tips for brake pipe at the back of the master cylinder?

[xpress]

hi there. want to get this brake pipe out of the back of the master cylinder, seems to run out of a grommet on the back of the bulkhead through the middle strut of the car, any tips for doing this one, thanks.

[les]

Just unscrew it if you can make a suitable spanner, otherwise move the cylinder for better access

[xpress]

thanks les. anyone with any tips on making a suitable spanner? i guess the idea is to take this out when doing these particular pipes? the front pipe seems to come off the side of the master cylinder, seems to screw into it.

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

I cut away a small triangle of metal and it gives you more access to this brake pipe, no one will see that this is cut away as it is still covered by the floor panel but gives you more room.

When you are replacing this pipe the nut often ends up nearer the crossmember when you fit it, before you put it in the chasis leg wrap a piece of masking tape about 2' from the end of the pipe then the nut is trapped and you dont have to keep getting under the car and pulling hte pipe out again!!

[fussyoldfart]

I used to have a special wrench for brake lines until it "got legs"
It was like a six point box-end wrench with a cut out just big enough to slip over a brake line. Will have to hunt down another one because having the right tool makes difficult spots easy.

Darrell

[xpress]

oh yea, i have a flare nut wrench 7/16". very handy. i got off all the unions without so much as a slip of the wrench.

i am trying to picture the back of this master cylinder, after taking the cover off, can you get to the nut at the back side of this?

the nut on the side of the master cylinder, that seems quite straigthforward to change this pipe right? the one that goes to the front t piece ..

so to the previous poster, you put a bit of tape on the end of the pipe to secure the union so it doesn't go astray as you pass it through the chassis leg?

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

No, not on the end of the pipe as you need to screw in the threads. Put the nut right to the top on the flare then put the tape about 2' behind that so the pipe cant get any further back the tape once its in the chasis leg. If you have cut the small triangle of metal away you should have room to get your fingers in to start the nut before you begin to tighten it up without the need to move the cylinder forward.

This is a link to a brake pipe spanner on ebay, an 11mm one, 7/16 are available but more expensive
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Draper-10mm-x-11m ... 20b750f023

[xpress]

sorry david, this makes sense. so you cut a triangle into the back grommet area?

i have 7/16ths wrench, i tried 11mm metric flare wrench but wouldn't fit on the unions, or was too difficult to, so got the right one. it was boring to turn this wrench a load of times though. i would like to try the crows feet socket wrench set to spin unions off with a ratchet, to see how they are, i would always use the brake pipe spanner to tighten up tho.

[xpress]

can you tighten up the back of the cylinder from the top, with the master cylinder cover off? i will need to look at it.

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Remove this bit to give more room to get at the nut, it is then covered by the floor panel when it is screwed back in place.[frame][/frame]

This second pic shows whats underneath the floor inside the chasis leg, the brake pipe screws into a union which in turn goes into the back of the cylinder[frame][/frame]

Pictures borrowed from taupes restoration!

[xpress]

thanks for this! pictures tells a thousand words and all that .. did you grind that triangle out with a grinding disc or a dremel?

also ....

"This second pic shows whats underneath the floor inside the chasis leg, the brake pipe screws into a union which in turn goes into the back of the cylinder".

is that the brake pipe flared up with a bsf union on the end, goes into the back of the cylinder, single flare? i haven't got anything out of the master cylinder yet, but all the flares out of the front t piece are double flare so far with female protrusions inside the front t piece.

[bmcecosse]

" female protrusions inside the front t piece. "

[xpress]

i just *love* female protrusions!! :D:D

[rayofleamington]

if you are planning to remove the m/c at the same time, then it becomes a lot more simple.

1) undo the rear pipe where it joins the rear axle flexi
2) remove the pipe from the side of the m/c union (the one tht goes to the front brakes)
3) remove the m/c bolts (see seperate threads for tips)
4) slide the m/c rearwards until it is clear of the brake pedal push rod
5) lift the front of the m/c upwards, and slide it forwards in the chassis leg until it comes out of the leg
6) unscrew the pipe from the back of the m/c with lots of access and no gtriiting of teeth / cursing needed at all.

[MarkyB]

With the standard set up I leave the side connection alone.
Wind the rear pipe connector out a turn or so until it isn't gripping the pipe any more.
Then undo the big bolt thing that presses on the banjo.

If at all possible I never undo pipe unions as, if they have been over tightened, they wont go back together it can be impossible to get them to start without filing them.

It's so much easier to get the big bolt thing straight and threaded properly than any pipe union.

[xpress]

Thanks all! Ray, that's genius. Btw if the master cylinder is working ok should I reuse it or replace it at this stage? Is pedal travel set here?

[les]

If the master cylinder is working ok is there any other reason making you want to change it? The rod is where you can adjust the pedal travel from. The manual or indeed the handbook has the optimum travel distance.

[xpress]

Oh I guess because its undone and the back pope looks old but I guess you're right. Wondered if others would replace or not.

[les]

I daresay some might, but other would leave well alone.