Hydraulic Caps & Plugs - DIY

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addo
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Hydraulic Caps & Plugs - DIY

Post by addo »

This quest started when I swapped rear flex hoses on my 405 disc brake rear, and the brake fluid siphoned itself right out. Took me half a dozen bleeds to get it sorted.

So now, a simple couple of items you make from used brake hoses. You need a small metal vice and brazing kit.

Clamp the hose end in the vice, and cut off the hose with a hacksaw. Make the cut 1mm below the lowest band of crimping and you'll just kiss the bottom of the hose material as you cut through. Wash the hose ends in strong detergent and rinse. Set the hose end on an old clay housebrick or clay paver - cement products tend to "pop"! With paste flux and a brazing torch, delicately fill in the fluid hole exposed when you made the cut. Don't keep stuffing braze in there, just a gentle dab.

Quench, soak in strong detergent for a while and scrub/rinse. You now have (depending on the hose used) male or female 10mm caps that can be used to plug a line in an emergency or for testing. A similar approach can be had with Citroën hydraulic lines, closing the ends of assorted sizes tube so they may be used in place of a continuous line. At five minutes a pair, it's a quick and easy thing to knock up.

One of the best prolonged uses I can see for this, is sealing hydraulic fluid calipers after rebuilding; they should last very well on the shelf if warmed to drive out all moisture before capping off.
citronut
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Re: Hydraulic Caps & Plugs - DIY

Post by citronut »

i just use old brake pipe flare nuts with a short stub of metal/copper pipe protruding, then just squash/squeeze/crimp the end of the pipe,

works ever time
Regards, malcolm.

current ride a BX 1.7 TZD estate
1986 MK1 BX 1.9na D Auto(in Mothman Andy's stable )
layed up roppy 1.9TD XANT estate, now gone to meet her maker
purple and lilac metalic 2CV(VIOLET)registered to her in doors
1972 DS special been layed up aprox 31 years
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