arm bracket, I managed to nick one of my flexi hoses while cleaning up with a flap disk. Of course this is attached to the rustiest brake union on the car. Even if I get it off with some heat and molegrips tomorrow I don't like the idea of mole-gripping the nut tight again.

The pipe runs half the length of the car and you can't get at it with the fuel tank in. Fortuntaley I have the fuel tank out! The original pipes are plastic coated. I've never seen replacement plastic coated pipes. Given the inaccessible location should I be treating bare replacement pipes with something? Hammerite? Dinitrol chassis wax? Really don't want to have to change the pipe again.

Ta

 

[Towpack]

Why not use copper brake pipe?

 

[Rob Cowell]

Why not use copper brake pipe?

No idea. That doesn't corrode then? Why don't they fit copper in the factory?

 

[Towpack]

Copper brake pipe is actually a copper/nickel mix (Kunifer) and doesn't corrode like the OE fitted stuff but it's more expensive which is probably why it's not used from new.

 

[Gary820]

Use kunifer pipe rather then copper, much nicer finish and copper goes green.

Give them a blast of chassis wax when all fitted, does no harm after all.

We sometimes order the steel lines which are made to length but need bending to shape. Already coated too.

When I make pipes even with kunifer I always give them a spray with clear chassis wax so keeps them looking nice.