F

fatscoleymo

Member
Hope you can help me..
I have a 1978 series 3 swb 2&1/4 petrol...the front right wheel was hard to rotate - slackening off the adjuster did not help. After much struggle I got the hub off and on one side of the brake cylinder the piston was almost out - the other side it was stuck in... So as i had a new replacement cylinder I was going to fit it..but could not free up the pipe union...no matter what... so then thought, ok I've got the short pipe and flexi, so will change those...but all unions are well and truly corroded and are just rounding off...so thought I'd strip the cylinder in situ and rebuild with new internals - cleaned up the corroded cylinder and fitted and the internals - seemed to be ok, but cannot now bleed because the bleed nipple is corroded tight!!! Arrrgggg
So I guess I will have to cut off and replace all the pipework back to ???? I've got some 3/16th copper brake pipe, and a Clarkes flaring tool, but have never done pipework before...so...
What do I need, any tips, anything to watch out for? What size unions will I need? I've got the parts catalogue and Haynes....how far back should i go?
Would rather not have to do this, but I live down in France and have to muck in myself...
Thanks
Fats
 
As a get you out of the do do, you could strip the internals back out of the cylinder and get some heat on the nipple / union to free them off then rebuild or renew the cylinder and bleed.
Are the pipes copper or steel?
 
Thanks Flossie - tried that....heat from a blowtorch ....wd 40 several times, but all I'm managing to do is round off the nuts...think the short pipe from the flexi to the cylinder is steel...does that make a difference?
 
Just thinking that you could cut the pipe close to the flexi, butcher the fitting out with heat/molegrips and reflare in situ with a new fitting . Steel pipe work is difficult to flare especially in situ .
What you're experiencing is almost what always happens.
It's less grief, I've found, to remove the pipe at the master and take the whole pipe and all fittings to a garage and get someone to knock you up a new copper one.
I don't do that because I've got all the bits and tools to make my own.
I also don't know how good the Clarke's tool is, there are some flaring tools that are not fit for purpose out there imho.
 
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Thanks again Flossie - i like the idea of getting it made up locally, but don't know if our local garages would do it for me...maybe i'll pop down to the local lad (he's done work on our old pug for us) and see if he's game for it...
Fats
 
Just read your post again and you've got everything new except the pipe from master to flexi yes?
A new pipe as said, in copper would make a good job.
Don't know union sizes but they aren't rare , garage should have them .
 
When you're all sorted, make a note of the union sizes and get a few off eBay or whatever then look through my past posts and you should find a pic I put up with a flare tool that works brilliantly for £35 iirc
A roll or two of pipe and never worry about knackered pipes/ fittings again.
 
Yes, got the flexi and short pipe to cylinder...just had a look at the car - the pipe from the master goes into a 'splitter' mounted on top of the chassis with three outs - one to the rear (where it divides again) and one each to the front wheels... so i'd just have to make a shortish pipe from the flexi to the 'splitter' (what do you call it? - part no 565719)... I'll give the local lad a go to see if he has unions...just hope that the fitting comes out of the splitter - it looks much cleaner than the rest...existing pipe is all copper..
 
Not too clued up on series although I had a 109 but it was yrs ago.
Splitters are quite often made of brass when I've come across them and if yours is it should come out easier.
Practice with your flare tool and you may be able to cut the pipe close to the flexi and re flare it in situ.
Don't forget to slip the fitting on before reflare!
 
No problem, it could turn into an even bigger job yet! All the other bleed nipples could be seized as well meaning you won't be able to bleed the system once that pipes sorted.
 
Ok..after practicing making flares I set to this morning...after cutting the short pipe from the cylinder to the flexi I then relalised I could get a ring spanner on the union that fixes to the flexi and whadda know? I got it free...yeh! So managed to bend the new straight pipe I had (with flares and unions on) to shape and after a little swearing got it fitted.... so did not have to make any pipe, and much easier job that I anticipated. Brakes bled (the other 3 bleed nipples all operated fine) and all seems fine...
Thanks for all the help...a bit more experience now...
Fats
 
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