The Baconator's latest victim

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah I've got some of that, enough to do the 2 front lines this weekend at least, and the 11mm ends. The VAG stuff is a lot neater and sturdier than copper 8)

[pete_griff 0]

you could consider copper-nickel lines (or cupro-nickel as they call them in the shops)

 

the cupro-nickel stuff is much more sturdy than the copper stuff and it's also much more corrosion resiststant than the original lines. i need to replace the lines on the M5 at some point - i'll defo be using cupro-nickel...

 

if you've already bought the stuff then the deal is done, but i would look into cupro-nickel if you get the chance.

 

 

by the way, the wheels and tyres are looking great. i heard on the news (when we get it...) that there's been a nice "dump" of snow in the UK - bet you're praying to see some down south eh Kev?!?

[boost monkey 0]

iirc the Vag OEM lines are steel. I remember trying to bend an old one and I couldn't budge it! That's why they're painted too, to stop the rust.

[pete_griff 0]

iirc the Vag OEM lines are steel. I remember trying to bend an old one and I couldn't budge it! That's why they're painted too, to stop the rust.

that's right - the original lines are steel. this makes them very tough (tougher than the cupro-nickel lines), but also leaves them wide open to corrosion.

yes the paint/sheath cures this, but it only lasts for so long, also the steel lines corrode internally as well (due to water ingress into the brake fluid and system over time).

 

the OEM steel is good stuff but my personal preference would be towards the cupro-nickel...

 

edit - unless i'm mistaken, i think they use copper-nickel tubing out on the rigs due to it's extreme corrosion resistance when confronted with the constant salt spray from the ocean...

[Kevin Bacon 5]

All good points Mr G :D

 

I dunno why but I prefer to use the steel lines. I think it's just that reassuring VAG robustness. Besides which I've just shelled out 200 smacker for a tool to flare steel lines so the car is getting steel whether it likes it or not :D

 

One thing to consider is how long the current lines have lasted - 16 years! The front ones are all fine due to being heated, but the ones underneath and at the back have all seen better days.

 

Big shout to Mr Reid for lending me his bending tool and a bunch of bits to help out this weekend, top man :D

 

Have the Laser 4048 tool in my posession now and it's a big hefty beast! Looking forward to trying it. It can even do 37 deg flares in stainless steel in 3/8" size tube, so perfect for turbo hard lines :D

[Jim 2]

How'd you do the DIY refurb mate? And are you still after those Speedo's back now you've got Mics old ones? If not I'll be looking to have a go at refurbing myself judging by how well those came out! :)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah I wouldn't mind your spare set as well :D These are my winter speedos and I want a set of summer speedos too, for Toyo 888 action and all that!

 

Refurbing is easy mate, just lots of sanding and patience! Mic's old wheels were in good shape, no kerbing or dents etc, so made my job a whole lot easier :D

[big ben 10]

nice little guide to a DIY wheel refurb here Jim;

 

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/s ... ight=wheel

 

and they look the nuts kev must admit... will be needing a spare set of winter wheels next year i think, and a bit of traction control would be nice

[Jim 2]

Cool - cheers Ben. Just what I was after.

 

Got another set of speedo's lined up for £50 so will see how they look and think about a DIY refurb on them once you've got your ones back off me Kev :)

[OllieVR6 0]

I used that guide when I did mine....it's a LOT more work than the guide makes it look. The spraying part is fairly quick and easy but the prep is horrendous and boring and long and I hated it, in fact I've sworn I'll never do it again :D

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Think I've done 5 or 6 sets of alloys over the years and after each set, I also swore never to do it again!! :lol: The lure of saving yourself £200 - £250 is hard to resist.

 

Thankfully Speedos are a nice wheel to refurb. Small in size and very simple spokes with no nasty corners etc!

 

I use U Pol paints. Second to none in the DIY rattle can market imo. Acid 8 etch primer, colour coat (Standox in my case) then 3 or 4 coats of U-Pol laquer 1.

 

I must admit, I'm glad I used proper wheel paint this time and not some generic silver from Halfords. It really does give the wheels a factory look and feel. Well worth the extra outlay :D

[pete_griff 0]

All good points Mr G :D

 

I dunno why but I prefer to use the steel lines. I think it's just that reassuring VAG robustness. Besides which I've just shelled out 200 smacker for a tool to flare steel lines so the car is getting steel whether it likes it or not :D

 

One thing to consider is how long the current lines have lasted - 16 years! The front ones are all fine due to being heated, but the ones underneath and at the back have all seen better days.

 

Big shout to Mr Reid for lending me his bending tool and a bunch of bits to help out this weekend, top man :D

 

Have the Laser 4048 tool in my posession now and it's a big hefty beast! Looking forward to trying it. It can even do 37 deg flares in stainless steel in 3/8" size tube, so perfect for turbo hard lines :D

 

that's a fair one pal!

