Hydraulic pipe making gubbins - advice please

[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

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!!!



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

[SaabC5]

Thats a nice easy pipe to bend for a starter!

[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.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[wurlycorner]

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

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

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

[Northern_Mike]

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

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

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

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]

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...

[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

Will feedback how I get on with them...

[citronut]

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

the usual way to tell with

[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!

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

[wurlycorner]

I like coming home from work to find packages like this waiting for me

[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

To start - old and new


Starting to take shape


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.


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


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



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


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



All done


And the finished article

[wurlycorner]

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