MGB & GT Forum

I read about the process for making up new brake pipes.

I ordered in the pre-fabricated but unbent coils to fabricate new brake pipes to replace one that had a somewhat severe kink - the right front.

The engine and rad are all in place.

I then tried to remove the brake pipe from the vehicle to provide a model for bending - but soon realized that I couldn't weave the bends around the steering rack on the left hand side without straightening out the pipe to do so.

So now I am in a bit of a pickle - I don't have a model to bend the new pipe to. Even if I did have, I don't think I could fit it in pre-bent.

I guess I will have to bend the pipe as I go along with the installation - unless there is something I have missed about the technique.

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1952 MGTD 15539
1971 MGB GHN5UB237226

Ron:

Piece of cake this one. I have devised a way to smoothely bend the pipe while it is in location. You will never fully escape the trickiness of this, but this was a big help.

You need a 1/2" drive socket of whatere radius you are wanting. A vice grip pliers and a marker.

Plave the tube in place, mark where the bend needs to be, now find a socket that has a radius that makes the tube end up where you want..

Clamp the tube in the socket with the vicegrip (you can put a bit of tape on the jaws if you want) and keeping the force close to the socket, wrap the tube around the socket. You can make nice spirals if you wan.

I used a regular pair of pliers since the vice grips were busy holding something else. This is better than a pipe bender since you have a large selction of raadius and it is easy to do on the fly with the pipe in place.

Note the small gap towards the front of the pliers, that is where the tube should fit while clamped. If you want to get fancym you could grind out the pliers and make a little round notch for the tube.

Also, note how the pliers jaw uses the sqare drive to "Index" the pliers. Keeps the thing from slidding around. Not a great pic but you should get the idea.



Pete



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-04-04 05:27 AM by NOHOME.

Now lets bend something. No need for vices, just mannually wrap the tube around the socket.

Now just for fun, lets try a smaller radius: Kinda like the "loop that feed the front brake lines to the flex lines on the front brakes.

Very nice.I have tubing benders but never thought about using sockets for a bending device.

Don't you need the nut up there ? or will it go around those bends?

Thanks, M. Plouf for the fine pictures. They will be a major help.

I have to say I didn't get the drift from the text alone, but with the pictures I can see how to adapt the socket and pliers to do the job.

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1952 MGTD 15539
1971 MGB GHN5UB237226

Ron, It may be possible to somehow manouver a fully bent front line into position, but I disovered like you that it was much easier to leave the last few bends around the chassis rail and towards the caliper until the rest of the pipe was in position.
Bought myself two very nice fancy pipe benders, then as Peter suggests, I ended up using the two sizes of spark plug sockets for 90% of the bends.

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__________________________
1970 MGB Black Label OD, APT VP12, Fidanza Flywheel, Flowspeed Head, Hilton AUD405 HS4 SU's, Schlemmerized Distributor, Pertronix Ignition, Saturn Alternator, 15" Dayton Wire Wheels, Falken ZE 912's, Falcon Big Bore
1972 MGB GT Blue Label OD, APT VP14, Fidanza Flywheel, Flowspeed Head, HIF SU's, Schlemmerized Distributor, Points Ignition, Saturn Alternator, 15" GC360 Wheels, Falken ZE-950s, Peco Exhaust, Frontline Costello front valance

GeeMoo Wrote:
Not unless your name is Kreskin - now that's the helper I need right now!

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1952 MGTD 15539
1971 MGB GHN5UB237226

You may have to resort to using an in-line connector at a strategic straight location to mate two parts. It is much easier to accomplish if done with the engine out

Very cool trick I will have to try that!

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"OUR MG" Glacier White 1973 MGB, owned since 1983. Factory hardtop. Member MG Car Club Western New York Centre
"Beer is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Ben Franklin

A+ Peter. Nice pics. Makes me feel a lot less hesitant to tackle the brake line project when it come up.

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"...They say that a man with two restoration projects is a poor man...I now have three...WTF was I thinking!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

1967 MGB-GT,1979 MGB roadster, 1979 Triumph Spitfire 1500 1974 MGB Roadster (retired, giving its life to be a parts car)

My 1974 MGB restoration at: http://mgbproject.blogspot.com/
My 1979 Spitfire restoration at: http://spitfire1500project.blogspot.com/
My 1967 MGB-GT restoration at: http://mgbgtproject.blogspot.com/

Anything round will do. Look around the house and garage. You'll find lots of things of various radii that can be used.
The trick with any of this stuff is to be willing to use your imagination.

Bob

It's amazing that you guys don't use copper pipe..... It's practically impossible to buy steel brake pipe in the UK.

It's tough to find Kuniper here but you can find it. I'm installing some today to replace the incorrect steel pipes in my TC. I just bend the lines by hand.

Steel is stronger of course, but it will rust.