Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

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wurlycorner
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Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by wurlycorner »

Hi,

Started up one of my CXs for the first time in a couple of years on Sunday and it promptly repaid me with a cloud of atomised LHM :lol:

I need to replace the curly pipe that runs from the main accumulator to the brake accumulator and I'm so dissolusioned with Citroen Parts supply for my Xantia, I can't even be bothered to ring them about getting this pipe for the CX. To be honest, with the amount of Citroens I have and the age of them, it's high time I got sorted with making my own anyway!!!

Image

So I've been looking around and it seems the Plaiedes tool is the most highly recommended, but that's no longer available from what I can find?
Other options seem to be the Automec and ABtools versions.

The ABtools option is very attractive because of the far cheaper price (when you take into account the 2 different pipe sizes).

Any experience/recommendations on that?

Then for the materials needed to make the pipes up - anyone know of a sensible 'starter kit' I can buy (i.e. a kit with coils of the right pipe diamaters, cutter and the right end fittings etc.)?

Thanks
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
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SaabC5
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x 1

Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by SaabC5 »

:shock: Thats a nice easy pipe to bend for a starter!
09 C5 X7 2.0Hdi Exclusive in Perla Nera black (the best colour) :wink:
Northern_Mike

Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by Northern_Mike »

I think if you buy cunifer pipe in the right size (3.5mm bore?) It's pretty easy to bend by hand and you'd be able to make something pretty much the same shape bending it round a broom handle or something similar.

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wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
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Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by wurlycorner »

Yeah, I agree, it won't be too bad to make out of cunifer I think - just needs patience/fiddling about #-o

I've been thinking the coiled part is more red-bull can sized, than broom handle ;) :lol:

Getting the rubber damper in the right place on the coil is going to be the most fiddly part I reckon!

It's experience on the tooling and best source for the piping/unions that I need help with really :-D
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
Northern_Mike

Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by Northern_Mike »

wurlycorner wrote:Yeah, I agree, it won't be too bad to make out of cunifer I think - just needs patience/fiddling about #-o

I've been thinking the coiled part is more red-bull can sized, than broom handle ;) :lol:

Getting the rubber damper in the right place on the coil is going to be the most fiddly part I reckon!

It's experience on the tooling and best source for the piping/unions that I need help with really :-D
Malcolm Lockwood - http://mlockwood.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; should have most of the bits - certainly pipe and unions that you need, at a decent price . I'm nothing to do with him, but I've bought stuff off him when I've needed it in a hurry and he's delivered each time . Not sure if he'll have the flaring tool, give him a buzz and ask him.

Someone will be along to tell you more.
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by wurlycorner »

I use Malcom for most of my parts (have sone for years) but hadn't thought about him for supplying the pipe and unions etc! Thanks - I'll give him a buzz on that...
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by wurlycorner »

Just to update on this, I've ordered the AB Tools flare tool and lockwoods do indeed sell all the pipe materials, so that's where they're coming from :-D

Will feedback how I get on with them...
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
citronut
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Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by citronut »

is the pipe in question 3.5 or is it 4.5 ?????

the usual way to tell with
Regards, malcolm.

current ride a BX 1.7 TZD estate
1986 MK1 BX 1.9na D Auto(in Mothman Andy's stable )
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purple and lilac metalic 2CV(VIOLET)registered to her in doors
1972 DS special been layed up aprox 31 years
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
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Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by wurlycorner »

Haven't bothered to check yet - I just asked malcolm to send me a decent amount of bits for both sizes, based on his experience - it's not like I'll be short of cars to use it on! :lol:

He said I'd need half as much 4.5 as 3.5.
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by wurlycorner »

I like coming home from work to find packages like this waiting for me :)
Image
8-)
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by wurlycorner »

Just to update this then, I finally got round to making up my replacement pipe and can recommend the AB Tools flaring kit - easy to use and the made up pipes work perfectly :D

To start - old and new
Image

Starting to take shape
Image

At this point when trying to match up new/old, you realise you've unintentionally created one of those annoying puzzle games where you have to untangle 2 loops of metal. :evil:
Image

Nearly there, just pipe end fittings to do. This is the exciting bit :D
Image

Set up the tool, clamp and die with the pipe level with the end of the clamp
Image
Image

Don't forget to put the nut on first and you need a long straight section of pipe from the end, so you can pull it back far enough - I didn't realise this and finished bending the pipe to shape first, then had to unbend quite a bit to get a long enough straight piece :(
Image

Tool wound in so the die is fully up inside the clamp
Image
Image

All done :D
Image

And the finished article 8-)
Image
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
wurlycorner
Posts: 1366
Joined: 30 Oct 2012, 22:37
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
My Cars: Two C5's...
Lots of CXs...
A couple of Xantia...
A C2...
Lots of Prelude's...
And a Sunny!
x 66
Contact:

Re: Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

Post by wurlycorner »

You mean you don't believe it was all from my own fair hand???
--
Iain

1x '85 CX GTi Turbo s1 (metallic blue)
2x '85 CX GTi Turbo s2 t1 (metallic silver & grey)
'88 CX GTi Turbo s2 T2 (metallic light blue)
CX DTR T2 Safari (silver)
2x '96 Xantia Activa (Black & metallic green)
'01 C5 2.0 HDi LX Estate (Blue)
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