New brake pipes - made from what?

[WorldClassAccident]

The brake lines on my scimi are either knackered or missing so I need new ones.

The flexi bits are easy to source but what about the rest of the pipe work. I assumed it was just small copper pipe but Google has linked to videos talking about mild steel vs stainless steel.

What would you guys recommend given I will be starting with nothing more than the brake master cylinder, the brake unit and have to work out the rest and routing myself?

[davecymru]

Go to the Car Builder Solutions web site and have a good nosey. Copper/nickel alloy is what I think you're after, along with their decent flaring tool.

The brakes was one of the areas that I was dreading doing on the Spyder, but with the proper tube and the good flaring tool ( don't get a cheap one, they're false economy!) its actually fun to do

[Straight Sixer]

Agree with all that Davecymru says. The copper Nickel (often called Cunifer) tube is the stuff to go for and certainly the cheapo flaring tools are not much cop. Also, use a small plumbers type tube cutter to get the cuts dead square, then the flares will be spot on and won't leak. The unions come in metric and imperial threads so you have to make sure that they match the existing threads (sorry if I'm teaching my granny to suck eggs).
Very satisfying making bits from scratch and making the car even moer your own.

Len.

[WorldClassAccident]

Looking at the flaring tools and bending tools. Bending tools seem to be around £20 which is okay but the flaring tools are £150+ .am I looking at the right things?

Draper 49447 Expert Brake Pipe Flaring Tool Kit £170 online
Laser Tools 4850 Brake Pipe Flaring Tool Kit £145 online
Sealey PFT07 Brake Flaring Tool - Turret Type £239.94

[Straight Sixer]

This is the one to have; Item number: 280860671647 Ebay. Ending SOON hope you see this. Sykes ones are great.

Len.

[Straight Sixer]

This 'll do the job too; Item number: 170824743952 and a bit more time to bid.

Yuo'll only need dies for 3/16" and 1/4" size tube. Most of the dear sets come with 4 or 5 other sizes you may never use. I use a sykes pickavant at work which came from an auto jumble and wanting mending, otherwise they are a dear old investment for half a dozen jobs a year.

Hope you get lucky if you bid.

Len.

[WorldClassAccident]

Both a bit of a drive but thanks for the heads up. Will bid and see.

[davecymru]

As far as flaring tools are concerned, avoid at all costs the cheapo Silverline ones such as this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000LFXPQ...0LFXPQ07460191

I bought one, thinking that they all look the same so they must all work the same, and it was more frustration that it's worth!

You don't need to spend £00's to get a really good one. As others have said, fleabay is a good source of _good_ 2nd hand ones but i ended getting one of these from CBS and did every pipe on the Spyder with it! It's a suberb bit of kit.
http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/product/B...ring_Kit_FLARE