22 replies to this topic

[jeebz]

Hi all,

I'm replacing all my brakes lines and before I fork out for a length of copper tube, am I missing a worthwhile upgrade?

I was under the impression most brake lines are around 99.9% copper. Steel ones have corrosion potential, but what about copper-nickel alloy ones (cupronickel?)?

Are there any others worth considering, or just going for instead?

Thanks,
Jeebz

[spraybeater]

Hi all,

I'm replacing all my brakes lines and before I fork out for a length of copper tube, am I missing a worthwhile upgrade?

I was under the impression most brake lines are around 99.9% copper. Steel ones have corrosion potential, but what about copper-nickel alloy ones (cupronickel?)?

Are there any others worth considering, or just going for instead?

Thanks,
Jeebz

No doubt you will get a tar-aid of replies to this as its been discussed a lot on

here , so heres my two pennies worth being a retired body repairer with experience

in car/LGVHGV and a MOT tester have made up brake pipes for years I would Never

use copper although many do for ease of bending and working with I use Kunifer in

fact the restoration job I have just finished I bought a made up kit from DSN classics

in Kunifer haven't got a proper pipe flaring tools any longer

[Carlos W]

Go for kunifer.

Copper will work harden and fail.

[CityEPete]

I've just took a set of copper pipes off and replaced them with new copper on my Morris minor, they'd lasted 59 years, roughly 56 years longer than your average MPI mini lasted :-D

[Homersimpson]

I alway use copper nickel because I found that the ends corroded onto standard copper pipes and you couldn't undo them after a few years.

[jeebz]

Thanks all,

Do you need special tools for flaring kunifer?

Edited by jeebz, 13 June 2017 - 07:59 AM.

[Steve220]

You could go all out and do them in stainless steel! Would never use pure copper, it's way too soft as a metal.

No need for specialist tools to flare kunifer.

[r3k1355]

Thanks all,

Do you need special tools for flaring kunifer?

 

You can use any old rubbish to flare copper as it's so soft, Kunifer is tougher to flare, a decent tool is a few quid but well worth it.

Edited by r3k1355, 13 June 2017 - 10:59 AM.

[CityEPete]

From what I've read that's where the problem lies, people use the wrong ends and wrong tools so they get split kunifer, weak copper or corroded unions depending on what they use.

I've got single circuit 7" drums all round with no servo on the minor, the brakes are largely ornamental anyway

[r3k1355]

I've got single circuit 7" drums all round with no servo on the minor, the brakes are largely ornamental anyway

 

[CityEPete]

Lol, a mate drove it once, he owned a civic type R at the time, he couldn't believe what they were like!

[surfblue]

I've just took a set of copper pipes off and replaced them with new copper on my Morris minor, they'd lasted 59 years, roughly 56 years longer than your average MPI mini lasted :-D

Thats ridiculous, less than 60 years from a set of brake pipes, I'd have them straight back to your local Morris dealership to complain 

[CityEPete]

Exactly, terrible unusable stuff, lol.

[CityEPete]

Exactly, terrible unusable stuff, lol.

[tiger99]

The stuff sold as copper brake pipe isn't! There is no BS or other spec for copper brake pipe. The spec it is made to is a very old one, copper pipes for general use or some such title, and neither mentions brake systems nor states any properties for the pipes which are relevant. You will find that Kunifer comes qualified to several international standards and is legal in most countries, whereas copper is illegal almost everywhere due to the lack of safety certification. Mainstream manufacturers dropped copper in the 1950s following a number of accidents.

The correct thing to do, and the only option in some places, is to use Kunifer or any other brand of cupro-nickel. Flaring does not cause problems and it has no tendency at all to split. An average flaring tool is ok, a cheap nasty one will not be as it will not shape the flares properly, regardless of material.

Copper has poor fatigue properties and may rapidly fail if not mounted securely, but it will also fail after too many pressure cycles. I suspect that the copper in the 60 year old Moggy had very little remaining fatigue life.

The very small extra cost of Kunifer brings an immense improvement in safety.