 

i've got my own decent flaring tool, but i'm not sure if it will do steel...

it's certainly robust enough in design - maybe i need some separate flaring keys though, hmmmmmmm.....

i'll have to look into that as you've got me wondering!

 

my flaring tool cost me about £100 and it will do the 37 degree flares too. (think mr monkey possibly has a piccie of it somewhere in his build thread from when i went to help him...)

defo a useful bit of kit to have.

i've done more brake lines than i care to remember now - each time i say i f*cking hate doing these and won't do any more though!

i've just got a generic pipe bending tool for small pipes from a plumbing place, is yours a brake line specific jobbie? they make things look loads neater afterwards and you can be sure of nothing kinky occurring when you're bending! :norty:

[Critical_Mass 10]

I got a can of Wurth Silver spray which is near exact match to the original silver colour.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

OK I know I should be out on the beers on a Friday night, but as my C is a daily, I had to crack on with the brakes. Just in case something goes t1ts up and I need to get some bits tomorrow!

 

As it happens the first new pipe went rather well :D

 

OK, so here's the usual Corrado problem. The Flexi hose rusts solid onto the rigid line.

 

 

Which means you have to snip it off and make a new line.

 

 

Typically, my first crack at brake line fabrication has to be a stumpy one with loads of awkward bends in it!!

 

 

Even with the right tools, it still took me over an hour to copy the line. Glad I'm not paying someone to do this!!

 

 

Looking good here....

 

 

And also at the ABS pump...

 

 

Job done :D

 

 

Sexy APs off, 288s on...

 

 

330mm AP next to 288s

 

 

And just for cracks, check this out....

 

AP 330 weight in KG....

 

 

And the lardy 288s...

 

 

I'm hoping the driver's side will let me off with having to make a brake line tomorrow, in which case I'll be trying the winters :D

[CazzaVR 0]

That's some weight difference... mind you, most of the AP disc is worn away :lol:

 

That's a tidy wheel refurb, there Kev- lookin' factory-fresh! :)

[pete_griff 0]

glad to see you're getting there.

 

if you want to make a good job then brake lines are such a fiddly PITA aren't they!

 

i hate doing them!

 

still, there more you do, the better you'll get.

 

have fun doing the really short rear line that goes from the bias valve to the nearside of the rear beam; it's only about 100mm long and you basically have to bend it back on itself. that's a bending tool job then finish it off with hands and hope you don't kink it! that one will probably be a pig with steel lines (sorry to break the news! that said the cupro nickel aren't loads softer than steel...)

let us know how you get on!

 

oh, have you had your bias valve off before???

 

if you're doing the rears then i would buy a new bias valve and bolts - they are always corroded solid onto the bolts.

i had to slice right up through mine with a 9" angle grinder (and cutting through ally isn't fun!), then hammer a wedge in to remove the last 5mm "slice" left on the car and even then it took some shifting...

you have been warned!!!

 

(top tip, no doubt teaching you to suck eggs, but copper grease the new bolts when you put them on with the new bias valve, then you won't have the galling and corrosion problems in future :) )

[pete_griff 0]

how did you do yours by the way?...

 

i like to flare one end then copy as much of the line as i can and then chop it to length flare the other end last.

 

i found that if you try and get it exactly the same length to begin with and flare both ends then bend it to shape something always (inevitably) goes wrong!

[wy906 0]

Love it RE: AP vs 288 weight difference. :D

[Jim 2]

Heh... you'll probably crap yourself the first time you go out for a drive after putting the 288's back on because they'll be so schitt compared to the AP's.

 

I know every time I drive my 2.0 16v with the 280mm's, I come down the bottom of the road and begin to slow down and think there's something wrong with the brakes, cause the 288's on the VR feel SO much better.

[Toad 0]

How'd you do the DIY refurb mate? And are you still after those Speedo's back now you've got Mics old ones? If not I'll be looking to have a go at refurbing myself judging by how well those came out! :)

 

Get someone to shotblast them for you. Stripping them is RRRRRrrubbbish.

[StormchargedVR6 0]

could have cleaned the KWs while you were there kev :lol:

 

Nice work on the brake pipes, would get some wax-oil on them tho

[KADVR6 0]

hoping you would be on kev, can you pm me those measurments for the ap discs, i'm gonna be seeing my mate who works for alcon tomorrow, sorry for not doing it sooner but had more pressing things going on.

[OSV 0]

Kev, saw your reply on Pat Mc Crotch's thread about an upgrade you were thinking of for the 288mm brakes, an upgrade that will still fit under the Speedlines? Sounds interesting! Are you not going to run the APs again? Would they sit behing BBS RS 301s? :norty: Thanks

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

 

This picture made me laugh, Kev will know why when he sees what's in the background :lol:

 

Kev, I think we need to find a 3rd brake light for mine. Where did you get your original clear one from and is it difficult to sort out the trim or was it an Audioscape job?

[boost monkey 0]

sweet moses, black socks and white footwear! :nono: