Avo dampers and brake lines

[andy couchman]

Couple of things to sort on the 7 over the winter:

My live axled car runs Avo ali dampers and the bottom rosejoints on the rear dampers need replacing. Anyone done this and would you recommend buying replacements from Avo or from elsewhere?

I need to replace the main (copper) brake lines. Is it feasible to do this yourself? If so, guess I'll need a flaring tool plus the pipes themselves. Easy or difficult and best left to those who know what they're doing?

Thanks all.

Andy

[Keith_T]

Andy

I've a feeling theres a flaring tool lurking in my shed.  If so, it's your's.  Will likely have some tube too.  Don't imagine its a difficult job if you have reasonable access under the car.

Keith

 

 

 

[andy couchman]

Brilliant - thanks Keith.

Andy

[TomB]

Brake lines - I did this last year.  

Main tip is to wait until the car is stripped to the tub as its a PITA job.  Things get in in the way. Small things like the gearbox, loom, fuel lines and other bits.  Routing around these with a 2-3 metre of copper pipe is hard work.  

Still, if you intend doing it, my advise is to remove the existing lines, measure them for length and order pre flared from Redline.  You can buy rolls of Cupronickel pipe from a good factors, but I realised wheil doing it I didnt want to route, bend, measure the pipelines only to mess up the flaring or get it all in place and find it leaking.  I had a lot of wastage, but then, perhaps Im a perfectionist. Kinking the pipes is fairly easy by over bending.     

Pipe bending pliers are really useful as you can get tighter bends than if you use of of the pipe bending tools that bends to set radius, as some of them are quite tight, particularly around the pedal box and BMC.  

[7 wonders of the world]

Spherical joints can be obtained form McGill Motorsport but STR that AVO only charge about £7, McGill do some natty rubber boots for them too.

[paul richards]

Easiest way is to take the brake pipes off and take them to a local car spares shop where they can make up similar parts to the correct length. 

[elie boone]

Replace the brake hose with a flexible braided version, so much easier if ever you need to take the drum backplates off.

[TomB]

The other thing to note the that it's impossible to pre shape the pipes and then fit them, as you can't get it down the tunnel from the engine. I ended up getting the lengths flared by Redline, they arrived in the post coiled, then I straightened them out on the kitchen floor. The one to the rear passes down the tunnel from the engine. I marked on the pipe with some yellow tape where the key bend exiting the tunnel was as I bent it from under the car.  So I sorted the rear end out first. Then I think I un fastened it from the 3 way Union to allow slack to sort the BMC end out. Then reconnecting the rear, I could deal with some slack by putting a couple of S shapes in the pipe at the back end of the tunnel.  

The front end is a doddle in comparison. The only other way to cheat would be to fit unions and perhaps have a piece around the pedal box, a pipe up the tunnel and then a piece at the rear. 

[andy couchman]

Thanks all and yup spoke to Avo this morning and they're sending me new rosejoints at just £7 each, which sounds pretty good. Will need a big vice or press to get the old one out apparently but, once the dampers are off the car, can easily get that done at local garage of necessary.

Andy