Morris Minor Owners Club

I am going to contact the supplier, but has anyone else had this problem?
The pipe referred to is the pipe supplied with a remote brake fluid resevoir kit, and goes twixt the reservoir tank and master cylinder. It appears to be in consruction the same as compressed air pipe, but is black. I bought and fitted the kit 3 months ago, and noticed a couple of weeks ago a drip on the pipe under the car. On closer inspection it seems that the whole pipe is sweating brake fluid (tastes brake fluidy) along the whole of its length. The pipe has also lost a lot of its rigidity.

Anyone else had this problem?

DaveC wrote:tastes brake fluidy... snip ...Anyone else had this problem?

Ponders the health benefits if licking brake pipes

*thinks the same as lee*

DaveC how does the pipe connect to the remote reservoir? is it clipped, or screwed? and is it metal or plastic?

It would need to be the kind of rubber that brake hoses are made from. I dont think that anything like airline material should be used as brake fluid can just about eat through anything. Do check with your vendor, check to see if there maybe has been ongoing issue with this problem.

If the pipe has got softer then definately something not right (wrong material). If brake fluid is leaking through it, then it's not fit for purpose.
It may be worth to remind the supplier of legal implications of supplying brake system parts that are not fit for purpose - they should look at the pipe to see if it's the same as they have supplied to other people and consider a recall.

Welung666 wrote:

DaveC wrote:tastes brake fluidy... snip ...Anyone else had this problem?

Ponders the health benefits if licking brake pipes

Don't many people use the taste test for undefined car fluids then?

Hi folks thanks for the replies.

Wibble: Pipe is jubilee clipped to a steel tailpipe at the top end.
Ray: Definately has got softer, I think there is an osmosis thing going on here.

I intend to contact the supplier, one well known to everyone here. I hope that all who have fitted a kit recently with black hose check their installations to see if the same thing is happening.

I'll email the supplier and let you know how I get on

Cheers
Dave

Are you sure it's the pipe at fault? I know of several instances with one popular brand where the base of the reservoir bottle has fractured.

I had a good look tonight, and the globules of liquid cover the entire surface of the pipe for it's entire length. I had a look at the rear of the M/cylinder as well, and even the section in the chassis leg has it on too. Wipe it off and it's fine for a few days, eventually it comes back. It don't look right to me... another job as well as the starter motor which packed up last Sunday

E mailed the supplier now so await response

With your comment of 'sweating' it really does sound like a material problem (have come across this at work) - brake fluid is NOT compatible with quite a few types of hose. We've even seen the fluid turn jelly-like due to leaching elements from the hose which affect the fluid rather badly.

Does the fluid level drop? May be difficult to tell if you have discs as it will drop normally anyway. My remote reservoir pipe was always slightly damp at the top few inches but it was traced to leakage from the lid which seeped down to the pipe. I bent the mounting clamp jaws outwards so that the platic reservoir was not being squeezed so tightly and the problem has disappeared.

DaveC wrote:Wibble: Pipe is jubilee clipped to a steel tailpipe at the top end.

ah, right ho, so could theoretically be leaking from there

I'm guessing that a seeping leak from the top end could perhaps be attacking the outer coating of a pipe whose inner coating is brake-fluid-proof? (I'm just adding this to the pile of existing much better-informed speculation already posted!)

Dave I hope you get an answer soon, it sounds as though this could be potentially quite a serious problem? are you driving this vehicle in the mean time?

Must say this is not the first case of this happening to the flexi pipework.We have replaced many over the years, either by a suitable spec'd pipe/replacement from the supplier or by fitting our own kit which uses rigid pipework and compression joints(standard flared 3/16brake pipe.)

Flexi pipe itself is not a problem - pretty much 100% of new cars sold every year (hundreds of millions?) use it.
It just has to be the correct material.

I quite agree Ray, but my comment was relating specifically to the Morris Minor flexi pipe'd header tank kits that have been on sale for the past 15 years or so. My reference to rigid pipe was for example only as if correctly fitted its by far a better option for transfering fluids especially corrosive ones such as brake fluid.
The fact that this is ,or has not been an isolated incident is worrying in the extreme.

Hi folks
I had a reply from the supplier today:

Sorry to hear you have a problem with a product supplied by us.

This is a kit we don't supply too often these days, so it's been a while since we have had one through. Yours was ordered in specially. As you suggest, it sounds like the hose is not suitable for use with brake fluid. I assume you are using standard DOT4 fluid, not the silicon type? I have heard of the latter causing trouble with the rubber components in braking systems and we don't recommend its use.

I will have to contact the supplier on Monday and talk to them about resolving the problem. I'll keep you informed.

I'll keep you posted.
Cheers
Dave

nice one, cheers dave

Hi all

I got an answer from my supplier today. This supplier got the kit of another (larger) part supplier in the UK. Both whom advertise in the MMOC Minor Matters. I can't fault my supplier as he has responded quickly to this.

I am still concerned if there are people out there with this kit. I would say again that the 7mm I/D pipe is black and reinforced similar to compressed air pipe. I find it odd if no-one else has this problem?
I await the new part, and will post the result on inspection.

Hi Dave

I have just spoken to the supplier. The person I spoke to wasn't aware of any problems, but he is going to check with their other branch which deals with these more than they do.

He is going to mail out another hose and we will forward it on to you. Please let us know how you get on with it.

Cheers
Dave

Well I got home to find a parcel tonight, and it contained the replacement hose. Exactly the same stuff as before . Even smells of PVC so I know it won't be any good.

I have found some new HDPE beer pump pipe so I have a mind to fit that, it's the same stuff as the bottles that the brake fluid comes in. If not I shall be purchasing a new kit from Warwicksire that is piped in copper.

Last time I buy cheap kits.

Last time I buy cheap kits.

Was it really 'cheap' or was the price sensible enough that the kit should be 'fit for purpose'?
The problem with brake fluid is that it will leach elements outof materials - these are now probably in the brake fluid in the reservoir, and you may not ant to get them into your wheel cylinders.
If it was me, I'd drain the reservoir from the cap (using a 'sucking device, or just using absobent rags) to ensure the contaminated fluid is removed from the system.
That may be paranoia from having worked a lot with brake fluid an an automotive design engineer but it's amazing how things can sometimes have a knock on effect.

If you go for an elastomeric pipe (rubber in leymans terms) you want to find an EPDM hose - definately never a Nitrile one. Most of the EPDM hoses that I've seen are clearly marked 'brake fluid use only' but then again, the automotive industry has it's reasons to be paranoid ;-) - the over the counter stuff may not be marked up in the same way.
The kind of stuff you get for normal breather hoses / water hoses etc... will be nitrile.