Morris Minor Owners Club

The simplest way to prevent the unions from seizing up and breaking when removing them is to smear brake grease on the threads and behind the unions making removal easier. There will always be reports of pipes splitting when trying to remove them, this is most likely due to people not assembling them with brake grease and they then split or break because they are seized. As for flattened pipes it is easy to have a careless moment and place a jack or stand in the wrong area (I think they are called senior moments )
As for the plated steel pipes so called "rotting" one thing I have always done on my cars, modern or classic is to paint grease on the complete brake lines to aid against corrosion. This advice came from my father in law who spent all his working life as a mechanic and was a great believer in preventative maintance.
As les says though,there will always be two schools of thought.

That's good advice about greasing brake pipes, especialy "Bundy" steel ones and is something which was done a lot in the old days. Cupro Nickel (Kunifer) is the best way to go for car renovation in my opinion. I can't think why parts specialists supply copper brake pipes. Making your own brake pipes with the right tools is a satisfying job and a brake flaring tool doesn't cost the earth.

It is indeed satisfying to make your own pipes but not everyone has the tools, the time or the skills to make your own. This is why people fit copper lines because that is what the suppliers stock.
Unless people research the topic they do not know of the alternatives available to them.

I ordered a kunifer brake pipe kit last week for the MG from Classic Car Geek. Has just arrived and looks good.
This chap also offers a copper kit less unions for the Moggy at a very reasonable price.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-DAY-SALE-Mo ... 46381c6925
At £28.99 you can't really complain. I have contacted him and asked will he do this in kunifer rather than copper and I don't see any reason why not. I think a lot of Minor owners would be interested. I will post back as soon I get a reply.
Regards
Declan

He has just confirmed that he has posted a listing on fleabay.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301591049883? ... 26_rdc%3D1

£38.99+P&P - Not bad in my opinion.

Regards
Declan

Ideal for peace of mind!

The reason for fitting the bolts the "wrong way round" is to save having to strip the suspension if the m/cylinder was ever removed again. It was simply convenient to fit the bolts through from the outside before the suspension was fitted on the production line

The bolt heads are extra thin for a good reason, otherwise it would be more convenient and cheaper to use a standard bolt!

Regardless of why they're fitted like that, fitting them 'correctly' (again in inverted commas!) ensures they can't drop all the way out!
Plus, like Les says, they've gotta be skinny headed bolts for a reason?