Copper Brake Pipes

[Dean Roberts]

Silly question, but -

 

I would like to bend them into a better position above the exhaust manifold where they exit the brake servo.

Will they break and screw-up my day if I attempt to lever them upwards, so as I can fit a heat shield.

 

Is there an easy way of moving/bending them or do I have to renew them?

Any advice appreciated, unless it's Chris telling me to get rid of servo

Edited February 6, 2015 by Dino

[agent_zed]

Copper pipe will certainly bend by hand. Not sure whether its good to bend older pipe, especially if it's already been heated a bit as it may have effected its properties.

 

Obviously if you do bend it just keep nice gentle curves and not too tight a bend.

 

Flaring new pipe is easy though (assuming you have the tool and some pipe). Perhaps bend what you have and look for any signs of fatigue and be prepared to replace. It also serves are a good template if you do need to make new pipes.

 

hth

[PaulF2B]

With this cold weather at the moment, it is worth running the engine for a while before you start.

The exhaust will heat up the copper pipe making it easier to bend and less likely to crack.

 

Have you bought a heat shield or made one? It sounds a god idea to deflect the heat away from the servo.

[fry61]

If its copper pipe heating & slow cooling will make it harder -- though I suspect the amount of heating/cooling suggested above will have very little effect other than to make the job a little more friendly if garage is un-heated. It will work harden so do not make several attempts at each bend.

[Dean Roberts]

Not able to warm the engine bay yet, as I have stripped out exhaust & manifold, carbs, cooling system and stripped down the engine to its bare minimum

 

I'm attempting to make a shield to deflect all the unwanted heat downwards away from the servo and piping, but seem to have small stumbling block which it the existing copper piping looped 2cm's to deep into the area I want to fit the shield.

 

To save time and any headaches, I was hoping I could gently warm it up, place another steel pipe against it and gently ease it 45 degrees upwards without the brittle curve being kinked or worse - broken.

 

I could do without replacing any broken lines at the moment as I have a lot of other things to do b4 the MOT April and the money could be wisely used on more bling.

Edited February 6, 2015 by Dino

[Guest Ian & Carole]

GET RID OF THE SERVO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Support the pipes where they go into the master cylinder, that is where they would most likely kink or fracture.

 

Use a hammer shaft or similar the gently reposition the pipes and you should be OK.

 

 

GET RID OF THE SERVO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tractor]

bin that servo dino

[speedtripledan]

If you break them just cut them back and make a new section,

[speedtripledan]

Oh and bin the servo...

[Dean Roberts]

U guys crack me up & make me laugh on a stressful day at work!

 

Thank you.

[tractor]

IF YOU BIN THE SERVO IT MEANS LESS WEIGHT GO FASTER

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Work !! work !! wash your mouth out young man !!!

[Guest Gargoil]

Keep the servo!

 

Just run smaller brakes.....

 

(I obviously didn't mean that)

[Longboarder]

Whenever I bend brake pipes I do it with the pipe disconnected. Otherwise its more difficult. If disconnected it can be emptied of fluid and annealed by heating to dull red. Bob, I understood that copper is a bit odd in that it can be quenched or allowed to cool slowly and it will stay soft. Excuse me if I'm wrong. I always anneal brake pipe ends that I have undone and copper washers like sump plug washers in this way.

If you are going to remove brake pipes to re-route them it's probably simplest to make sure you have a spool of pipe in the garage and your flare tool handy. You can then take off the old pipe, blow it clear of fluid, anneal and adjust the bends and if it breaks make a new one.

 

Nigel

 

You can't anneal it if it's full of brake fluid.

Edited February 6, 2015 by Longboarder

[Andi]

when I had a servo, I started cross dressing and wearing lippy.

Had to get rid of it in the end.

Still got a bit of lippy left though xx

 

BIN THE SERVO